In Dreams Begin Responsibilities

Svetlana Sidorova Professor Grossman Eng 201-534 October 19, 2012 In “In Dreams Begin Responsibilities” Delmore Schwartz works with themes illusion, status and changes. He does this through mother, father and light. Schwartz is saying that most of the people are infantile and weak because they cannot accept the reality of life. Through the mother, we see that dreaming may lead to a painful disappointment. The mother has an unrealistic image of her and her future husband as an idyllic, respectable and happy couple, which is not true in reality. “… avoiding the riotous amusements being beneath the dignity of so dignified couple”.
She is trying to make an image of herself as an intelligent, domestic and interesting woman, which shows that she is not open and free with her fiance. “…according to her principles of economy and housewifeliness”. The mother also has fantasies about the proposal moment, taken from the love novels she reads, which were destroyed by actual proposal in the middle of a conversation on Coney Island. “… she…begins to cry”. Perceiving the world only through prism of our expectations and wishes may lead to a fatal mistakes and wrong decisions which will afterwards turn the life into a disaster.
Through the father is shown a high position in a society will not necessary bring a happiness. The father does not love his future wife but he wants to merry her only because she is from a good and respectable family. “…My father thinks of my mother… and of the pride which will be his when he introduces her to his family”. The only thing he cares about is how to make money and what they will bring to him. “My father tells my mother how much money he has made…” his ambitious to become rich and dignified are so high that he is able to do everything to reach it, even it goes separately from his feelings and senses. His clothes are newly pressed, and his tie is too high in his high collar”. The high range social position will not bring a respect and aspirations without heart will cause eventually a disappointment in them.

The light symbol represent that, even in darkness, it is always a chance to reorganize the present and comprehend the truth. In a photographer’s booth, we see the symbol of light where parents are able to look on themselves from the side and they have a possibility to understand that they are intolerable to each other. The place is shadowed in the mauve light which is apparently necessary”. Unfortunately, they know it from the beginning but they don not want to accept it because it will disturb already chosen path. “…and finally, shocked by their indifference”. The only son, who is going to start an adult life, able to summarize the parents mistakes and to build his future in the light of love, hope and faith. “…into the cold light, I woke up”. No matter what and when we are always know where is the light but sometimes it is easier to wander in a gloom then to find strength to look at the sun.
Schwartz beliefs, that most of the people live with false creeds, imaginary definitions of life and pretensions to others. In “In Dreams Begin Responsibilities”, the mother and father know that they are a bad match to each other, but they close their eyes on these trays if light because they do not have a potency to change what is already established. The author is saying that we always have to follow our sense of rightness, even if it hearts our eyes, otherwise we will waste the life and we will never reach the whole beauty and glory of our unique personality.