Wednesday 7 September 2011

A MATTER OF BALANCE (Short Story By W.D. Valgardson)

a. What significant events or details in the story are revealed through flashbacks?
b. What inferences can you make regarding the fate of Harold's wife? about the nature of his illness?
c. From the beginning of the story, Harold's behavior is motivated by feelings of uneasiness. How does the author develop these feelings?
d. How does Harold rationalize his leaving the bikers in such a dangerous position? What other reasons might he have? Do you think his actions are justified? Discuss.
e. Comment on the appropriateness and effectiveness of the tittle.


ANSWER 


a. The events in the story that revealed through flashbacks is the part that tells us about the death of Harold's wife caused by the disease faced by his wife.The other events in the story that revealed through flashbacks also is about he was hit by the bad boys when he was in public school when he was in grade two.


b. inferences can I do about the plight faced by Harold's wife is his wife suffers badly from diseases that happen to his wife. while the nature of his illness, this happens because Harold is depressed due to the death of his wife, and he still cannot forget her.


c. The author Develop these feelings with this story the author wrote many situations that half wondering. in addition, the author also frequently uses monologue by Harold, and also use part of surprising to Harold. For example, when the bikers act like want to disturb him at the beginning.


d. Rational of the actions he leaving the bikers in a dangerous position is because if he tried to save the bikers, the bikers can make it will disturb or attack him again. Other than that reason he might have is maybe he wanted revenge for what happened in his childhood,where bullies have done to himself. I think Harold's action is not justified because how bad behavior or the nature of a person against us or anyone else, we should not punish or destroy their lives with impunity. This is because, although they have disadvantages, but they also have good character in them. so, do not make the offense a person as an excuse to punish them.we we must see good in someone no matter how bad they maybe are.


e. For me, the tittle for this story that "A Matter Of Balance " is very appropriate with the each part of story in this short story. This is because, we must have a balance in our life, same like that have in this story. In this story, we learn when we do something that a bad things in our past, the bad things that we do will happen in our nature, and that's mean a balance in our life. In the other meaning, that our past helps us to make decisions about our future.