Scars And Scales

867 Words4 Pages
When traumatic situations occur, people cope in different ways depending on who they are. In the short story “Scars and Scales” by Sarah Rakel Orton, there are two versions of how the characters grieve the loss of their mom. In referring to scars, the title suggests how females are able to cope mentally, whereas scales represent how males cope physically. Even though women can help others deal with disturbing conditions, men are better at curing themselves due to less mental strain and have the ability to move on quicker. During a time of sorry, the main difference between male and females is that females feel it is their responsibility to become the leader of the situation and take care of the people around them. “I picked the dress for Mom to wear in the casket. Helped my brothers with their ties. Led Dad to the car. Accepted meals and pies from well- wishing neighbors.” (pg. 17). As proven in the story, the narrator Artemisia takes the role of her mom making sure everyone is being tended to. When her brothers were sick, she was there to help and when even when the bills became unbearable she held on. By taking charge, Artemisia was forced to distance herself from her childish life to take care of her reptile family. This put her mental state at risk considering the fact that she had to give up everything in her old life to become this new person. At times she would repeat the phrase “At school I sit alone” (pg.15), by being alone the author creates a mood of insecurity, the need for someone to talk to her is present although secrets about her family force her to keep quiet. Due to the lack of friends and sudden change of normal life, her inability to discuss her feelings creates yet another obstacle since the constant reminder of sadness prevents her from coping with the situation altogether. Reptiles are known as cold blooded creatures, their scales are
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