Analysis Of Charles Bukowskis Roll The Dice - 1337 Words

Life is full of risks, which carry both benefits and drawbacks. Every day we make decisions, whether logical or ill-considered. Half the time, we make the right choice, but in the other half, we risk a lot of what matters to us most. The poem â€Å"Roll the Dice† by Charles Bukowski discusses the decision of whether or not to take chances and the aftermath of choosing or refusing to â€Å"roll the dice†. The term serves as a reference to gambling, a sport that many will likely lose. â€Å"Roll the Dice† pressures readers to take risks and advises them that the rewards outweigh the consequences. People are willing to suffer physical pain, a sense of confinement, and humiliation in order to experience isolation and a state of bliss. First, literal and†¦show more content†¦A second drawback of gambling is loss of freedom due to the lengths to which people are willing to go in order to take more risks. One of those lengths involves stealing to support a gamb ling addiction. Of course, theft is illegal and can leave a person with a criminal record, which usually follows them for the rest of their life. The poem makes another consequence plain and simple: â€Å"it could mean jail† (10). Beside theft, crimes associated with gambling include fraud, in which people lie and cheat their way to financial gain, and embezzlement, in which people steal from their employers or other organizations. People who are sentenced to prison spend most of their days behind bars without freedom. They can experience sadness at being away from friends and family, abandonment from those who once trusted them, and even threats from fellow inmates despite the fact that their crime pales in comparison to murder, robbery, or other more serious offenses. Additionally, when an inmate is released from prison, they are shunned by society. People believe that no reasonable employer will hire someone with a criminal record (especially if it includes felony convicti ons) because they could repeat their misdeeds all over again and waste valuable time and money. When one’s gambling pastime becomes a habit, they need to consider how they will support that dependency and whether their options are legal. Since gambling is known as a loser’s