Characters' Reactions to Death in Riders to the Sea
In "Riders to the Sea" several reactions to the death of Michael take place when each of the individual characters learn of the tragedy and express their grief.
The first, which would most naturally occur, is for someone to become extremely pessimistic. The character Mauyra most obviously becomes pessimistic even while she is still not sure of the fate of her son. Even the idea of Bartley leaving to sell the horses makes her nervous, she’s afraid of losing her last son. Her pessimism is obvious when she says, "It’s hard set we’ll be surely the day you’re drownd’d with the rest. What way will I live and the girls with me, and I an old woman looking for the grave." Mauyra is completely destroyed by the deaths of the other men in her life. The death of her second to last son left her with an unabated pessimism that Bartley would die when he left to sell the horses. Mauyra’s angst is evident when she says, "He’s gone now, God spare us, and we’ll not see him again. He’s gone now, and when the black night is falling I’ll have no son left me in the world." Mauyra's pessimism is her way of keeping those around her from dying, perhaps some sense of guilt drives her emotions.
The least obvious reaction to a death is that of optimism. Though most people tend to seem optimistic, in all cases it is a false hope, a vocalized prayer in hopes that their worst fears will not come true. Cathleen has this same optimistic hope that so many hold onto for their dead loved ones. The optimistic impression given by Cathleen comes through most clearly when the girls set out to identify the clothing that the young priest had given to them. While going through the clothes they both look for tell...
... middle of paper ...
...in it but one man to work." Despite strong objections from his mother Bartley decides to leave, down playing any potential disaster of his brother’s by saying "How would it [Michael’s body] be washed up, and we after looking each day for nine days…?" Bartley leaves his poor mother behind, however, that would be his undoing. It is unfortunate that despite his best intentions he was not able to grieve for his brother. Denial was the only way that Bartley was able to cope with the loss of his brother.
As unfortunate an aspect of life as death is, it is still important for people to find some method by which they can deal with the feelings that they have when something so traumatic takes place to someone they love. Everyone’s coping method is different and works for them, however, in light of this play it would seem wise to listen to your mother on matters of grief.
It is never easy to cope with a loved one’s death. I could not imagine Mameh’s pain. It must have been extremely difficult and devastating to experience her mother’s death alone. I wish Mameh had a figure to talk or express her emotions to. That weeping symbolizes Mameh’s hopelessness. Ruth would never forget the sound because that is how she perceived her mother, as irremediable.
Overcoming the grief that is felt after losing a loved one is a physically and mentally agonizing task. According to Dr. Christina Hibbert, a clinical psychologist who graduated from the California School of Professional Psychology, three main stages of grief include anger, depression and acceptance. Each one of these emotions can be seen in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet and The Descendants (2011, Payne) as the artists explore the effects of grief and the different emotional responses that one can have due to the loss of a loved one. Additionally, in Ismail Kadare’s Broken April, the Berisha family feels the sufferance that is associated with unexpected death, as well as the various temperamental reactions that one will have after losing a loved one. Each of these works of art represent a powerful example of the stages that one will go through after feeling the intense sorrow that is connected with death, as well as the unavoidable effects of grief.
Imagine that the person you love most in the world dies. How would you cope with the loss? Death and grieving is an agonizing and inevitable part of life. No one is immune from death’s insidious and frigid grip. Individuals vary in their emotional reactions to loss. There is no right or wrong way to grieve (Huffman, 2012, p.183), it is a melancholy ordeal, but a necessary one (Johnson, 2007). In the following: the five stages of grief, the symptoms of grief, coping with grief, and unusual customs of mourning with particular emphasis on mourning at its most extravagant, during the Victorian era, will all be discussed in this essay (Smith, 2014).
Louisa’s feelings for her lover have disappeared throughout the years and when her lover returns to marry her, she feels very uncertain of the marriage. Similarly, many engagements are broken due to the fact that the feelings between couples fade after there is a distance between them, for years. Another example that relates to life is, “[i]n that length of time much had happened. Louisa's mother and brother had died, and she was all alone in the world” (Freeman p). When immigrants return to their country, many deaths have occurred in the time period of their absence and sometimes the deaths include their own relatives. To their misfortune, they never have a chance to say a last good bye. The story, A new England’s Nun is very similar to the lives of many people and in many cases the same.
In his film The Seventh Seal, Ingmar Bergman openly addresses the human response to death. The film documents the return of Antonius Block and his squire Jons to their homeland after their ten years of fighting in the Crusades. During their return journey to Antonius Block's castle, the characters encounter death in many forms, including the devastating plague afflicting the population and (even less subtly) Death personified in his classic black garb. Each of Block's and Jons' confrontations with death provides opportunities for Bergman to display the different philosophies of death that he has intertwined with his characters. Through the manifestation of these philosophies, the audience is given a chance to understand the human responses to death.
