Edgar Lee Masters’ “‘Ace’ Shaw” from Spoon River Anthology tries to justify his questionable choice of vocation by claiming that all vocations are based on “chance.”
First Movement: “I never saw any difference”
“Ace” Shaw, whose nickname identifies him as a gambling man, claims that to him lawyers, bankers, real estate agents, and all others working in any profession or job for money are all gamblers, that is, all those professions are no different from “playing cards for money.”
Point of view is always the most important issue in determining the conclusions each individual will form. “Ace” being a gambling man, and one who is apparently dedicated to his craft, then views his choice as noble and as dicey as the next guy’s. Of course, in order to do this, he has to filter out the actual impact that each profession has on society.
To this type of personality, narcissistic, egotistic, self-centered to the extreme, others do not matter so long as they render unto him what he thinks he deserves. That gambling for money offers no service to society does not enter into his estimation in determining worth—only the ability to acquire money is his measure.
“Ace” will never understand that bankers, lawyers, real estate agents, and members of other professions such a medicine, education, media, or even public service actually provide a service to society for which they are remunerated according to the level of service. That each professional might fail at his work is enough for “Ace,” and his ilk, to denigrate the potential service providers to little more than gamblers, like himself.
Second Movement: “For everything is chance.”
Ace claims that everything one does in life a gamble. But some things are more fraught with the possibilities for negative occurrences than others. If “everything is chance,” and nothing is sure, then why not set one’s goal higher than mere card playing?
Why not do something that offers a real service? The only answer is that Ace prefers the life of a card sharp; at the same time, intuitively, he knows his choice is less honorable than the bankers and lawyers he tries to belittle in order to make himself seem more important.
Third Movement: “Nevertheless”
Ace is lazy. So instead of explaining his circumstances in order to prop up his choice, he simply quotes Proverbs 22:29: “Seest thou a man diligent in business? / He shall stand before Kings!”
By introducing the quotation with “nevertheless,” Ace appears to be contradicting his earlier claims, but his personality would not allow such humility. He is justifying his choice by claiming that his proficiency will stand him in good stead. He will “stand before Kings”—and not before the “mean” men who appear in the line following the two that Ace quotes.
Sources:
- Edgar Lee Masters, “’Ace’ Shaw,” Spoon River Anthology, bartleby.com
Linda Sue Grimes - As a writer, researcher, and SRF devotee, Linda Sue Grimes has studied poetry and practiced Kriya Yoga for over thirty years..
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