Adrianna Mowrey
Mrs. Hawkins
October 3, 2013
B BLOCK
Characterization
in “Digging” by Seamus Heaney
In the poem
“Digging” by Seamus Heaney, the author uses characterization to exemplify the
struggle that the son faces between his family and his passion. [K2] Heaney shows
the character’s pride of not following the family business and traditions, shows
his hardworking family, and shows having guilt knowing he needs to follow his
dream.[K3]
Heaney represents the battle of guilt of not wanting to follow the footsteps of
the family business to become a writer.
Throughout the
poem Heaney characterizes the son’s pride to not follow the family business as
a potato farmer he sometimes desires. Seamus starts the poem off saying
“Between my fingers and my thumb/ The squat pen rest; as snug as a gun” (Heaney
1-2) which characterizes the sons’ pride. The “squat pen rest; as snug as a gun” shows
the sons’ pride because when Heaney relates the pen as a gun it is represented
as a weapon that will help escape the family tradition and pursue his passion.to
escape and be free of the family business that his dad wants him to pursue and
instead wants to become a writer which he can freely write. [K4]
Heaney also characterizes the son’s small desire for farming when he says,
“Loving their cool
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hardness in our hands”(Heaney 14)
which utilizes the only thing he will miss. The “cool hardness” of potatoes is
the only part the son enjoyed doing with his dad and grandfather that he did for
the family business. Seamus
shows that the son respects his family’s hard work that they do for a job.portrays
the families hard working labor that they do for a job, which the son respects.[K5]
Heaney also
characterizes a hardworking and devoted grandfather, father, and son who are
potato farmers for a living, which is a tough line of work. When Heaney states,
“he rooted out tall tops, buried the bright edge deep /To scatter new potatoes
that we picked”(Heaney 12-13), which characterizes the family as hard working
individuals. They are hardworking and determined because they have to “root out
all tops” and “scatter new potatoes” which is their routine they have everyday.
Heaney characterizes not only his father as hardworking but also characterizes
his own father as a hard worker by saying “ By God, the old man could handle a
spade, /Just like his old man.”(Heaney15-16) Which exemplifies not only “the
old man could handle a spade” but “his old man” can do the same which means the
hard work has been taught through generations and has been passed down. Which,
the son was taught, by working and watching his father and grandfather
“digging” everyday which made it harder for him to tell his family he wanted to
become a writer a do something that he loved.
Throughout the
poem Heaney characterizes a son who doesn’t have the desire to be a potato
farmer anymore, but has tremendous passion to be a writer. The son doesn’t have
the desire for “loving their cool hardness in [his] hands”
Mowrey 3
anymore. The feeling of the “cool
hardness” of the potatoes shouldn’t be the only thing that keeps him being a
farmer because this can’t be the one thing he desires
about the job, which can’t push him
through an entire lifetime. Towards the end of the poem when Heaney says, “Though
living roots awaken in my head. /But I have no spade to follow men like them.”(Heaney
27-28) Heaney characterizes a son knowing there is so much legacy and
generations before him hence the “living roots awaken in my head” and not
wanting to tell his family but knowing he
“[has] no spade to follow men like them”. Heaney portrays that the son doesn’t
have any strength nor interest to follow his grandfather and father footsteps
and will go in his own path to be a writer. Which comes to the conclusion of
the poem Heaney says “the squat pen rest. /I’ll dig with it”(Heaney29-30) Which
shows that he finally had the guts to tell his family that he won’t be a farmer
anymore and will be writer. The son doesn’t need the gun to escape anymore
because he told his family. When Heaney says, “I’ll dig with it.” This shows
that he will have the pride to live with the possible guilt of leaving the
family business to become a writer and now be free to write.
Seamus Heaney portrays
passion and dedication for the characters’ interests in this poem. Heaney uses
characterization throughout his poem “Digging” to utilize the son’s pride, the
entire families hard work, and the possible guilt the son has for not being a
potato farmer and wanting to be a writer. Overall message for the poem that
Heaney shares is to follow your passion no matter the consequences. [K6]
Mowrey 4
The overall lesson
of the poem “Digging” by Seamus Heaney is you don’t have to follow the family
business or what your parents want, follow your passions and strive for what
you want to do in life and succeed. My sister and I definetly don’t want to go
into the family business but we want to be as hardworking as our dad has always
been. Some families end up having their children go into the family business but
it is their choice. Follow your passion and achieve at what you love doing.
Overall it’s not
bad. It’s a bit complicated in some parts just because it’s oddly worded. Try reading
it yourself and see how you can simplify it a bit. You might also
want to go into a little more
detail on everything and think of the hidden meanings behind the story not just
the ones that were a little more obvious. (Hint: use a lot of the notes we took
in class)
[K1]Need
a header (Mowrey 1, 2, 3)
[K2]Change
it to “between his family tradition and his passion”
[K3]Really
confusing… Don’t really get it. Also have a lot of commas. Maybe you can break
it up into diff. sentences or reword it.
[K4]Really
long.. shorten it so its something like “ because when Heany relates the pen as
a gun it is represtented as a weapon that will help him escape the family
tradition and pursue his passion.”
[K5]Seamus
shows that the son respects his family’s hard work that they do for a job.
[K6]Don’t
restate what your whole essay was about… show how this applies to our life or
your life. For Example say how you or your sister don’t want to follow your
parents trade or how Ms. Hawkins didn’t become a nurse like every other woman
in her family.
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