The Bright Side of Regret Essay -- Literary Analysis

There is no person so hard punished, as those who subject themselves to the whip of their own remorse, wisely summates Lucius Annaeus Seneca 1st cytosine Roman philosopher (qtd. in ThinkExist.com Quotations). Effectively illustrating this idea as a taciturn confessional, the short recital, I Stand Here Ironing, is written in an autobiographical style by Tillie Olsen, contrasting the festering damage that unresolved innate remorse creates with the reassuring serenity that unconditional acceptance generates. Regretfully, this stark human race often becomes the harrowing plight of the nescient parent. That having been said, taking a enveloping(prenominal) look into Olsens story will undeniably prove that a conflicting introspective battle between regret and contentment underside only be resolved through the emancipation of unconditional acceptance. When experiencing regret, a person has the tendency to repeatedly replay the details of whatever caused that emotion. However, coit us past events is only the first step in the healing process, precisely it is not the end solution. This is abundantly evident in Olsens story which begins with the narrators rapid emotional descent into regret. This happens when, as she has likely done a thousand times before, an unnamed third fellowship questions the mother about her eldest daughter, Emily, asking how they can help and find her better (Olsen 607), for surely she would know. Unfortunately, the answer to this request sends the mother helplessly complicate memory lane into regret valley. With Olsens strong symbolism, the reader becomes more keenly aware of the inner torment she feels while reminiscing about her inexperienced method of raising Emily. Consequently, as the mother moves back and forth emotionally, ... ...ot cast off to automatically mean something negative. Therefore, though deep emotions are involved in the healing process, we now know love and acceptance, not guilt and wo releases us from was ting precious energy on negative thought process and opens up a completely new opportunity, being able to applaud the bright side of regret. Works Cited PageKathryn Schulz. Dont Regret Regret. 2011. Video. TED Conferences, LLC, New York. Web. 24 Apr 2012. http//www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/kathryn_schulz_don_t_regret_regret.html Olsen, Tillie. I Stand Here Ironing. Literature An knowledgeability to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. Ed. Kennedy, X.J., and Dana Gioia. 11th ed. New York Longman, 2011. 607-612. Print.ThinkExist.com Quotations. Seneca quotes. ThinkExist.com Quotations Online. 1 Mar. 2012. Web 23 Apr. 2012. http//en.thinkexist.com/quotes/seneca/