Two Old Women by Velma Wallis - Book Report/Review Example

Two Old Women” by Velma Wallis Name Date Course Introduction Two Old Women, by Velma Wallis is a vital book that has a number of lessons. The author of the book is recognized for her persuasive stories which she written in the past. Two old women is based on a story of two old women from Athabasca in upper Yukon River Valley in Alaska. The two old women were abandoned by their tribe during a harsh winter famine that was facing the community. They are forced to fend for themselves as they do not have any alternative. The decision to abandon them was made by the chief of the tribe. Although it was a difficult choice, it had to be made. The two old women complained a lot but contributed less towards the welfare of the community. Faced with the difficult situation, they had to survive or die. The story plays an essential role in highlighting the importance of difference stages in life including aging. It is also inspirational and highlights the concepts of betrayal, friendship and forgiveness. The treatment of the elderly in the community is also highlighted in the story. At their old age, the two women are heroines due to their survival in the tough situation. They are determined to fight death which was facing them due to the harsh condition. However, with the skills that they learnt from their youth, they are able to survive the famine and in the end they come out better than any member of the community who abandoned them. The paper thus discusses the concepts of aging in relation to the story. Discussion Aging is a significant process in life and it brings about the different challenges as well as responsibilities. On the other hand, the status of the people is usually changed due to aging. In the story, the culture of the people is highlighted and the treatment of the elderly is also emphasized. The treatment of the senior people in the society is also taken care of in the story. According to the story, the treatment of elderly in the society is appalling. This is despite the status that the elderly occupy in the society. By abandoning the two old women, the society is seen as looking down upon the old women. However, the two women are determined to fight the looming death and in the end they emerge triumphant. The role of culture in the society is important and it influences the decisions made regarding the elderly in the society. The chief of the community had to make difficult decisions which led to the abandonment of the two old women. Determination plays a significant role in the society and it influences the decisions made by the people. On the other hand, it is also important to note that the elderly in the society are vulnerable. This is because they are unable to fend for themselves and in most cases they depend on the young people to help them carry out different tasks. The elderly in the society may therefore end up suffering more as compared to young. The story also highlights the importance of wisdom and its relation with age. The two women were able to survive due to their wisdom. Initially, their contribution to the society was limited. However, they were learning important lessons over the years and hence the wisdom that they had. Through the application of the wisdom that they had, they were able to survive the difficult condition. The survival of the two old women is an indication that wisdom is closely related to age. This is attributed to the knowledge that one gains over the years. The two old women were able to come out better than the other members of the community due to the wisdom that they had. On the other hand, it is also important to note that the two old women were able to forgive the members of the society for abandon them. This is an indication that aging also plays an important role in terms of decision of decision making. The decision to forgive the members of the society may have been difficult in the case of the youthful people. However, this was possible due to the knowledge and experience that the two old women had. The story is also inspirational to the people of different ages including the elderly. This is because of the experience that it highlights regarding the two old women. It is also important to note that the story can be used to encourage the people in the society to ensure that the elderly in the society are well treated. The story also plays an important role in highlighting the role of the leaders within the society. The chief of the community had to make a tough decision which led to the abandonment of the two old women. This is because the though that the two old women will bring down the whole community during the difficult times. This is because the two old women always wanted things to be done for them by the youthful members of the society. In some instances, the two old women were taking advantage of their old age for the purposes of ensuring that the youthful members of the society do anything for them. This also highlights the important aspect of in the society with regards to the conduct of the elder members of the society. Some of the elder members of the society always take advantage of their vulnerability to exploit the youthful members of the society. It is also for this reason that the chief had to make the tough decisions. In times of difficulty, the elderly are vulnerable in the society as they may not be able to fend for themselves. This is because they depend on the youthful members of the society for help. However, the two old women proved that they can make it on their own incase of determination. This is considering that the elder members of the society are experienced and they also have a lot of wisdom. Translating the wisdom into action is important and it led to the survival of the two old women. The youthful stage is also important in life as most of the lessons are learnt at the youthful stage. The two old women were able to survive the harsh conditions due to the lessons that they learnt in their youthful stage. The concepts of societal expectations are also an important aspect that has been highlighted in the story. The society has different expectations when it comes to the different members of the society. The society expects the youth to make more contributions in the society as compared to the elderly in the society. The society does not elderly to make any contributions in the society and this influenced the decision of the chief. The chief did not expect the two old women to make any meaningful contribution to the society. Instead, he thought that the two old women would bring down the whole society. On the other hand, it is also a reality that the leaders have to make difficult decisions in the society. Betrayal is also an important aspect that has been brought about in the story. The actions of the chief and the members of the community seem to be an act of betrayal. This is because of abandoning the two old women in terms of difficulty because to their age and little contribution that the chief thought they would make in the society. The two women are however able to triumphant in the end after they decided to work together and use their experience and knowledge that they learnt in their youthful days. If the story was to be told to the youthful people in the society, they would have learnt different lessons. The first lesson is that old age does not mean that one becomes useless or irrelevant in the society. This is because the two old women who were considered useless were able to come out of the situation better than anyone else in the society. The youthful members of the society can also learn that every members of the society plays an important role. Every member of the society also needs the other for the purposes of ensuring success. The youth can also learn important lesson regarding respect for every member of the society. It is always important to ensure that elderly in the society are respected. On the other hand, the youth can also learn that the elderly in the society have a lot of knowledge and wisdom due to their experience. The youth can therefore consult the elder members of the society incase they need advice. The youth can also learn that some of the cultural perceptions and expectations may not necessarily be correct. This is because the two old women were able to surpass the expectations of the community members regarding them. Determination is also important as it brings out the best in people. The two women faced with death were determined to succeed which played an essential role in ensuring that they were able to come out of the situation as the best. The youth can also lean an important lesson on forgiveness. This is because the two old women were able to forgive the community members despite abandoning them during the difficult time. Conclusion In conclusion, it is evident that the story of the two old women is inspiring to the people of different ages. The concept of aging has also been emphasized in the story which has also played an essential role in highlighting the expectations that the members of the society have on the elderly. The members of the society can also look down upon the elderly in the society as they may think that they are not useful. However, this is not the case as the two old women were able to come out of the difficult situation better than anyone else’s expectation. It is also evident that the elderly in the society have immense knowledge and wisdom. It is through their wisdom and knowledge that they were able to succeed and survive the difficult conditions. The lessons learnt during the youthful stage are important and they may be useful in the old age. The survival of the two old women was based on their experience in the youthful stage. It is also evident that the leaders in the society have to make difficult choices. It is through the choices made that the two old women were abandoned during the famine. On the other hand, the society has diverse expectations with regards to its members. The elderly in the society are not expected to perform well which creates a negative perception of them. It is also apparent that the youth can learn different lesson from the story. The elderly are knowledgeable and experienced and the youth can consult them on various issues. Reference Wallis, V. (2004). Two Old Women. Perennial, Harper Collins. ISBN: 0060723521. Read More