The Pursuit of Happiness through Conflict and Loss
Happiness is desired by all people, but very few are able to achieve true happiness. In “Mirror Image” written by Lena Coakley, the protagonist Alice battles with herself to find her true identity after a brain transplant. This conflict stops her from finding true happiness, since she is not happy with her new self. Alice’s view of herself was different, and so was her views on life, physically and intellectually. Similarly, Norman from “The Prospectors Trail” by Cathy Jewison deals with many conflicts on his pursuit of happiness. After failing early on his life, Norman struggled to find happiness. He discovered that some people’s trash is another person’s happiness. His discovery did not …show more content…
Firstly, Alice experiences and overcomes a huge loss in her life. This loss was the death of her father. The death of her father would have been hard enough to deal with without having to adapt to a new body at the same time. Secondly, Alice loses a close friend of hers. Her friend was her sister Jenny. Jenny feels like she does not even know Alice anymore. This greatly affected the bond Alice and Jenny once had. Thirdly, Norman’s wife leaves him after discovering him in a plaid flannel shirt. “Norman’s shoulder, which was clad in a red plaid flannel shirt. Jennifer gasped.” Norman knew when Jennifer gasped at the plaid shirt that his marriage was over (Jewison 31). Jennifer leaving turned out to be one of the things that kept Norman from being happy. Lastly, Norman lost hope in his life and in himself. This quote proves his loss of hope. “This is never going to work. Jen’s going to leave me. I have no money. I can’t earn any. It’s over.” (Jewison 28).The things that Norman thought he was losing were the things that were stopping him from finding true happiness. In conclusion, Alice and Norman learn that the loss they experience in their lives will lead them to true happiness, by showing them what they really need to be