Comparing The Shawl And The Years Of My Birth

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“The Shawl” and “The Years of My Birth” by Louise Erdrich One similarity between the two stories is the theme of abandonment of a child by its mother and a difference is that one ends on a very sad note and the other on a hopeful note. The ending of “The Shawl” is tragic and the ending of “The Years of My Birth” is hopeful as Linda has created a life for herself and moved beyond the tragedy of her earlier years. Other themes similar in both are twins and mothers are self-centered and care more about themselves than their child. One mother abandons her baby in the hospital and the other might have possibly thrown her daughter to wolves, depending on how the story’s ending is interpreted. The theme of Native American traditions is evident