Hansjorg, Hohr, (2000). Dynamic Aspects of Fairy Tales: social and emotional competence through fairy tales. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, Vol 44, No 1, Department of Education, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
As cited by Riely (2003) “No one, neither adult nor child, grieves in the same manner” (p. 213). Parents usually do not tell the whole story of a death to children. “Children are “are not allowed to talk about who, what, when, where, and why a death has occurred” (Riely, 2003, p. 213). Not sure about what is going on, children try to piece together the bits of information they get and sense. Eventually, children “regard the death as a frightening, mysterious, traumatic experience with untrustworthy parent or adult caregivers who offer them no way to cope” (Riely, 2003, p. 213). Death often “elicits shock, denial, great anxiety, and distress” (Riely, 2003, p. 213). Thus, as children are not given permission to be sad and to grieve, “they fantasize and idealize the relationship with the dead. Children try to act grown-up in an attempt to master the pain of their loss and will deny helplessness. They tend to exhibit fearful, phobic behaviors and hypochondrias” (Riely, 2003, p.
Reading this book has been interesting and heartbreaking experience. A Year of Magical Thinking, a journey through the grieving process. While dealing with the death of her husband, she is confronted with the sickness of her only child. This book touches me, and it makes me think of what would happen if my loved one died. This paper is a reflection of my thoughts and feelings about this woman’s journey that has been explored by book and video. I will also explore the author’s adjustment process, and how she views her changed self.
(Isaac, Newton). Analogous to the duty of Americans to protect and serve for interest of country. Two years of compulsory service can provide useful skills to young adults for a life time and the reason to enact conscription. To most young adults the first question is,” how is this going to benefit me?” “What do I get out of it?” First, military service can give a young adult direction in life. If a young man or women is not sure of where or what they want to do or be in life they can fulfill their commitment to two years of service while they decide what they want to pursue in life. Service can also provide opportunities to pursue new interest, new trade skills or finite and master skills. Compulsory service can also provide a young adult with life skills that can be beneficial throughout life. A two year commitment can insure communications skills which will be beneficial in the future and are essential skills to both personal and professional lives. Additionally, implementation of conscription builds leadership and the keys to success. Service can also provide young adults with healthy choice in life, whether it be physical fitness, mental stability, being an active member of society or having self-confidence. These are all attributes earned by serving and a reason that compulsory service is useful to young
A rising topic of argument among the United States is whether military service should be mandatory or remain completely voluntary. This is a topic that has been discussed among the people for a very long time. Currently, it is not mandatory for a United States citizen to serve any time in the military. Similar to any other topic of debate, there are many people who disagree, and there are people who agree that military service should not be mandatory. Fifty-two percent of people believe that military service should be mandatory, leaving forty-eight percent saying that it is a choice, not a premade decision. (Debate.org) Both arguments have valid points, but there are a few points that rise above others. Do we want unproven citizens weighing the strongest and most feared military down?
... mother all along. Unluckily, both are unable to savour the moment. Overall, the mother and son relationship change throughout the play.
As soon as Mama appears on stage, before she speaks a single word, the stage directions tell us, the audience, that Mama is a strong woman (40). She has endured many things, among them the loss of a child, and now the loss of her husband and yet she preserves. As the play progresses we learn that Mama has managed to act as the head of the family in extremely tough times, working day in and day out. Instead of choosing to be bitter about her l...
A soldier, conscripted or not, will face many stresses during their career. Serving for any amount of time is a trial, but some are more suited to the military than others. A drafted soldier may go through their entire mandatory term feeling miserable and insufficient, completely overwhelmed by the tasks that military professionals easily complete. These pressures and the denial of a choice of career should not be placed on any person. The idea of a two-year term of mandatory military service being implanted has been brought up. Military service should not be mandatory not only because it violates fundamental individual rights of humans, but also due to the fact that a military based on volunteers would operate much more impressively than one comprised of conscripted soldiers who would not have chosen to serve otherwise.
The Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project studies the behavior and attitudes towards cell phones and highlights the generation of teens and young adults who use cell phones, a setting between 18-29- year- olds. This project conducted up to 100 surveys and wrote up to 200 reports on teens and internet use, as Lenhart, Purcell, Smith, and Zickuhr explained in the research. She also reported with other colleagues how their findings on social media and internet use situated among older children compared within the data between adolescents and older children. Lenhart’s current data draws a hypothesis conducted from this study-this research had started between June and August of 800 teenagers between 12 and 17 who use cell phones as a source of how they behave online more than they do in the real world.
Two years and four months ago I died. A terrible condition struck me, and I was unable to do anything about it. In a matter of less than a year, it crushed down all of my hopes and dreams. This condition was the death of my mother. Even today, when I talk about it, I burst into tears because I feel as though it was yesterday. I desperately tried to forget, and that meant living in denial about what had happened. I never wanted to speak about it whenever anyone would ask me how I felt. To lose my Mom meant losing my life. I felt I died with her. Many times I wished I had given up, but I knew it would break the promise we made years before she passed away. Therefore, I came back from the dead determined and more spirited than before.