"Lady Lazarus" Commentary

Based on the first 11 stanzas and the first line of the 12th stanza.

Link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3qIclUmQO4NTjJMSUpzNTRMQmc/view?usp=sharing

"This is Water"

David Foster utilizes the idea of getting up for work and doing grocery shopping in order to deliver a message that freedom and self-fulfillment is achieved through empathy and mindful awareness of people and their situations. A perfect example is used to develop his argument when he mentions that a phrase so simple from the checkout worker such as, “have a nice day” can completely change when one is sympathetic and conscious.                                     

            Many of us have encountered situations where we jump to conclusions about someone without considering situational factors. Instead of getting angry at the lady taking too long at the cash register or getting angry at traffic, think of how that lady’s life may be or why the traffic is caused and the effect that it’s had on other people. Once someone is able to be more mindful and view the world with a different lens, life won’t be a difficult thing to get through every day. Being self-centered is the only thing that opens the gate for someone to feel as if they are going through the day with the same routine trying to find self-fulfillment when in reality self-fulfillment comes from focusing on other people and having a more conscious awareness of life.

            One of our inquiry questions is directly related to this essay: “How can literature develop empathy and emotional intelligence?” Because it’s important to know other people’s lives and be more aware of surroundings in order to develop empathy, literature can do the same. When reading about others’ lives and engaging yourself with a character with self-awareness and consciousness, you can start to develop empathy for the characters and become more mindful about their situations. That can then transfer onto real life into the reach for self-acceptance and full peace.