It's Beginning To Hurt by James Lasdun - Essay Example

According to Brooks, the Sultan lived in great luxury. Brooks also points out that the Sultan had ruled for at least 50 years and accumulated riches, honors and pleasures of all kind (Brooks SR1).  However despite the vast amounts of wealth he possessed, the Sultan discovered that he was only genuinely happy for 14days during in his entire reign. In the story of anxious man, Ladsun writes about a man, Joseph Nagel who is in a situation where he knows very well that he cannot control. Nagel goes for a vacation with his wife and daughter.

He works as a dealer in antique prints and furniture shop and his wife is a web designer. Contrary to the Sultan in Brook’s story who is extremely rich, it is clear that Nagel’s family lives a modestly comfortable life. Nagel’s wife inherits some money and they both decide to invest it in Wall Street. The stock market later presents the two with an irrepressible reality (Ladsun 3). They cannot sell their shares when ahead because they might miss on the chance to sell at a higher rate in future and they cannot sell when they are down, because of losses and the market might change for the better.

Therefore, they cannot get out and cannot sell. This is a problem that torments Nagel even when they are on their vacation. In Brook’s story readers learn that humans have put much effort in pursuit of pleasure, happiness and wealth to alleviate their misery. However, he is quick to note that the pursuit of these elements in life has only prolonged humans suffering. In addition to prolonging suffering, human being’s pursuit of pleasure, happiness, fame and wealth has also created a disconnect in the society.

Therefore, he asserts that people continue to be selfish in their lives and acquire wealth through any unfair mean necessary. Thus, humans have lived by the principle of loving material things and not their fellow human being (Brooks SR1). This is why he applies the term