Stoner - A Life Lived to Fail
"That on the ashes on his youth doth lie, As the death-bed whereon it must expire, Consumed with that which it was nourisht by. This thou perceivest, which makes thy love more strong, To love that well which thou must leave ere long. " This passage, taken from a Shakespeare sonnet, becomes a decisive turning point for the protagonist William Stoner as he falls in love with literature and love itself. Until then, Stoner was merely a farmer’s son, living a life of fulfilling assigned tasks. It is this verse that ignites his passion for literature and love. Perhaps Stoner’s life after falling in love can be seen as his personal journey to find his own answer to this sonnet. He searches for the good things in life — truth, goodness, beauty, and love. Yet, as the passage hints, all these efforts are consumed by time and death, leaving only ashes behind. Nevertheless, throughout his life, Stoner never lets go of the small ember remaining on those ashes. It is from this faint spark...
