"I gradually became content - doggedly contented, as wild animals in cages" : Comment on this section.

The given line is quoted from the Romantic essay, "The Superannuated Man" which is extracted from the collection of Elian essays, "The Last Essays of Elia"(1833) by Charles Lamb, the prince of English essayists. This essay treats an agonizing phase of Lamb's life of drudgery in "the irksome confinement" of the South Sea House and India office for ling thirty six years from fourteen to forty.

               In this quoted line, Lamb refers to his gradual and forced adjustment to his hard life of drudgery. Though 'fourteen' is the age of "abundant playtime" and "the frequently intervening vacations of school days", Lamb had to spend his time as a prisoner "in the irksome confinement of an office". He had to work there for "eight, nine, and sometimes ten hours' a day". But "time partially reconciles us to anything." Similarly Lamb had adjusted with the soul-killing monotony and long-drawn drudgery of his life

              To describe his pitiful condition, he here uses the image of "wild animals in cages". The author wants to say that as the wild animals are compelled to abide the caged-life and they remain there rather grudgingly, as there is no other option for them, our author had to accept his troublesome lot of drudgery in the counting office "without hope of release or respite".

              This sentence evokes the sense of wit and humour of the author. The analogy of 'wild animals' is well conceived here. Prof. Walter says, "Lamb was, among other things, one of the wisest men of his time." It is absolutely true, because Lamb through this apparent humorous approach, gives us the note of sadness and pathos of a petty clerk in his unfailing life of drudgery.