Tahmina Ahmed
Professor Cammilleri
English 201
19 march, 2013
“Forgiveness is not forgetting an injustice done; it is the understanding that allows us to set aside the emotional impact of that injustice pertaining to ourselves. When we no longer hold those emotions, and have understanding for the person, we forgave them “(singer). In other words, this quote means being able to forgive a person actually allow the person forgiving to begin the healing process, but this does not mean that the person forget what damage it has caused them. In psychology, “forgiveness is a process that involves the change in emotions and attitudes regarding the offender.” This definition of forgiveness points out that forgiveness is a personal choice and is not dependent on the person who is receiving this forgiveness. You can forgive and move on with your life to be happy but not forget. In the short story “Forgiveness” by Rebecca Brown, the protagonist does not forgive her mate for taking advantage of her to an extent where she is completely broken. I personally believe in all circumstances, in order for one to be truly happy in life, it is critical to forgive but never forget. In the short story “Forgiveness” the lead character says “when I said I’d give my right arm for you, I didn’t think you would ask me for it, but you did. You said, give it to me. And I said okay” (brown 1). With the use of metaphors and symbolization, Brown illustrates to the reader of a visual picture of how the protagonist gives all her effort and her life into their relationship and after all the sacrifices, she does not get anything in return. For example, the use of the word “arm” demonstrates how the protagonist gave a huge part of herself up for her significant other; in other words, it can also be visualized as the pure love she gave to her partner. “But then, when you got it, you