“Guilt isn't always a rational thing... guilt is a weight that will crush you whether you deserve it or not” ― Maureen Johnson, Girl at Sea. Guilt is a powerful factor in people’s life; especially for a hero who is abandoning the people who may depend on him. In Candy Gourlay’s Tall Story, the main character, Bernardo, an eight-feet-tall boy, is being confronted with the guilt of leaving his town’s people behind when he moved to London to reunite with his family. In the main conflict, what Bernardo faced is the guilt of leaving; this conflict sequentially shaped how Bernardo views himself and the ones around him. Like all conflicts, a story’s main conflict must include the build-up, the peak, and a resolution similar to a rollercoaster ride.…show more content… After Bernardo witness San Andres, his hometown, got wrecked by an earthquake, Bernardo was inundated with guilt. Because the town people had depended on him and honored him as a hero, he believes he is responsible for the well being of the town. Right after Bernardo saw the news, he thought: “Earthquake. Earthquake. Earthquake. What have I done?”(248). This confirmed the fact that Bernardo had placed the heavy burden of responsibility on himself. The readers were able to accurately see Bernardo’s internal conflict with the phrase “what have I done?” It shows the depth of his feeling and shame of letting down his old neighbors and friend. This is the explosion point that Bernardo saw the damages that were “caused” by him…show more content… Fortunately, this internal conflict ended differently from Oedipus Rex or The Great Gatsby. In the resolution, Bernardo drew the following conclusion that resolved the conflict. He thought, “I was afraid that the village would blame me for the earthquake but the fact that there were no fatalities was seen as something of a miracle. According to Jabby, Old Tibo now says that my power reaches across the world and will always keep our village safe”(296). For Bernardo, learning that his hometown does not blame him, and they are all alive is probably the best way to end this conflict. This is doubtless a jubilant resolution, as Bernardo accepted that he is not the one to be blamed or held accountable for the natural
