Sample Essay On Betrayal And Conformity To A Way Of Living

The loss of motivation and one’s bearing in life also often leads to a loss of confidence and direction. This proves more significantly relevant to people who are older which is the case seen in Fusi Bergman and Miss Hancock. Both characters believed and were proud of their particular set of skills and abilities. The two short stories God is not a Fish Inspector and The Metaphor both tackles the theme of conformity and betrayal. Whereas one emphasized a way of life guided through religion, the other showed one that focuses on strict compliance to order and discipline.
Conformity to specific way of life is one of the themes tackled in both of the stories. Fusi Bergman, who was proud of himself as a fisherman does not want to conform to a life in a nursing home for old people. Despite his being 70 years old, he believed that choosing to live that way is tantamount to giving up on living entirely. The nursing home, which he has seen throughout his life, is symbolic of the orderly but uneventful life which Fusi regards as a prison rather than a home. The same emphasis on conformity can be seen through Charlotte and Miss Hancock. Charlotte, who used metaphors to describe her mother as orderly but uneventful with negative connotations conformed to the idea of not wanting to be different. As she entered High School and seeing that her classmates do not share the same sentiments she has regarding literature and Miss Hancock’s classes, she inadvertently betrayed her favorite teacher.
Betrayal is the second theme that both stories tackle, wherein it was intentional in one story while being unintentional in the other. Despite the difference in the motivation of the betrayal, both cases are equally impactful and depressing. In Fusi’s case, his daughter Emma ultimately betrayed him by telling him the truth that the fish inspectors knew all along about his illegal fishing activities. What is more depraving about her betrayal is that this reinforces Fusi’s realization that he is indeed getting weaker despite not wanting to admit it. Though Emma considered this as an act of grace, her actions are selfish in her thinking that she is doing what is best for her father. Equally as dismal is Charlotte’s betrayal of Miss Hancock’s expectations. Charlotte ignored the fact that Miss Hancock’s new class is slowly but surely sapping her confidence and pride in her teaching skills. Although it was never explicitly told if Miss Hancock’s death was an accident or not, the betrayal and her failures has made her lose motivation in her way of life. Despite Charlotte being given a chance to redeem herself if she spoke up to her mother who regarded Miss Hancock’s death as befitting of her nature, she simply conformed and did not try to change the status quo.
The two stories both show the intricacies of life and how a loss of direction, confidence, and pride can lead to depressing and uneventful circumstances. One story viewed religion as the moral compass and guide to living, whereas the other displayed the importance of order and discipline. Conforming to both may lead to a more stable life, but it does not necessarily have to be a happier one. Fusi’s stubbornness to challenge his age, Miss Hancock’s perseverance to instill her enthusiasm, and Charlotte’s silent reverence to metaphors all show that conforming to what other people think is best for a person does not always lead to a happier way of living.