George explains the fact that young boys should not be given dangerous toys to play with, but still the poem is negative because it explains a simple balloon as the reason for all the mishap. The poem starts with the fact that a grandmother who loves her grandchild so dearly gifts him a balloon as a reward of being a good boy always. But as we all know that life is unplanned and often unexpected things occur in life as a result of which everything changes.
Hilarie Belloc actually explains an accident in the poem which can occur anytime to anyone. When little George was playing with the balloon, the balloon got stuck to a candle as a result of which a loud explosion takes place. The result of this little explosion is devastating because not only is the house in which little George stays is affected but in fact the whole neighborhood is exploded with this unusual mishap. The explosion instead of being limited to George’s home is expanded in the Savile Row.
Belloc actually tries to explain the simple fact that we should take care of little things in life, because if we stop giving importance to smaller things, something big and disastrous is bound to happen. If the candle for example would not have been unnecessarily lit then the mishap would not have taken place. If we remain cautious in every little thing in life, we can save ourselves from the greater mishaps that can occur suddenly without any warning. The poet also points out the fact that today parents are so busy and indulged in their own lives that they forget the fact that they should take care of their kids and spend quality time with them, instead of exploiting them with unnecessary expensive gifts.
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Kids might be happy for the moment when they receive their gifts but eventually all they need is love from their parents. Toys can never bring the happiness which love does; in fact parental love is the strongest for a child. “George” is a cry of all the kids in this modern 21stCentury world who are devoid of the love that is essential for their proper growth. Just as the explosion that took place with George, silent explosions take place in the heart of the children who do not experience sufficient love in their lives.
“George” is a cry of all the kids who just need a little bit of extra attention from their parents. Money cannot buy happiness but love guarantees happiness in any individual’s life. The poet also explains the fact that when help arrived at George’s place a few individuals were dead while some others were left deaf and dumb as a consequence of the blast. Similarly when the parents realize the fact that their kids need more love and support, the time is gone; they are no longer in a position to take love from their parents. What is essential on the part of the parents is that they give the required amount of attention to their kids on time.