Coping with the unwanted life events and the resentful feelings connected with them is not an easy task. However, people may improve the situation or change their attitude to relieve the pain since there is solution for any trouble. There are multiple examples from the literature proving this simple truth. In the following paper, three characters from the works of literature considered during this mid-term will be addressed with a purpose of making an analysis of reasons for their bitter feelings and offering suggestions to improve the state of affairs.
In “Hill like White Elephants”, Jig feels alienated on the reason of her social and economic situation. Her lover is a rich man while she is a poor and disadvantaged in life. This creates an abyss between them. The difficulties in communication between genders are another reason why the heroine feels cut off from her partner. To cope with such feelings, Jig could concentrate on the pros of the situation. She could think about the benefits she could gain from her relationships with a wealthy man. In addition, she should become stronger than her feelings because in this way, her mind will be free to create a strategy helping to build more rewarding relationship with the lover.
The poem “My Papa’s Waltz” tells about the poet’s feelings toward his troubled father. The poet, Theodore Roethke, feels alienated from his father because of his rambunctious behavior. Being an alcoholic, the father treats his son poorly, which creates extreme pressure between the poet and the antagonist. To overcome those resentful feelings, the main character could choose to solve his father problem or could find a way to change his life and way of thinking. With regards to the first suggestion, the son could unite his efforts with the mother to force the father to treat his alcoholism. Addressing the second variant, the son could find another place to live as soon as his circumstances would allow that. He could also ask the specialists from social services to help. The only solution not available for the protagonist in this case is changing his attitude since there is no opportunity to get along with an alcoholic.
The main protagonist of “A Doll’s house”, Nora, is a woman unhappy in her marriage. She is oppressed by her husband and she feels that he treats her in a wrong way. This situation creates tension that makes the heroine feel alienated and miserable. To change the state of affairs for the better, Nora should strive to establish a closer contact with her husband. However, Nora’s actions may not be enough to affect her husband’s way of thinking. Therefore, Nora’s final decision to leave him is probably the best option for her. Revealing different aspects of the plot conflict, the author of the play seems to suggest the same conclusion.
Reflecting on the above-mentioned, Jig in the story “Hill Like White Elephants”, Theodore in the poem “My Papa’s Waltz”, and Nora in the play “A Doll’s house”, all these characters feel alienated and oppressed because of people who make their lives paltry. Still, all of them may cope with the unwanted feelings by changing their way of thinking or finding a way to change their lives. In addition, all of them may curb their emotions to allow free thinking, which will undoubtedly help them see how to utilize the situation to their advantage.