A+Canary's+Ideas

Canary's Ideas   **A __Canary's Ideas__ is a story in which there is a role reversal of a canary and a human. The Canary is very judgmental. This criticism of the human race begins to reveal subtle humorous dialogue. The story begins with a man named Macedo. This man has an interest with ornithology or the study of birds. The story is a narration of Macedo's thoughts. Macedo's narration begins with him dodging a carriage and side stepping into a second hand thrift store. He meets the Canary in back of the store. Here he discusses humanity with the bird. As Macedo looks in the pawn shop, he feels bad for the canary; for why would someone discard a beautiful canary? The canary informs Macedo that he is the store owner's master, not the other way around. The Canary also reveals that no one left him behind and the store owner bought him. Macedo leaves with the canary and takes him home. While Macedo is away on business, his servant lets out the canary by mistake. Read the story to find out what happens next.**  **Author's informitive:**     ** Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis (1839-1908)  **

 **Joaquin Maria Machado de Assis spent his childhood motherless, as well as sister less. He was the grandson of freed slaves and lived with his step mother, but visited his wealthy grandmother often. Machado had little formal education, but learned French and taught himself Portuguese. He first began writing when at the start of his first job. This was a printer's apprentice at the National press. It wasn't until his mid 20's however, that he truly began to become famous for his works. Machado de Assis was known for his keen observations and also for his dark sided moods. He passed on his reformist concerns to many other authors, but none the less his view was shaded with irony and skeptism of the buman goodness. This theme is shown in A canary's ideas.**   My opinion I found that this story brought an interesting prospective onto human philosophy and human's way of thinking. If you just read it as a story, then you missed the subtle messages that the story brought. By this, I mean that as humans, we perceive that we are better than everyone else. We must ask each other, how are we perceived by animals? Do they believe that we are their slaves? Throughout the story, the canary believes that it is he is the highest on the social ladder. I think that this story teaches that you mustn’t believe that you are above everyone else. i.e.: The U.S. isn't better than any other country. If we as a country believed this more, maybe we wouldn't be fighting so many wars!!! Literary Analysis- [|Literary Analysis of A Canary's Ideas.doc]