Indledning
It is fascinating that we can feel so many different feelings and how some, like guilt, can affect us throughout our whole life.
This short story “Sea Defences” (2018) by Hilary Taylor is an interesting story that focuses on how the feeling of guilt can affect the life you live. We get to know this man, named Michael, who deals with a lot of guilt even though it was not his fault.
The story starts in medias res, with Michael being at the police station: “I’m in the police station. Again.” (l. 1). This tells us that it is not the first time he has been at the police station, so we know something has happened but not what.
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Uddrag
When Hannah gets dragged away by the wave that hit her, Michael starts to panic: “Then – back on my feet. Breath heaving, heart pounding. (…) “Help, oh Mumma, help,” I heard myself whisper.
And then the fear hit me like the wave itself.” (ll. 128-131) and when he realizes what had happened, his fear makes him not tell anyone because he is scared that they would think he did it:
“They would say it was my fault.” (l. 132). Therefore, he chooses to hide Hannah’s shoe under the floorboard. But after this tragedy Michael is filled with guilt and he blames himself for her death:
““I... I didn’t look after her.”” (l. 151). To deal with this feeling of guilt he decides to protect children: “Parents turn their heads.
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