Bharati Mukherjee The Management Of Grief Analysis

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“The Management of Grief” is a short story written by Bharati Mukherjee. In the story, Mukherjee narrates how the main character, Shaila Bhave, and her friend, Kusum, manage their grief after they realized their husbands and children had died in an Indian Plane Crash. For instance, both Shaila and Kusum undergo the stages of rejection, depression, acceptance, and reconstruction when they cope with the loss of their loved ones. However, they make a distinct choice for reconstructing their lives after they accepted the fact their husbands and children had died. Kusum chooses to returns to India and live in a life of mourning. On the contrary, Shaila decides to return to Canada because she has vision of her husband, who demands her to “finish …show more content…

Although the author does not mention what is in the package, one can surmise that the package has a special meaning to Shaila. This is because earlier in the story, readers know Shalia has brought her eldest son’s pocket calculator, her youngest son’s half- painted model B-52, and a poem for her husband when she travels to Ireland to identify their bodies. The reason why Shaila brings these items to Ireland is because she believes her husband and sons would “want them on their island” (Mukherjee 438). From the items that Shaila deposits in the ocean for her family, one can tell the items contain Shalia’s love to her family and it is her method of memory them. At one point, the author also depicts a scene where Shalia said, “My suitcase in the hotel is packed heavy with dry clothes for my boy” (Mukherjee 439). From this quote, readers will realize Shalia does not want to admit her husband and sons had died in the plane crash because she holds the belief that they are still surviving. Therefore, the package that Shalia leaves on a park bench symbolizes her family’s belongings, which she treasures greatly. Yet, leaving it on the park bench means she can finally move on to the future and walk away from the past. Shalia finally understands if her husband and sons are alive, they will not want to see

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