Soul in Bondage, Elihu Vedder
How much control do we have over our lives in a complicated world?
The question that Vedder illustrates in this painting is one that I find extremely pertinent to my life. He used generally dark colors to depict the environment in which the angel or “soul” finds itself in, which is an accurate depiction of my observances of the world around me. Ever since I was little, I could tell that my family and I weren’t as well off as others: we live comfortably, which I am extremely grateful for, but we are not without our darkness. The swirls and the light behind the angel give the impression of a mixture of light and darkness in any given person’s life, and some may relate to one color more than the other.
Another thing to notice in the painting is how loose the ropes are on the angel. One can break free of their bonds at any time, to escape any darkness they may detect in their light. However, once free, a person has a choice: to follow the path of good, or follow the path of evil, as Vedder depicts with the butterfly and the snake, which the angel holds, one in each hand. This aspect of the painting in particular relates to me most because this is the basis of not just mine, but everyone’s life. Everyone’s life is composed of decisions, and each and every one of these decisions leads us down a different path, either darkening our surroundings or making them lighter.
In my own life, I would like to think that the majority of my choices have been ones of good rather than evil; I am grateful for the many good opportunities that have been offered to me so that I may try and brighten up my surroundings. I know that although I do not live the most comfortably in respect to others who are more well off, I am aware that there are people who are in a similar socioeconomic status that I am with my family, but do not live the same way we do. It’s families like these that I can attribute most to the following scenario: A family is offered two jobs separately, one legitimate and one illegitimate. The legitimate one may be the smart idea, but the illegitimate one undoubtedly comes with more money at a faster rate, which is much more favorable to a population in which many work paycheck to paycheck, with no guarantee that they will still be employed the next day. I am saddened to say that I have witnessed good families choose the “evil” path to benefit themselves, because they either had no available “good” path, or were too desperate to refuse the former. I knew a boy, not even old enough to vote, and watched him choose the “evil” path. I saw him again just a couple of days ago, chains brighter and bigger than necessary, a Rolex as big as his face, and on a motorcycle twice his size. No doubt that he’s reaping the benefits of his decision, but who knows what he had to do to get there…
Two nights ago, blue and red lights flooded the streets, from in front of his apartment building.
