The Effect Of Culture Or Tradition On The Theme Of Revenge Essay Example

traditional practices continue predominantly in places like Corsica and parts of Italy namely Sardinia, Sicily, and Calabria where those pursuing revenge often disregard local law enforcement.

The first short takes place in the town of Bonifacio, where an old woman resides alone. One evening, her son's lifeless body is delivered to her. The murderer flees to Sardinia.

'The Schoolteachers Guest' is the title of the second short story, authored by Isabel Allende. Born on August 2nd, 1942 in Lima, Peru to Tomas Allende - a Chilean ambassador serving in Peru and her father. Her uncle was Salvador Allende who served as Chile's President from 1970-1973. After her parents parted ways in 1945, she moved with her mother and two siblings to Chile where they lived until 1953.

Charlotte Bright 10CB

The text deliberates on the concepts of community and respect, contrasting their absence in the narrative 'Vendetta'. In 'Vendetta', the local population ceases to utter the name of an individual who performed a horrifying deed. Conversely, in this tale, there is a schoolteacher called Ines who additionally manages a boarding house. She confides in her closest mate Riad Halabi about her deeds. She discloses that she avenged herself on one of her boarders, who coincidentally was accountable for her son's demise sometime back.

The text depicts the story 'Vendetta' by Guy de Mauspassant, where a remote town is described as "...Upon those deadly straits where scarcely a ship ventures...". This brief description portrays the isolated and dangerous nature of the town's location. It also implies that the town lacks a sense of community and individuals only look out for themselves. Throughout the narrative, minimal detailed descriptions are provided, focusing instead

on the main plot of an old woman seeking vendetta for her son. This lack of description may deliberately convey the author's intention to depict a gloomy and desolate fishing town, emphasizing its indifference and lack of care among its inhabitants.

The narratives of both 'The Schoolteachers Guest' and 'Vendetta' are underscored by the theme of avenging a loved one's death. They, however, diverge in their storytelling methods. In 'The Schoolteachers Guest', the narrative delves deep into character analysis and backgrounds which helps create a comprehensive picture of the story. The schoolteacher's quest for retribution is at the core of this story; nonetheless other characters also get mentioned, thereby instilling a sense of camaraderie and fidelity. This tale further accentuates on maintaining confidentiality among neighbors.

Contrastingly, 'Vendetta' revolves around an elderly woman who shoulders the responsibility to execute vengeance for her assassinated son. Traditionally, such duties would be undertaken by male members in her family but since she has no capable men left after the demise of her husband, she takes it upon herself to fulfill this obligation. Her society's culture and traditions deeply embed within her an urge for revenge which drives her action-plan. Witnessing her dead son’s body triggers Saverini widow's mission for retaliation right from that moment when she touches his cold lips with hers.

'The Schoolteachers Guest' distinguishes itself among other stories. The vengeance of Ines wasn't a calculated act of retaliation. The schoolteacher's response to her son's murder, who was killed for stealing a mango from a farmer's garden, seemingly had an immediate impact. The villagers pelted the killer's house with mangos that were left to decay over time. For some time, it

seemed like she had put the incident behind her. Yet when the murderer unexpectedly appeared one day and lodged at her boarding house, she grabbed this chance to ultimately exact revenge for her son's death. She framed this as destiny, stating "It was fate that determined my actions." Fate indeed played its part in leading the perpetrator back to her and his choice to stay at her place.

Charlotte Bright 10CB

Both stories share a similarity in which women were the ones who took revenge. In 'vendetta,' the elderly woman acted alone since there were no men available to carry out the revenge, which deviated from the traditional practice in an old Italian village where men typically handle vendettas.

'The Schoolteachers Guest' portrays an instance where the main character decides to seek retribution on her own. This could be due to the unexpected event of hosting the killer, which left her with no chance to ask for help or trust anyone. Alternatively, her position as a respected figure in her society might have given her the confidence to manage the situation by herself, without needing other's support.

The initial tale, Vendetta, contrasts with the succeeding narrative in its style of composition. It is succinct and involves minimalistic detailing. The story commences at a leisurely pace, outlining an elaborate description of the township to set up the backdrop and potentially assist readers in comprehending why subsequent parts of the story are bereft of details. Following the murder of her son, the narrative becomes overwhelmingly centred around the elderly woman's pursuit for vengeance. This includes illuminating her method of conditioning her canine to assault by starving it for numerous days before

fastening meat to a mannequin's neck until it masters obeying attack commands. Consequently, teaching the dog that obedience results in food rewards when it attacks whomever she instructs. Moreover, Vendetta follows a straightforward plot-line devoid of complexities and progresses seamlessly from inception to conclusion.

However, in 'The Schoolteachers Guest', the story begins with a strong impact by starting in the present and then transitioning into a flashback that reveals the schoolteacher's revenge. Throughout the story, there is continuous description and it doesn't solely revolve around one central theme. It takes the opportunity to provide background information and includes multiple characters. In the first few lines, the reader learns about Ines killing her son's murderer, but the remaining portion of the story explores the reasons behind this action and how fate played a role in the murderer's return to Ines.

The two short stories demonstrate the influence of culture and traditions on individuals, shaping their problem-solving approaches and living environments. The old woman's actions were influenced by her Italian traditions, specifically the concept of vendetta, compelling her to personally carry it out. Similarly, the school teacher's beliefs in fate were shaped by her town and its cultural values.