Contents of the Dead Man's Pockets Four Levels
Four Levels of Contents of the Dead Man's Pockets
1.LITERAL COMPREHENSION :
'Contents of the Dead Man's Pockets' is a story written by Jack Finney which sheds light on the futility of human ambition and infatuation for money through Tom Benecke's near death experience and his realization of the value of the company of one's loved ones.
Tom's wife was getting ready for a movie but he was not going to accompany her because he had to finish his research work so that he could get promoted at work. But when he opened the door for his wife to go out, a gust of wind blew the page of his work out of the window of his eleventh story apartment above Lexington Avenue. The paper landed too far beyond his reach. It was very important document which he had collected by spending two months. He couldn't imagine abandoning all of his work he had completed. So, he climbed into the narrow ledge and moved ahead gripping the flat wooden edge of the window frame. Balancing his body easily and firmly, he stood on the ledge outside, eleven storeys above the street. He carefully shifted his finger-tip from the edge to the row of bricks. While doing so, a fear stirred in his stomach. Yet he kept on moving pressing his chest, stomach and left side of his face against the rough cold brick. He tried not to look down although it was not possible. Finally he reached the paper but it was very difficult to bend down in a narrow. Gathering his courage he slowly and carefully bent down to pick the paper up. He had the view of the city below which made him terrified. To save his life, he concentrated on holding on to consciousness breathing long. With difficulty, he picked the paper up. After retrieving the paper he managed to get back but the window of his room fell shut. He couldn't enter the room. He shouted for help but his voice was taken away by the wind. He dropped coins but no one looked up. He searched his purse but it was left in his room. Now he had the yellow sheet of paper only which he thought was going to take his life. He imagined that his death will be a mystery. If he fell on the ground, all people would find in his pockets would be the yellow sheet which would be the contents of the dead man's pockets. He realized that he had risked his life himself for a sheet of paper. He remembered his wife, all the evenings he had spent away from her, working for his ambition. He regretted them and got angry with himself. At last, he shouted calling his wife and smashed the glass of the window with a full power and luckily he got into his room. He took the yellow sheet out of his pocket and laid it down where it had been and stepped out to go find his wife. Before he closed the door, the warm air from the hall rushed through the narrow opening and blew the paper. Instead of being worried, he laughed at the scene and closed the door behind him.
2.INTERPRETATION :
The story may be trying to tell us that money is not everything. The money never becomes more valuable than our life. We understand the value of life when are in the mouth of death. We have to give the time to our family. We should enjoy our life by involving in an entertainment sector with our family before it was too late.
3.CRITICAL THINKING :
The message of the story is good however I have some question regarding the story.
1) How could he take a risk of his death for a piece of paper ?
2) How could the paper blow by the air again?
4.ASSIMILATION :
After reading this story I realized that money is not important than our life. Money is enough for us if we can fulfill our basic needs with that money. Also I will give much time to my family. There is no guarantee of our life. So we should enjoy our life until we are in this world.
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