Essay - Dangers of Unexamined Tradition Introduction the Purpose of This Paper...

Dangers of Unexamined Tradition

Introduction

The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze two literary works, "Mending Wall" by Robert Frost, and "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," ***** T.S. Eliot. Specifically, it will compare and contrast the two works and how they are both excellent examples of the dangers ***** unexamined tradition. Unexamined tradition can be extremely dangerous in life, because it forces *****dividuals to do things the "way they have al*****s been done," rather than forcing them ***** find new ways to interact. This allows people ***** stagnate, rather than grow and learn from new concepts and ideas. In these two works, both narrators are bound by ***** traditions, and ***** of this, their lives are far less fulfilling than they could have *****.

Dangers of ***** Tradition

These two works both clearly s***** the dangers of unexamined tradition in many ways. It is how the writers use ***** words ***** thoughts to convey their meanings that ***** quite different in these ***** works. In "Mending Wall," Frost's meaning is quite clear from the beginning of the short poem. He ***** mending a stone wall, but it is clear he does not see t***** need for the wall, because he has ********** ***** wants to keep "in" or "out." ***** muses, "Before I built a ***** I'd ask to know / What I was walling in or walling out, / And to whom I was like ***** give *****fence" (Frost). Not only ***** there an amusing pun in this verse, ***** is an unanswered question: Why do two neighbors need a wall between them when they seem to have no differences, or a ***** f***** a *****. ***** ***** ***** classic example of ***** tradition, and the danger it can create. Most fences exist because there have "al*****" been fences there, or because each neighbor feels the need ***** mark out his territory, the way it has *****ways been done. Rather ***** question the *****, and examine the trad*****ion, ***** fence is simply built, ***** the damage ***** done.

Clearly, ***** would ra*****r enjoy his neighbor without the confines of a fence or wall, but his ***** has succumbed to ***** ***** ***** unexamined tradition, and ***** created *****t only a wall through ***** property, but also a w*****ll between himself and the narrator that ***** probably never be "mended." Frost writes, "He is all pine and ***** am apple orchard. / My ***** trees will never get across / And eat the cones under h***** pines, I tell him. / He only says, "Good *****s make good neighbours'" (Frost). "Good fences make good neighbours," ***** do *****? Frost wonders why, and so does the reader. Why is it so imperative to wall in your territory? It has been done for thous*****s of years, mostly to protect the inhabitants from invaders and marauders. However, *****day, fences are not so necessary, and so it is no wonder Frost questions the need of a wall and