The Shawl

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Miami Dade College

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“The Shawl”

Inheritance is a basic theme depicted in “The Shawl”. The theme, however, does not

concern physically inherited properties or money. It’s about the inheritance of emotions and

trauma which end up affecting their lives from one generation to another. From the short story,

the emotional health of the boy gets ruined by this kind of inheritance, and grows up only to

become an alcoholic (Erdrich). Consequently, he seriously abuses the three children of his. When

he engages in conflict and fight with his old son, he recognizes that he has imposed his trauma

and emotions into his children’s lives. Much of the time in life individuals tend to hang on too

much on negative issues that damage their present and have high chances of affecting those that

repetitively come after them.

According to the story, it’s evident that the sister is a nurturing, kind, and unselfish

person and she is termed as a “capable daughter”. She is also identified as hardworking and

responsible. When her mother neglects her siblings, she takes the responsibility of ensuring their

wellbeing by feeding them. I believe it’s this kind of inborn unselfishness and kindness that

forces her to throw herself from the wagon only to save the baby and her mother from being

attacked by wolves chasing after them. She was aware that the wolves would stop chasing after

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them once they settle their hunger. She willingly surrendered her life for the sake of the safety of

her beloved.

From my perspective, the narrator said the lines to his father to help him understand that

the tragic death of his sister. The advice was to make him recognize that his sister made the

decision made to sacrifice herself for the sake of the baby out of love. These words gave the

death of his sister importance and deep meaning and a way of comforting him.

Primarily, most of the negative traits related to human conditions are passed on from one

generation to another. According to the story, the first generation is depicted in Aankward, a

woman who was married alongside two children however in love with another man and ended up

bearing a child out of marriage. The second generation is portrayed as a man bringing up three

children after his wife’s death. It’s essential to realize the signals of neglect and abuse in both

parts of the stories. The abuse is based on abandonment and neglect in the first part of the story.

In the part of the tale, there is abuse based on neglect and physical cruelty. When he loses his

wife, the boy starts the habit of continuous and heavy drinking.

The impressions of the sorrow and pain that an individual keeps in his or her heart

extends the series of abuse, depicts a light for understanding. After the story, Eldritch enables the

reader to understand that the son portrayed in Aanakwad’s story is the father in the second part

of the story (Erdrich). The song relates the tale of his father about his sister and this makes him

understand the life that had been unrevealed until that point. The father is distressed by the death

of his sister to the extent of carrying the torn shawl. The son tells his father that keeping the

shawl with him does not offer an opportunity to get away from his sorrow since he is carrying a

picture of the dead. The recognition and understanding of how to release and get away with the

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Insert Surname 1 Student Name Professor’s Name Course Date “The Shawl” Inheritance is a basic theme depicted in “The Shawl”. The theme, however, does not concern physically inherited properties or money. It’s about the inheritance of emotions and trauma which end up affecting their lives from one generation to another. From the short story, the emotional health of the boy gets ruined by this kind of inheritance, and grows up only to become an alcoholic (Erdrich). Consequently, he seriously abuses the three children of his. When he engages in conflict and fight with his old son, he recognizes that he has imposed his trauma and emotions into his children’s lives. Much of the time in life individuals tend to hang on too much on negative issues that damage their present and have high chances of affecting those that repetitively come after them. According to the story, it’s evident that the sister is a nurturing, kind, and unselfish person and she is termed as a “capable daughter”. She is also identified as hardworking and responsible. When her mother neglects her siblings, she takes the responsibility of ensuring their wellbeing by feeding them. I believe it’s this kind of inborn unselfishness and kindness that forces her to throw herself from the wagon only to save the baby and her mother from being attacked by wolves chasing after them. She was aware that the wolves would stop chasing after Insert Surname 2 them once they settle their hunger. She willin ...
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Tags: Louise Erdrich human conditions inheritance of emotions life individuals kind of inheritance tragic death