Penalty Fare Essay Example
Penalty Fare Essay Example

Penalty Fare Essay Example

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If you have made all the mistakes in your relationship and realize that you have one final opportunity to make things right, it can be disheartening when you unintentionally let that chance slip away.

It will cause pain, leading to anger and frustration, and you will protest its unfairness. However, you must remember that not everything is within your control, a fact you likely already know, yet find difficult to accept when it directly affects you. In the short story "Penalty Fare," Paul's relationship with Tammy is depicted as falling apart due to his negligence, resulting in their separation. Paul longs for her, hoping that her return will alleviate his misery. The text states: "I would be there first and then Tammy would come home again and I would stop sprawling on the sofa..." Additionally, Paul display

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s a touch of naivety as he believes that if he arrives before Tammy, she will come back home. However, considering it is Christmas, perhaps he is clinging onto the hope of a miraculous reunion.

When he arrives at Tottenham Court Road and realizes she is not there, he understands that his relationship with Tammy has come to an end. Tammy plays a significant role in his life as she gives it purpose; without her presence, he becomes idle and unoccupied. His life lacks meaning without her, so he is making an effort to demonstrate his deep affection for her. Christmas serves as a time for showing love to loved ones, which aligns with his intentions. The title of the story, "Penalty Fare," serves as ironic imagery symbolizing the feeling of being inadvertently punished for our actions.

Like Paul, he receives his

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punishment for failing to reconcile with Tammy, which seems to be a consequence of his past irresponsibility. He claims, "It wasn't my fault but I'm powerless to change it." Despite attempting to start anew, he ultimately fails, refusing to accept this as a life lesson and instead denying reality, as evident in the conclusion. In an attempt to cope with his problems, he resorts to purchasing a bottle of vodka, choosing the path of least resistance. He has surrendered and resigned himself to his supposed fate.

Another significant theme explored in this story is the role of music in the protagonist's life, as well as his struggle with alcoholism and disdain for consumerism. Expressing his disgust, he mentions feeling nauseated by CDs and food.

Feeling uneasy and alienated in a specific setting, he finds solace and comprehension through music, granting him a sense of belonging. Music creates an alternate realm that remains impervious, possibly accounting for his profound attachment to it. Everyone encounters challenging periods when everything appears bleak. Although denying these issues may seem effortless, it does not eradicate them; they endure even if disregarded. It is vital to confront and manage these obstacles as life progresses, irrespective of personal inclinations.

French scientists made an intriguing discovery last year, finding a human skull that is seven million years old. The skull was found in the southern Sahara, an area that was lush and filled with trees during that time when the skull's owner was alive. While six million-year-old fossils have been previously discovered, showing early indications of human ancestry, knowledge about human development further back in time remains limited. Nevertheless, the recent discovery shares numerous similarities with

humans, leading scientists to believe that with more findings, they can definitively reject the theory of human evolution from monkeys.

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