Child of God | Analysis of Novel | Genevieve Abravanel

Indledning
Do you find it to be more difficult to forget than to forgive? Is it beneficial to forgive such horrific acts that would be considered unforgivable in the first place?

Forgiveness means different things depending on the person. It does however involve a decision to let go of the resentment or anger you feel towards a person causing you pain.

Forgiveness can also lead to feelings of understanding, empathy, and compassion as well for the ones who have hurt you.

It’s not a way of excusing the harm someone has caused you but rather a possibility for you to replace the anger and resentment you feel as a result of those actions.

We are introduced to the importance of forgiveness seen from a religious aspect in the short story “A Child of God”, which is written by Genevieve Abravanel and published in 2021.

We are throughout the story introduced to the protagonist, a young woman who has caused a family much harm by accidentally killing their son in a car accident while being under the influence of alcohol.

She finds herself questioning her whole existence while being confronted with the consequences of her actions.

The author has written a story that captivates the readers by making them reflect on the importance of forgiveness and its meaning through the style of writing that contributes to how we perceive the story.

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Uddrag
The particular style of writing is additionally an important tool as to how we as readers perceive the story and how the literary elements contribute to the meaning of the piece.

The sentences are simple and short when it’s a dialogue between the characters but significantly longer and more complex when it’s the protagonist’s own thought process which is evident in the lines between 65-75.

“We’ll petition the state” (p.3, l.67) is an example of the dialogue between the protagonist and the mother of the deceased son while the following sentence is expressed through an inner dialogue with herself:

“Like throwing myself to their wooden floor and howling, a wild thing, my true self revealed at last” (p.3, l.68-69).