One Is Not Always One Does one incident ever really matter? The American Civil War lasted a little over four years with an estimated fifty major battles, so it may appear odd that any single battle can be the sole reason one side prevails over the other. Yet, the Battle of Gettysburg is often considered the turning point of the war and a prime reason why the Union won the war. Some tests in school can have over fifty questions, so it seems mathematically implausible that one question, which is under two percent of the test, can cause a test to end up being a failure. Yet again, sometimes that question can lead to a cascade of future incorrect answers. The real reason behind these occurrences lies within the human mind. Individual mistakes
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One scene is the death of Justine, in which multiple people were affected mentally and physically. For example, Victor states, “My father’s health was deeply shaken by the horror of the recent events. Elizabeth was sad and desponding: she no longer took delight in her ordinary occupations; all pleasure seemed to her sacrilege toward the dead… she was no longer that happy creature who, in earlier youth wandered with me on the banks of the lake, and talked with ecstasy of our future prospects” (62-63). In this, Shelley explicitly mentions how Alphonse’s health had deteriorated due to Justine’s death. However, his case is not as notable as Elizabeth. Since she had been closer to Justine and more acquainted with Justine’s purity, the event was much more significant. Elizabeth became a despondent shell because of Justine’s death. Shelley illustrates the grief stricken state of Elizabeth so vividly in order to help explain the mental state of people after such traumatic events as death. People can become engulfed in the idea of death when directly faced with it. As with the case of Elizabeth, the idea of a prosperous future is replaced with the inevitability of death. An over indulgence in death directed thinking can lead to a deficiency in present time thinking. The lack of present time thinking may lead to a physical deterioration of the body, as mundane tasks like eating are replaced with the idea of grief. In summary, a traumatic event like the death of a loved one can create a fixation on death that alters a person’s physical and mental
One scene is the death of Justine, in which multiple people were affected mentally and physically. For example, Victor states, “My father’s health was deeply shaken by the horror of the recent events. Elizabeth was sad and desponding: she no longer took delight in her ordinary occupations; all pleasure seemed to her sacrilege toward the dead… she was no longer that happy creature who, in earlier youth wandered with me on the banks of the lake, and talked with ecstasy of our future prospects” (62-63). In this, Shelley explicitly mentions how Alphonse’s health had deteriorated due to Justine’s death. However, his case is not as notable as Elizabeth. Since she had been closer to Justine and more acquainted with Justine’s purity, the event was much more significant. Elizabeth became a despondent shell because of Justine’s death. Shelley illustrates the grief stricken state of Elizabeth so vividly in order to help explain the mental state of people after such traumatic events as death. People can become engulfed in the idea of death when directly faced with it. As with the case of Elizabeth, the idea of a prosperous future is replaced with the inevitability of death. An over indulgence in death directed thinking can lead to a deficiency in present time thinking. The lack of present time thinking may lead to a physical deterioration of the body, as mundane tasks like eating are replaced with the idea of grief. In summary, a traumatic event like the death of a loved one can create a fixation on death that alters a person’s physical and mental