In Joyce Oates "In the Region of Ice" a curtain of regret is revealed. The reader is first introduced to Sister Irene, discovering that she is an ice cold women who gave her love and soul to God many years ago. Although the reader was firstly introduced to Sister Irene, it is quickly established that she is going to have a decision to make. After Allen Weinstein, a troubled man with good intentions, introduces himself by way of forcing himself into Irene's classroom it is estimated that she felt something towards the man that ended up shedding some of her old 'ice' qualities.
While this story could have taken a predictable ending by having Irene thank Allen, is not what happened. There was a way about Allen that Irene could not stop thinking about "she sensed herself drawn by that student, into a relationship she was not ready for" (324). Allen had put all his trust in Irene as she was the only person who treated him as the human he was "he acted it out, and that was perhaps why he fascinated her " ( 323). It can be assumed that the only reason Irene does not share her feelings with Allen is because "she had only one life and had already given it to someone else" (332). She had been in a region of ice for fifteen years prior to meeting Allen that is was too late to go back. …show more content…
This reinforces the readers belief : Irene wants to care for Allen. After Irene meets with Allen's parents to attempt to convince them to be uncommitted and to allow him to return home. Her words meant nothing to Mr. Weinstein as he already had strong beliefs about his son "he's a sick kid, and I'm the first to admit it" and didn't care whether or not he would commit suicide
While this story could have taken a predictable ending by having Irene thank Allen, is not what happened. There was a way about Allen that Irene could not stop thinking about "she sensed herself drawn by that student, into a relationship she was not ready for" (324). Allen had put all his trust in Irene as she was the only person who treated him as the human he was "he acted it out, and that was perhaps why he fascinated her " ( 323). It can be assumed that the only reason Irene does not share her feelings with Allen is because "she had only one life and had already given it to someone else" (332). She had been in a region of ice for fifteen years prior to meeting Allen that is was too late to go back. …show more content…
This reinforces the readers belief : Irene wants to care for Allen. After Irene meets with Allen's parents to attempt to convince them to be uncommitted and to allow him to return home. Her words meant nothing to Mr. Weinstein as he already had strong beliefs about his son "he's a sick kid, and I'm the first to admit it" and didn't care whether or not he would commit suicide