Stress is a common problem that the human race faces every day. All individuals will experience stress at one time or another during their life. In Where the Children Are and Remember Me by Mary Higgins Clark, stressful situations lead to doubt in health, relationships and truth. In a society, people’s opinions on what is healthy or not will influence personal opinions creating doubt.
Doubt in a stressful experience causes people to question their own mental health. Menley and Nancy both suffer from intense pasts where their health is questioned. In Where Are the Children, Nancy’s children were kidnapped and killed, and her current children have recently been kidnapped as well. Nancy is mentally unstable and the kidnapping of her current
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children make people question if she is getting worse: “‘Doctor, as you may know, in case of missing children where foul play is suspected, the police will withhold information.’…Reporters: You say you were a friend of Mrs.
Eldredge’s mother. Will you tell us this: Was Nancy Harmon Eldredge ever a patient of yours?’ ‘Absolutely not’” (Where Are the Children 117-118). Nancy found out that the “police [will] withhold information” about her children’s abduction causes her stress and abnormally behavior. The doctor checking up on Nancy causes reporters to question Nancy’s medical history and if “Nancy Harmon Eldredge [was] ever a patient of his,” this places doubt on Nancy’s mental stability. Since Nancy’s kids are still missing, her anxiety continues to build. Having the same incident occur twice causes Nancy to overthinking details from the past: “ ‘ I told you I saw Rob Legler at the lake this morning’…‘Is it possible I was daydreaming?’ Does the doctor believe I saw him- that I was telling the truth?” (245). Nancy assuming she saw “Rob Legler at the lake” creates a distributing atmosphere because Rob is deceased and this would mean Nancy is hallucinating. This would display Nancy as crazy and insane because …show more content…
“Rob” is dead. Nancy asking the doctor “if it was possible” she was “daydreaming” reveals the doubt within herself. In Remember Me, Menley has lost her oldest child and husband. Menley has problems sleeping and decides to check on her baby, but she finds the room a mess: “Her blankets were scattered on the floor. The stuffed animals that had been on the dresser were arranged around her in the crib. The antique doll was propped in a sitting position in the cradle. Frantically Menley tossed the toys back on the dresser. ‘did I do it? I didn’t do that Hannah, I didn’t do that” ( Remember Me 182). Menley questioning herself “did I do it? I didn’t do that” shows how she is mentally disturbed because she cannot remember if she rearranged the baby’s room. It further displays how she starts to doubt herself because she did not leave the “blankets … scattered on the floor” or the “stuffed animals...arranged around her in the crib”. This “frantic” situation causes Menley to question if she is sane or experiencing post-traumatic stress. From that moment on Menley has been hearing things coming from the babies room. She goes to check out the noise and hears the voice of Bobby and Scott Covey: “The rush of the train, Bobby’s cry, her own voice screaming, that was all you?... ‘Scott Covey said you’re crazy, Menley, that’s why. Crazy and hallucinating and depressed’” (319). “The rush of the train, Bobby’s cry, [and] her own voice screaming” is a traumatic memory of the night Menley’s child died. Scott staging everything to make it look like Menley is “crazy” causes her to question her sanity. Scott tells her she is “crazy, hallucinating and depressed” this is how Scott reinforces Nancy’s unstable mind. Both Nancy and Menley encounter harrowing events that impact their insecure mental health state. Traumatic situations cause people to display irregular behavior, this can strain relationships and cause issues. In Where are the Children, Nancy comes to the realization of what is being done to find her children: “Ray answered the question he saw on Nancy’s face ‘They’ve got three helicopters scanning the area. They’ll spot the kids if they just wandered away. There are two planes over the bay and sound. Everyone’s helping’… ‘And there are divers in the lake ’ Nancy said, ‘looking for my children’s bodies.’ Her voice was remote tone” (98). Having the “helicopters, planes and everyone” looking for her kids generates stress for Nancy. This brings more, good and bad attention to the situation. Nancy having a “remote tone” also displays the concern she has within herself that she yet to be hiding from everyone else. As well, Nancy repeatedly asking “questions” to Ray shows the distances between Nancy and Ray’s relationship. Nancy does not fully trust Ray’s answers and therefore keeps “questioning” him. Furthermore, moments before Nancy’s kids were kidnapped, she finds disturbing information from her past in the newspaper. Nancy immediate reaction is to destroy the paper: “Her eyes focused on the blaring headline and the pictures-all the pictures. She had to burn the paper. Michael and Missy Mustn’t see it. That was it. She’d burn the paper so no one could see it. Subconsciously, Ray always suspected that Nancy Harmon and Nancy Eldredge were one and the same person” (44). Nancy was very concerned that her past was going to haunt the present. Nancy’s reaction to the newspaper causes her to “burn the paper” before anyone is aware. This shows how scared she felt if “Missy and Michael” uncovered her past. Ray suspecting “Nancy Harmon and Nancy Eldredge were the same people” also displays the doubt that their relationship is a lie. In Remember Me, Menley heard her baby choking and ran upstairs to see Scott Covey, a murder:“’Adam will be glad that you didn’t take the baby with you when you commit suicide.’…Her mind was racing. What is going on? This can’t be happening. This is a nightmare! Scott Covey? Why? She and Adam had befriended him, how does Adam know him, why, why” (318). “Scott Covey” breaking into Menley’s house and threatening to kill her causes terror. This makes Menley question Scott Covey’s identity. Furthermore, Menley finding out her husband had a relationship with Scott causes unreliability. When Menley says “ how does Adam know him” it displays doubt in Menley and Adam’s relationship and this is why Adam “befriended Scott”. She is very confused about their relationship and was not aware they had one. Additionally, Menley has been crying every night due to her son’s death, Carrie thinks there is something wrong with Menley. So, Carrie tells Menley's father and this is where a conflict starts: “Amy puzzled over whether or not to warn her father that Carrie Bell might tell him that she been crying every night. Mrs. Nicholas had asked her about it. ‘I wasn’t crying,’ she’d protested. ‘Honestly. Carrie’s hearing things.’ She thought that Mrs. Nicholas believed her, but her father would probably believe Carrie” (239). Carrie confronting Menley startled her. Menley tried to cover it up by explaining to Carrie she “wasn’t crying”. This also causes her to be very defensive and doubt everything Carrie was saying about her. Carrie telling her “father” that Menley has been “crying every night” starts a conflict between Carrie and Menley’s relationship. Menley then makes up a lie to her father and tells him, she’s “hearing things.” Her father believing “Carrie.” This displays who the father trusts and who’s side he believes. Tragic situations produce issues between Menely and Nancy’s, significant other and friends. Stressful situations cause an impact when truth is provided.
In Where are the Children, Nancy gets a weird phone call giving her the answer to where her kids are located. Nancy then gets to the location and finds out who the abductor is: “A suspicion so absurd that it would be impossible to vocalize took shape. He sat Missy on the railing, holding her with one hand. ‘Don’t come any nearer,little girl,’ he said to Nancy. ‘Ill drop here if you do.’... That’s why I should’ve known you didn’t commit suicide. You couldn’t have drowned yourself” (279). Carl trying to kill Missy creates a very harsh environment for both Nancy and Missy. Nancy has no control over this situation due to how Missy is placed on the “railing’, if she attempts to rescue her Carl with “drop her”. Nancy thinking that “suspicion” is impossible, foreshadows the moment she finds out the kidnapper is her dead ex-husband. This makes her question the way he “committed suicide” years ago. Nancy coming to a realization about the truth displays confusion on how he “drowned” himself. Additionally, Dorothy finds Missy Mitten infront of someone’s apartment. Dorothy made excuses for being there without realizing it. “‘My dear Mrs. Prentiss, what is wrong?’ ‘It’s the mitten!’ Dorothy cried ‘It’s Missy’s. She was wearing it yesterday when I took her out for ice cream. She must have left it in the car”… Dorothy please help me. Where did you find that Mitten” (152). Mrs. Prentiss asking “what’s wrong” displays her
