Altruism and selfishness
The good Anna was always ready to lend her friends a hand and give away everything she possessed. No wonder that some of her so called friends tried to use her readiness to save for their own benefits. Her story proved that even such a wonderful thing as kindness could be harmful and dangerous. Anna’s altruism became a reason of her death, for she couldn’t even imagine that there was nothing wrong with taking care of herself. What a lesson can we learn from Anna’s story? It is okay to want to help others and even dream about saving the whole world, but it is definitely not acceptable to forget about oneself. Altruism should bring happiness and satisfaction not just suffering and death.
Depression
Some people tend to underestimate danger of depression. According to World Health Organization, depression is the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide. The reports of the said organization state that more than 300 million people are now living with depression. It is a horrifying tendency, isn’t it? Melanctha is a living proof of destructive effect of this mental illness on a person. Neither her beauty nor her sharp mind can make her happy, for it is impossible to live a full life and suffer from depression at the same very time. This woman fails to win, for there is no one to give her a reason to fight for her life. Her friend’s betrayal becomes the last straw.
Passivity
Lena’s story is about the extreme form of acceptance. She doesn’t try to determine what she wants and what to do to become happier. Lena just allows things happen and then adjusts to a new situation. It seems that she is listless, lacks energy and strengths, so when she dies no one especially grieves for her. The most frightening thing is that both her live and death go almost unnoticed.
