Self's the Man

Self's The man 

Self's the man is about the narrator describing the life of Arnold, a man who is close to him in some way. Throughout the poem Arnold's life is described to be very controlled and he gets very little freedom. Larkin continues to question whether being selfless is good for you or whether you should consider yourself as well as others. Throughout the poem, the persona questions whether Arnold has any quality of life and whether he is being selfish or not. The whole point behind the poem is a comparison of two different lifestyles, one of a single 'free' man,and that of Arnold a married man.

This poem is very similar to Dockery and son because they both question choices in life and how that determines what life we lead. the Persona's view is that he is correct and that his life is way better than Arnolds, however he can never be sure and to know the true meaning could make him mad. "At knowing what i can stand! without them sending a van.