The Californian's Tale Vs War Analysis

Because grief is a broad subject, there is never a simple definition of it. A complex and universal experience, grief is a sustained feeling of sadness that follows a loss that can not be replaced. Grief, an emotional and physical response, is shaped by our socio-cultural, psychological, physical and spiritual experiences, with each reaction fluctuating from person to person. It is a subject of many literature works, as seen in “The Californian’s Tale” (1893) written by famed American writer Mark Twain (b. 1835) and “War” (1918) from author and playwright Luigi Pirandello (b. 1867). In terms of causes, symptoms, and consequences, I will compare and contrast the differences and similarities of these two short stories.
In both short stories,
Harry copes by blocking out his wife’s death, completely forgetting about it. Instead, he waits for his wife’s return home and continues to live his life peacefully, tidying up his home as he waits for the eventual day of his return home. When he grows anxious, however, his old friends drug him to keep him sane for the night so the cycle of ignorance repeat for another year. In “War”, the fat man copes by intellectualizing his son’s death. He believes that his son’s death had purpose—that to die for one’s country is a greater cause than the grief a parent should feel. The fat man shouldn’t grieve because his son wouldn’t want him to. This denial is a facade, but it helps him cope with the loss of his son until the woman asks him if his son is truly dead. Dealing with death is an all-inclusive event that is an inevitable part of life. It is a difficult time to experience and the time of healing differs from person to person. As it it multifaceted, there is no proper way to cope. The biggest step of coping with a loss of a something important is accepting that it is gone and cannot be replaced. It is imperative that we do not get stuck mourning, or else, we cannot fully live our lives. By experiencing grief, however, some people find some closure in life and experience personal growth. No matter how a person grieves, loss is a part of life that cannot be changed. It is up to the individual to receive the proper support one can get and grow and learn from a loss, to move on and live your life to the