Loss In Gwilan's Harp And The Last Leaf

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Even when short stories have a theme of loss some positive aspect exists. Regardless of the object, feeling, or idea lost a silver lining can sometimes emerge even if it comes from finding new meaning. After all seemed lost in “Gwilan’s Harp”, Gwilan continued living a contented life. Persevering through unspeakable hardship amidst a sea of loss, “The Washwoman” still had her work ethic. In “The Last Leaf”, the loss of one crusty character repaired the lost spirit of another young maid. No matter the situation, dealing with, and finding meaning after loss is always possible. Skillfully, the authors of the short stories “Gwilan’s Harp,” “The Washwoman,” and “The Last Leaf” convey the theme of loss through their characters.

First, “Gwilan’s Harp” detailed the multiple losses of Gwilan, a woman who played the harp famously throughout her life. Clearly, the most obvious one involved the loss of a harp passed down for generations. If this had been a normal harp, this might have only affected Gwilan minimally. However, the value of this irreplaceable harp remained priceless. Dramatically, this …show more content…
Despite the nature of short stories, the points of loss still held impressive impact. Regardless of the story or whichever example came to mind, a theme of loss always remained prominent. For example, in “Gwilan’s Harp,” even when it came from the loss of a single inanimate object, it forever changed a life. In “The Washwoman” persevering through loss and countless hardships all the time the washwoman never faltered or gave into despair. Loss happened to the son of the washwoman who never realized his self-inflicted loss. Lastly, in “The Last Leaf” the loss of one to save the life of another revealed the positive side of a loss. While the details and type of loss varied from story to story, the unchangeable fact of true loss and its different outcomes stayed
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