confusion of why the mitten was so important to react on. Also, Dorothy’s built up adrenaline makes it seem like the “mitten” was a clue to finding the children. Dorothy finding the “mitten” reveals that the children might be near their location. She disvalues where the mitten was found and says it must of been “left in the car” when they went for” ice cream,” this displays the uncertainty of where the mitten was truly found. Nancy asking Dorothy “where she found [the] mitten” when she was in front of the apartment also states doubt of the mittens true location. In Remeber Me, Menley is trying to distract Mr. Covey from the baby to buy time for her escape, she does this by asking questions. This helps her find out the truth about who’s been her baby’s room: “‘You’ve been her before,’ she cried. ‘You’ve been in the baby’s room other times.’ ‘I’ve been here as little as possible, Menley, Covey told her. Go down the ladder, don’t try anything’” (322). Mr. Covey is playing mind games with Menley. Therefore, when Menley discovers that Mr. Covey has been breaking into her house, it added more stress. As well, Mr. Covey appearing in the house wanting Menley to “follow” him creates a unknown outcome of upcoming events. Menley asking “you’ve been here before” twice displays her shock and doubt that it was impossible for him to be there. Menley also finding out that Mr. Covey has been in the “baby’s room” more than once reveals the truth about who’s been in the “room”. Before purchasing the house Menley and Adam did not know the history behind the house: “‘I suppose it was time to take out my favourite, the remember house shot.’ ‘I honestly think so, especially since you’re sure the Nicholses are going to buy it. I’m getting an impression that Menley Nicholes isn’t well.’ ‘I wouldn’t be surprised if he elected to stay on the cape, he was crazy about that place.’” (190). The “Nicholses” buying the house causes tension for Scott because he is very “crazy [about] the Remember House.” Scott selling his houses also brings confusion about if he is going “to stay on the Cape,” but the only reason why he stays is to torture Menley, knowing that she is not “well”. Scott being “crazy about [the] place” reveals that Scott was truly attached to the house which also gave him reason to torment Menley. This draws a sketchy past for the “remember house” that no one uncovers. Judgement often clouds peoples mind and when having a stressful situation it can make it even harder to comprehend the truth. Overall, stress is a powerful emotion that influences choices. In Where are the children and Remember Me by Mary Higgins Clark doubt is a relying outcome when stressful situations occur causing an affect on health, relationships and the truth.
Books: a group of blank white pages where authors record memories, reveal what they imagined, and take us along on a ride through their minds. These past few weeks, I had been reading two popular novels that did in fact take me on that journey: The Outsiders written by S.E. Hinton, and Miracle’s Boys by Jacqueline Woodson. In no uncertain terms, I did notice that these two books could be compared to one another. Although these are two separate books, written by two different authors with separate journeys, they actually have great similarities and differences in the characters and plot.
Little Girls in Pretty Boxes and The Scarlet Letter. Both authors persuade the reader to feel pain of the stories subject. In Little Girls in Pretty Boxes the author used pathos and interviewing to share the stories of these overly dedicated youth. Joan Ryan wrote to show how these young, talented, sophisticated women can hide the harsh reality of the sport. In her biography she listed the physical problems that these young girls go through. They have eating disorders, stunted growth, weakened bones, depression, low self esteem, debilitating and fatal injuries, and many sacrifice dropping out of school. Whereas the Scarlet Letter is a fictional drama that uses persuasion and storytelling to involve the reader. Nathaniel Hawthorne discusses
“The Lost Children of Wilder” is a book about how the foster care system failed to give children of color the facilities that would help them lead a somewhat normal and protected life. The story of Shirley Wilder is a sad one once you find out what kind of life she had to live when she was a young girl. Having no mother and rejected by her father she has become a troubled girl.
In Chapter 2 of Children’s Books in Children’s Hands: A Brief Introduction to their Literature, the authors talk about the 12 main elements of a literary work: genre, plot, setting, characterization, theme, point of view, intersexuality, tone, mood, style, voice, and the stance of the implied reader (Temple, Martinez, and Yokota 24). All of these literary elements capture the reader’s imagination and creates a successful piece of literature. However, the authors stress the importance of genre in Chapter 2, so I will briefly go over the different types of genres there are in literature and how it affects the readers greatly.
