Arthur Berger explains Marxist Alienation as being stranger to society. We have no ties to each other anymore. Capitalism has alienated us from society and we don’t realize it. “Anyone Lived In A Pretty How Town” by E. E. Cummings is a story of a town where the effects of alienation have taken their tole. The text is provided below. The work is a great example of the alienation that we live under in today’s society. We don’t care about one another; it’s all about us. In today’s society, it is all about “mine.” The media pushes the idea of the self made man and the pulling up of the bootstraps. Vilified are the ideologies of socialism. “[They] reaped their sowing and went their came.” The work is no longer done for one’s self, but for the company. Your extra effort benefits not your wages but the stock price. Little left do we have connected to those around us and even to ourselves. This idea of alienation is a wake up call. We need to take a look at the way we live our lives. Do we want to be disconnected from the world around us? Think about your neighborhood; how many of your neighbors do you actually know? Think about the classroom; how many people's first names do you even know? Maybe it doesn't matter. Maybe we all have our online social networks and we have better friends elsewhere. Maybe we are more connected than ever; are we really that selfish? Maybe alienation is just a fluke theory that just makes a feel bad an one we need to ignore, or maybe... that's just the denial talking.
ANYONE LIVED IN A PRETTY HOW TOWN E. E. Cummings
anyone lived in a pretty how town
(with up so floating many bells down)
spring summer autumn winter
he sang his didn’t he danced his did.
Women and men(both little and small)
cared for anyone not at all
they sowed their isn’t they reaped their same
sun moon stars rain
children guessed(but only a few
and down they forgot as up they grew
autumn winter spring summer)
that noone loved him more by more
when by now and tree by leaf
she laughed his joy she cried his grief
bird by snow and stir by still
anyone’s any was all to her
someones married their everyones
laughed their cryings and did their dance
(sleep wake hope and then)they
said their nevers they slept their dream
stars rain sun moon
(and only the snow can begin to explain
how children are apt to forget to remember
with up so floating many bells down)
one day anyone died i guess
(and noone stooped to kiss his face)
busy folk buried them side by side
little by little and was by was
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