Critical/Analytical Response to Literary Texts

How do the feelings of satisfaction and regret influence an individual’s actions?

In response to this question, three separate works of literature will be used to

prove the position stated next. The feelings of satisfaction and regret influence an
individual’s actions in almost every way imaginable. From choices such as what to eat,
all the way to whether or not an intercontinental ballistic missile should be launched
into enemy territory. Obviously that was an exaggeration, but regardless, let’s begin the

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exploration of this topic.

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First and foremost, the short story “On the Rainy River” by Tim O’brien will set

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the base of this analysis. In the formerly mentioned story, a young man has been
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drafted by the government, to the military. This man doesn't believe in war and in fact,
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has been part of several protests against war. The man contemplates running away to
Canada to avoid military service. He gets all the way to the border, he can see his
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escape. Then he stops and thinks about his family and all the people in his hometown,
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and how they would disgrace him. He decides he would rather live with the satisfaction
of pleasing his family, and regret of going against his morals, than to live with the
regret of letting his family down, and satisfaction of staying true to what he believed.
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Secondly, in Elie Wiesel’s novel “Night”, the author is held prisoner at three
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different concentration camps during Nazi Germany’s rein in WWII. Wiesel and his
father are taken into the camps together. They are separated from the females of their
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family. Throughout (almost) all of Wiesel’s stay at the camps, he was by his father's
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side. Together, they endured many hardships and faced many challenges. One notable
choice Wiesel made was whether or not he should touch the electric fence and end his
suffering. He decided not to because he didn’t want to leave his father alone in the
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camps. Another, Wiesel’s father’s friend/relative asked if his family was okay. Wiesel
and his father had not heard from them in years, but Wiesel’s father made the decision
to lie to him and said that his family is doing just fine. This man said that knowing his

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 family was okay was the only thing keeping him alive. Wiesel and his father were
content with the satisfaction of Wiesel’s father’s friend/relative. One last example from
this book; Wiesel chose not to take his father’s rations when he was dying. He simply
could not live with the burden of betraying his father.
Third and lastly, “Much Ado About Nothing” by William Shakespeare. I will
only comment on the relationship of Benedick and Beatrice. In the beginning of the
play, there was a lot of tension between Benedick and Beatrice. Always instigating
fights and antagonizing one another. This goes on and on until they are both tricked
into loving one another. As soon as one thought the other was in love with them, they
immediately changed their actions toward one another. They both had feelings for each
other from the start, but were too proud to admit it. At the end of the play, they both find

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out that they had been tricked into admiring each other, and they claim that the only

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reason was because the other was dying without their love. They both had reputations

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to uphold, and their reputations were inhibiting them to fall in love. But, as it turned

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out, they figured that it was better to find true love and lose their reputation, than to be
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condemned to loneliness and vindicate their public image.
As you can see, every decision is made according to the feelings of satisfaction
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and regret. Be it a choice between death, love, honour, war, acceptance, and everything
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in the middle. Those two emotions always have a substantial influence on choices. Some
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people can’t live with regret, and some people can’t live without satisfaction. Every
decision made by an individual is dependant on those factors.
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