Six

The family believes things will get better at the slaughterhouse neighborhood, but in turn does not. The slaughterhouse smell represents the Holbrook family. Jim tries to sell the house and the neighborhood to this family, but the “stink smothers down over it all.” The family travels from city to city getting better homes and lives, but the truth is things are getting worse.  

     Although the mining city brought in money for the families, it did not it pay well, working conditions were awful, and men died from mine collapses. Mazie got up from the “morning sounds” that weaved “over the memory of the whistle like flowers growing lovely over a hideous corpse.” Olsen shows how family, government, and society cover the truth from impressionable people. Mazie begins to forget that morning bell ring because of the noises and sounds of her house in the morning.
(First, listen to the entire song, then go back and listen to the indicated lyrics/times)

     The melody of the Beatles’ “Help” covers up the real issue with the song. The melody is catchy, makes you want to dance, and smile, but when you start to listen to the lyrics the listeners can understand the true meaning of the song.

(0:12-1:13)I never needed anybody's help in any way.
But now these days are gone, I'm not so self assured,
Now I find I've changed my mind and opened up the doors.

Help me if you can, I'm feeling down
And I do appreciate you being round.
Help me, get my feet back on the ground,
Won't you please, please help me?

And now my life has changed in oh so many ways,
My independence seems to vanish in the haze.
But every now and then I feel so insecure,
I know that I just need you like I've never done before.

The listeners get caught up with the beat that they forget that the song is about a person losing their independence and the need to help getting back to their former self. It goes with the idea how sometimes bad situations are covered up with good things, but underneath it all it is still bad.