Normative Response Essay

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In this article, the author has focused on the emotions and normative responses of our modern society on an infant’s death and compared it with the not so natural behaviour of Alto society in general and Alto mothers in specific. She, through detailed interviews and personal experiences, tried to understand and find reasons why Alto women would be so indifferent and not grieve upon such a personal loss. Nancy claims that these women are in denial and subconsciously block their real normal emotions due to the economic and social circumstances that prevail in their town.
In support to its thesis, this essay uses various methodologies. She delves into sociology, philosophy, psychology, and anthropology to explain, how and why Alto women are at ease to accept loss of a child, which is totally contrary to normal human behaviour. The author uses quotes like, Lifton (1975) “ Those who cannot grieve are scarily human”(Pg. 188) and Freud (1957) “ The psychologist and psychiatrists of mourning consider child death and infant death in particular, to be among the most wrenching of all experiences of love, especially for the mother who may …show more content…

She does not use the traditional ethnographic methods, due to which the novelist can better relate to the people of the Alto town in order to understand their world, and their interpretation of it. With the help of his approach the writer has done great job in delivering detailed evidence regarding the question under discussion and hence has covered it from all aspects. For example shedding the light on the background, history, culture, economic and social conditions of this community. Therefore providing the readers with plenty information to sympathize and understand the reason behind why these women do not weep on the death of their

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