One of the thematic connections between the song ‘Safe and Sound’ by Taylor Swift featuring The Civil War, and the story, ‘The Last Rung on the Ladder’, by Stephen King, would be the sense of trust. Within the story, Kitty, trusts her big brother with no questions asked, when she is asked to let go of the ladder. The point in the story where I established that Kitty truly trusted Larry was when she expressed how she felt about Larry. When Larry asked, ““You didn't know? Didn't know what I was doing?' She shook her head. 'And when I told you to let go you . . . you just did it?' She nodded. 'Kitty, how could you do that?' She looked at me with those deep blue eyes. 'I knew you must have been doing something to fix it,' she said. 'You're my big brother. I knew you'd take care of me.'” This section in the story connected me to the specific line of the song, where Swift sings, “Just close your eyes. You and I will be, safe and sound.” This line connects to the story in a literal sense, as they both convey the message that trust comes automatically when you love someone. Another main idea that connects these two pieces of media is the sense of protection. Larry was always there to protect Kitty, always. In the song she sings, “no one can hurt you now.” They both show a strong sense of security about their loved ones. Lastly, the idea of reassurance is common between the two. Kitty was always reassured by Larry that she would always have him by her side, no matter what. In the song, she sings “you’ll be alright.” Three words of complete reassurance, in which seem like the truth, even if it’s a lie. Through all these common ideas of these pieces of media, it shows that they are strongly thematically connected, as well as complement and enhance each other.
Citations
Music video by Taylor Swift (feat. The Civil Wars) performing Safe & Sound. (C) 2012 Big Machine Records, LLC.
Last Rung on the Ladder Official Trailer. Ad [Video]. (2011). Retreived on March 24, 2012.
Trusted Business. “Trust”. Photo. http://www.trustedbusiness.com/blog/3-ways-to-earn-customer%20trust/.(2012).