When people think about homeless individuals, they think of people begging on the street, but not of the thousands of children located in public schools. When reading the “Invisible Child” in The New York Times, Andrea Elliott publicizes that not all homeless people are necessarily begging for money out on the street, but some are living without other people realizing their misfortune. Understanding that not all homeless people are begging for money relates to “The Narrative of Imagination” written by Martha Nussbaum which shows presenting people’s stories allows individuals to understand and empathize with other’s perspectives, resulting in people becoming more open- minded. She believes that empathy develops from sharing stores and people
Culture has the power and ability to give someone spiritual and emotional distinction which shapes one's identity. Without culture society would be less and less diverse. Culture is what gives this earth warmth and color that expands across miles and miles. The author of “The School Days of an Indian Girl”, Zitkala Sa, incorporates the ideals of her Native American culture into her writing. Similarly, Sherman Alexie sheds light onto the hardships he struggled through growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation in his book The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven in a chapter titled “Indian Education”. While both Zitkala Sa and Sherman Alexie were Native Americans, and take on a similar persona showcasing their native culture in their text, the two diverge in the situations that they face. Zitkala Sa’s writing takes on a more timid shade as she is incorporated into the “white” culture, whereas Alexie more boldly and willingly immerses himself into the culture of the white man. One must leave something in order to realize how
Jones, F, Bright, J, Clow, A (2001). Stress: myth, theory and research. Essex: Pearson Education Limited. p. 10.
This short informative article is about stress and how it can weigh you down and how is can be harmful to teenagers or adults daily lives. Also, it gives examples how to deal with stress and , how to manage it too. In this short article Stevens quotes ‘’Stress is related to fear. Fear is the emotion we feel when we are faced with something dangerous whether real or not information from any of our 5 senses , or even our imagination can trigger fear’’. This is saying that when someone is faced with a dangerous event real or not that fear and stress can come to play and that's not good. “Stress for Success’’ shows fear and stress so does ‘’An Uncomfortable
Mary Cassatt, an American printmaker, and painter was born in 1844 in Pennsylvania. Cassatt’s family perceived traveling as an essential part of the learning process thus she had the advantage of visiting various capitals such as Paris, London, and Berlin. Cassatt studied to become a professional artist and attended the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. She later went to study in France under Thomas, Couture, Jean-Leon Gerome, and others. She spent a significant part of her adult life in France. When in France, she initially befriended Edgar Degas, a famous French artist, and later her works were exhibited among other impressionists. Afterward, Cassatt admired artists that had the ability to independently unveil their artwork and did not
her concern for the welfare of her darling little child. It seems odd that this
Young adults are losing their childhood innocence; replacing it with the world of adulthood. The most reoccurring theme throughout the book, Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O’Neill is the loss of innocence. The protagonist named Baby, lives with her father, Jules who is a heroin addict. Jules and Baby are constantly moving to different apartments in Montreal, where Baby is exposed to drugs, juvenile detention and forced into prostitution by her pimp. Baby experiences many obstacles in her life at the age of thirteen because she doesn’t have a father that loves her enough to guide her into the right path of life. Therefore it did not take long for Baby to lose her innocence.
Patti Smith 's, Just Kids, embarks on her journey towards freedom and breaking away from any of her family tradition that she felt she may have had to follow as a child. It was the fifties, and at that time, the role of women was nothing short of performing female tasks. Smith recounts the moments in her childhood where she would feel resentment towards her mother, as she watched her perform female, motherly tasks, and noted her well-endowed female body (Smith 5). To Patti Smith, it all seemed against her nature. The heavy scent of perfume, the red slashes of lipstick, revolted her. She wanted to be different, to create her own self-image. Ironically enough, it was through her androgynous image, that Patti Smith was able to capture the attention
of millions of people did not happen I know that it did, and I know
Seward, B. (2012). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and well-being. (7th ed.). Burlington, Ma: Jones and Barlett Publishing.
whether we really can cope with the pressures placed upon us Tension or anxiety” (Christaian, 2013). . Stress is not by