The Role Of Selfishness In Casino By Alix Ohlin

What powers the world? Is it determination? Is it motivation? Or is it selfishness? A trait so prominent in modern day society. In two passages we see how selfishness affects people deeply. In a passage “Casino” by Alix Ohlin we see a wounded mother trying to cope with the absence of her daughter due to drug addiction. In “An Oral History of Catalina Hoyos” a young daughter is forced to come to terms with the death of her father in a country where drugs are heavily normalized. Both passages come together to effectively convey that humans are selfish because of the trauma they face and are ultimately forced to come to terms with. The trauma that Sherri and Catalina experience stems from the selfishness from their loved ones. The trauma that

When Sherri is confronted by someone who had temporarily left her memory, she runs into him at the Casino that she and Trisha went to relieve the stresses of their daily lives. However, instead of destressing, Sherri has an outburst of harsh words towards Cyril which consisted of words like “You're pathetic, you crystal meth- snorting piece of shit” (Ohlin 288). The trauma has caused Sherri to have an outburst. To cope with her emotions she seeks a casino to feel better. However, there she is confronted by Cyril who was her daughter’s drug dealer. Out of getting answers to make her feel better her and Trisha interrogate him and attack him verbally until being kicked out. Sherri feels anger towards her daughter’s disappearance and the lack of information she knows about her well being. In the Oral history of Catalina Hoyos, Catalina experiences emotions that consist of happiness. “ I said stop, please stop. The driver said "Why what happened?” I said do you have a minute ? He stopped, and I got out, looked up to heaven and gave thanks to god. “One down” (Hoyos 52). Catalina feels joy after hearing the suspect Rodriguez Gacha has died. She feels as though justice is being served. Therefore, illustrating the toll that trauma has taken on them. Leaving them to find closure for

This time he doesn't even pause. No way she's coming back. She hated it here. I flinch but I know he's right” (Ohlin 289) Even though she does not want to come to terms with her daughter never coming back, she knows that Cyril is right. Instead of being in denial and living in that constant “what if?” scenario she finally accepts what she did not want to. Hopefully to allow her to move on. Catalina, having to come to terms with her father’s death, finds a solution in order to move on, “I've lived outside of Colombia for more than twenty years and I go back for visits but I wouldn't live there. Drug trafficking has been a cancer in this country. It contaminated everything, it penetrated everywhere. And I never want my kids to think that's normal” (Hoyos 53). In order to finally feel safe, Catalina moves away to New York in order to find some peace after the death of her father. She also does not want her children to go through what she had to. Thus allowing themselves to be selfish in order to move with their lives and find