The theme of letting go vs. not letting go of something emotionally or figurative is powerful and riddled with subtext necessary to see the factors driving the decision. In the particular situation of these two stories, the driving factors are family and their dedication to you and vise verse. However, the two subjects being held onto and the reason you are clutching so strongly to them are rooted in different emotional spaces. The comparisons between the short story “Hope” and the poem “There is No Word for Goodbye” is clear but the differences between them are easily contrasted.
The poem “There is No Word for Goodbye” by Mary Tall Mountain is full of metaphors for wanting to let go but your traditions being to impactful to allow you to. Mary
…show more content…
Hilbun has the two characters, a father and son, in the midst of a tornado and fleeing to safety. The wind of the tornado is representative of the forces that hold you back and keep you from moving forward. Literally and metaphorically in this case. When Adam is swept away by the wind his father rescues him. His father protects him and helps him hold on to his life and therefore his hope. The small plant at the end of the story is representative of hope being saved because of their efforts. In addition, like the plant having the chance to grow, their hope also gives the chance of rebuilding what they have lost.
Both stories feature prominent parental figures saving the kids from letting go of something influential that will help them. In “Hope” it’s when Adam’s father saves him from the tornado. Whereas in the poem it’s more subtle when Mary’s aunt tells her that she can’t ever say goodbye to her heritage and the influence it has on her. The refusal to let go is a theme that is riddled throughout both works of writing and can be traced back to the theme of holding on to something emotionally powerful. For example, your history and culture or just something as abstract as hope for bouncing back after a