'One Life, Furnished in Early Poverty' — meaning of the title?
It's an emotional episode for me — certainly one of my favourites. But what is the significance of the title in the episode?
shareIt's Harlan Ellison's story about his childhood. His wish to be able to go back in time to see his father again as a grown man, and to stop the bullies that tormented him when he was young. The bully's name is an actual bully from his school.
He can't do that in real life, so he wrote the story so his characters could fulfill that for him.
It's a very personal story. The title means it is his life, just one in the world, but his was furnished, cultivated in a humble setting. The poverty is a slight exaggeration, but I suppose it is relative. Considering how comfortable he has lived since, it would be poverty to him. It can also refer to his feel of emotional lacking, wishing his father was closer to him.
Sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion.
I don't think that's what the OP was asking. I believe the title is a pun on an old standard classified ad, which would say something like "To let, one room, furnished in ________ " where the blank was some style like Early Colonial or whatever. I don't think you hear or read that kind of thing any more, not for many years.
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