Eng.

Presentation: the Five Boons of Life

Good morning, I am an IB student, and for this presentation I will talk about The Five Boons of Life,
written by the renowned English writer Mark Twain. Firstly, I will make a brief summary of the text.
Then I will mention the characters and its evolution and the themes presented. At the end I’ll refer to
the message or moral of the text.

The Five Boons of Life is an allegory that explores the consequences of the choices we make in life. It
tells the story of a young man who is presented with five gifts: Fame, Love, Riches, Pleasure, and
Death. He initially chooses Pleasure, but soon realizes its fleeting and disappointing nature. He
subsequently selects Love, Fame, and Money, only to experience the downsides of each pursuit,
including loss, envy, and ultimately despair. In the end, he recognizes the true value of Death as a gift
that provides relief from life's pains and suffering.

There are two characters: the man who is given the opportunity to choose a gift and the fairy who
gives it. Throughout the five chapters we can’t establish a permanent personality or description of the
main character. That is because he isn’t meant to have a personality, but to be neutral enough to
represent all humanity. He simultaneously is no one, but could be anyone. He embodies the inevitable
course of life and its phases: adolescence, early adulthood, adulthood and old age. When he first
chooses the gift of Pleasure it reflects the youthful impulsiveness and desire for immediate
gratification of adolescence. Then, choosing Love means a maturing understanding of the significance
of human connections. That’s early adulthood. Later, he chooses Fame and Money, alternatives that
focus on the desire for external validation and societal approval and the pursuit of luxury. These
belong to the phase of adulthood, when ambition and the capitalist and utilitarian perspective of
happiness plays an important role in lifetime decisions. Finally, the election of Death shows the
acceptance of the natural course of life and an understanding of the impermanence of worldly
possessions and pleasures, characteristic of old age. The fairy, although not deeply characterized,
serves as a guide and a source of wisdom –the excluded boon–, offering the man opportunities to
make choices and learn from the consequences.

The main theme of the text is the contradictory nature of life. Pleasure provides immediate
satisfaction, but is empty. Love not only brings joy, but also sorrow. Fame is an illusion and Money
doesn’t buy hapiness. As the gift of Wisdom doesn’t exist, only the tragic experiences reveal that
Death is the only gift of life. This shows the existentialist and absurd perspective of human existence:
We are forced to face the deceptions of life only to die at the end. Accordingly, death is both the end
of the suffering and the cease of the joy. Despite the negativity of this contradiction it is also
responsible for giving meaning to our experiences. The awareness of mortality can inspire people to
focus on what truly matters to them and pursue a life aligned with their values. Engaging in the
process of meaning-making prompts them to reflect on the significance of their lives and the impact
they have on the world.

The text serves as a cautionary tale, reminding readers to consider their choices wisely and to look
beyond immediate gratification and external recognition. It emphasizes the importance of
understanding the impermanence of worldly pursuits and the value of inner contentment and
acceptance of life's complexities.