The themes of anger and forgiveness in Friedman’s short stories "Second is best" and "Reunion "

Abstract EN

Anger is a common feeling when someone hurts us.

It arouses different feelings such as pain, injustice, humiliation and negligence.

The paper discuses the theme of anger and its causes in two short stories by Aileen Friedman.

Accordingly, the anger is defined by religious men as a sin whereas by Scientists as an emotional state.

The aim of the paper is to discuss the impact of anger and forgiveness on the main characters of the two short stories.

When the two characters Kaye and Yvaine faced the people who hurt them, their anger make them do such bad actions or behaviors that by the time they regretted for doing these actions.

Anger makes them behave hysterically, for instance shouting out of sane saying bad words, damaging stuff, pushing someone or something and throwing hard things at somebody.

All these actions and behaviors are violently done by the characters of both stories.

Friedman treats anger by Friedman; she ended her stories by forgiving those people who hurt the main characters in the past and opening a new page in their life.

Because forgiveness restores happiness to their life and restores spiritual calm to them, they are able to continue normally in their life.

Finally, all human beings are sinful, but God forgives them for their sins if they ask Him in their prayers.

In short, the main characters need Divine help to forgive others.

The paper is concluded with the topic of forgiveness that was provoked by the faith of the characters, leading them to be free and having a spiritual calm and love to continue their life happily.