An American writer, Margaret J. Wheatley once said, “Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences, and failing to achieve anything useful.” People make decisions in their life that affects their future. Sometimes people are blinded by their emotions that they do not stop to consider their actions and decide to make bad choices. The character, Romeo in Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, Holden in The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger and Tom in The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, have made numerous irrational and emotional decisions that led to consequences. Therefore, making bad decisions based on emotions leads to negative results.
In Romeo and Juliet, Romeo makes several emotional decisions…show more content… For example, previously Holden was kicked out of several schools before. So, when Holden gets kicked out of Pency Prep, he doesn’t go home and decides to stay at the Edmont Hotel since he is scared of his parent’s reaction. At the hotel, the elevator operator, Maurice offers to send Holden a prostitute for five dollars. Holden accepts because he is lonely, depressed, and curious about sex. As a result, when the prostitute, Sunny arrives at his hotel suite, Holden has second thoughts about sex and asks her to leave. Maurice stops by Holden suite to ask for more money but Holden doesn’t want to give it to him. Moreover, Holden purposely tries to provoke people who are much stronger than him because he is self-destructive and wants to commit suicide. For instance, when Holden gets into a fight with Stradlater, Holden says, “You don’t even know if her first name is Jane or Jean, ya goddamn moron” (50) and “You’re a dirty stupid sonuvabitch of a moron” (50) to make Stradlater furious and caused Stradlater to punch Holden in the nose. Also, when Maurice demanded more money, Holden purposely antagonize Maurice to make him hurt him. For example, before Maurice punches Holden, Holden says to Maurice, “You’re a dirty moron” (115). After Holden lies on the ground after the fight, he pretends that he has been shot because he is emotionally disturbed and…show more content… Amanda accuses Tom of knowing Jim was engaged and being a “selfish dreamer” which is states that he lives in a dream and only concerned about himself. After, Tom decides to leave and does not return because he is angry with his mother and he is unhappy with his life Amanda is pushing him into. This leads to Tom’s need to escape his life and his decision to leave Laura and Amanda. This leaves Amanda and Laura in a difficult position financially since they were relying on Tom to earn money to support a family. Additionally, even though he left to have a better life, he is tormented with guilty that he left Amanda and Laura. For instance, Tom notices a window with pieces of coloured glass and sees Laura by his side. He says “Oh, Laura, Laura, I tried to leave you behind me, but I am more faithful than I intended to be!” (115). Even though he left, he carries laura with him. Furthermore, after Tom descends down the fire escape and travelled around the city, he states,“The cities swept about me like dead leaves, leaves that were brightly coloured but Tom away from the branches” (115). This shows that even as Tom leaves his family in order to follow his own path, he does not achieve his goals and dreams and instead feels torn to leave Laura. He lives a unhappy life and the memories of Laura chase him wherever he goes. Likewise, although Tom left to live a fulfilling life and
