Optimism In Jumper Down (Book Review Sample)

Optimism in “Jumper Down”.
The story of Jumper Down by Don Shea portrays an optimistic tone. The prose invokes the feeling of console and assuagement in the reader as we see Henry face defeat on the day of his retirement as a paramedic.  Guimarães (85) avers that even with a reason for resentment and resignation to failure, Henry appreciates the near-dead victim of suicide. In a story that almost ends in regret, we realize a glimmer of hope in Henry’s last words as a paramedic for he provides insight. The story instills in the reader the urge to endure once our expectations dangle. Henry serves as a crude delineation of solace and encouragement in spite of hardship and failure. Henry tells us to accept our shortcomings and focus on the future. Once we strive to accomplish our goals, Henry shows us that if we fail we still succeed because we tried. The persona’s words “some last modicum of comfort” demonstrate a tone of hopefulness.
In Big John’s story, when the man renounces the idea of suicide after the failed attempt, we hear a tone of optimism in his voice. The window cleaner experiences a rebirth which rekindles in his mind the feeling of trust in life and strife (Guimarães 85). The man acts as a good instance of people who commit suicide and wish to revive themselves after they die. If the victims of suicide only found the chink of hope in life they would renounce their idea of suicide. Henry finds success in his work as a paramedic as he listens to the stories of their successes and failures as paramedics when his colleagues narrate them to him during his farewell party in the lounge.
The tone of optimism manifests once the persona encounters an epiphany. Henry detaches the persona from a point of prejudice to a point where the persona realizes hope as the only antidote for someone renouncing life (Guimarães 85). The persona admits that after we accept and embrace our failures and live with them we cherish our goals and achievements. The persona analyzes Henry’s response to the dying jumper and finds the voice of reason and an oasis of comfort in Henry’s words to the jumper. In the end, the persona experiences a retraction and relinquishes the idea of admonition, and embraces the still and subtle voice of comfort and hope. The persona finds peace with the idea of happiness even after you fail in your goal.