Two Old Women, by Velma Wallis Book Review Essay (Book Review Sample)

Order Summary
 
Number of pages:
7
Type of assignment:
Literature Review
Academic level:
University Level, Bachelor's
Referencing style:
APA
Number of sources:
1
Subject:
Anthropology
Client country:
United States (US English)
Two old women
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Introduction
Two Old Women, by Velma Wallis is an important book that has many lessons. The author of the book is recognized for the compelling stores which she has written in the past and has also won an award for the inspirational stories. 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. This forces them to fend for themselves as they do not have any choice. 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 were known to complain and make less contribution. 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. The story is also inspirational and it 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. The two old women 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 service 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 an important 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 highlighted in the story. The treatment of the senior people in the society is also highlighted in the story. According to the story, the treatment of elderly in the society is not good. 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 old 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 an important 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 is 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 seems 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 th...