I was fortunate enough to spend this past weekend with my family. They arrived early Saturday insistent that we begin our day. At first, we tried to grab breakfast at Miss Shirley's but the wait was nearly an hour long forcing us to explore other options. The change of plans drove us to Fells Point hoping to enjoy brunch. In Fells Point, we were greeted with a countless number of blocked roads and the distant smell of food vendors. We soon found out we had driven into Fells Fest an annual festival that hosts local vendors seeking to promote their local businesses. In the front of it, all was a large Heineken sponsored stage featuring a live performance by the band Ricky Wise and the Dirty Unit. As my weekend drew to a close, I started to complete the weeks reading requirements. After reading Theodore Roethke’s “My Papa’s Waltz,” “Cincinnati” by Mitsuye Yamada, and Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “The Cask of Amontillado” I recognized the central theme of peoples innate desire for love and respect.


Theodore Roethke’s “My Papa’s Waltz,” introduces the reader to a story of a boy living with an alcoholic father. The poem illustrates the duo dancing throughout the house, but in reality, it is a chaotic and uneasy environment that the boy lives in. The entire time the boy is holding onto his father out of fear as seen in this excerpt “But I hung on like death.” No matter how drunk his father is and no matter how much stuff they bump into, he continues to hold onto him as tight as he possibly can. The expression of love displayed by the boy shows a deeply rooted desire for his father’s affection. As I walked around Fells Fest with my own family, I observed a countless number of children holding onto their parents in the midst of the crowd presumably seeking comfort. After reading “My Papa’s Waltz” I realized the innocence and forgiveness exhibited through children and their desire to seek such comfort in adult figures.  

In “Cincinnati” by Mitsuye Yamada, the speaker illuminate’s strong emotions of rejection and suppression. Similarly to “My Papa’s Waltz” the reader immediately can observe a negative tone and note strong external problems that the speaker's faces. Like the young child in Roethke's poem the speaker of “Cincinnati” is naïve to the environment in which she inhabits. The poem begins with the speaker's cheerful anticipation of the new life she’s about to begin, it's not before long that the speaker is bombarded with the “hisses” of racists remarks. It’s through these racists remarks that the author can show how devasting comments of hate can be. My time spent at Fells Fest was more than welcoming. The event hosted various food and clothing vendors as well as welcoming people of all races through a variety of food stands and diverse entertainment options.

Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “The Cask of Amontillado” is a story rooted in revenge while capitalizing on Fortunatos love for wine and spirits. The narrator of the story who we later find out is named Montresor, lures a drunken Fortunato into his vault with the premeditated plan of leaving him down there. This reminded me of my drive down to Fells Fest with my family. On the way, we were approached by a man at a red-light who held a sign claiming to be a recovering alcoholic looking for a new start. As Fortunato was getting lured into the catacomb, I immediately related Montresors trickery to that of addiction and the wicked appeal of alcohol. Both Fortunato and the man on the street let alcohol get the best of them.