Sunkyo Kang / page 40 / summer writing

D. Helping each other understand

2. What do you think of the old judge?

             The old judge seems to be a wise man but I found this story both interesting and unbelievable. To view the old judge in a more of common sense, his request is somewhat very unrealistic. Although the story contains a message where the woman learns that patience is needed for her marriage, the request made by the judge is a flaw. His motive is understandable, trying to make the woman understand how much she loves the husband and what she is capable of doing, but the process is ironic and too extreme. I understand the fact that the result is the most important part in this story and whatever the process is, it may have wanted to simply symbolize commitment. But the request triggered me to view the old judge from a different perspective.

             Logically, the judge asking for a lion's hair if the woman wants a divorce sounds correct, meaning, you can't get a divorce, because pulling a lion's hair sounds impossible, like committing suicide. However, the judge asks the woman to pull a lion's hair in order for a medicine that will make the two to get along better. This is really dangerous and in reality, it is the craziest solution to give which will encourage everyone to get a divorce. The judge is out of his mind and instead, he should have come up with another solution that is reasonable for the woman to grant the request and which will make the woman to overcome the problem.

 

E. Discussion: Critical thinking

1. Which character, Esther or the Ethiopian wife, loves more deeply? Explain.

             Esther's love for Laurence is deeper than the Ethiopian wife's love for her husband. The Ethiopian wife did accept the request which risked her life and proved that she loved his husband. But she should not have gone to the judge for a divorce in the first place if she really loved him. Despite a happy ending, the story also suggests that they were constantly arguing and came to a conclusion that they cannot live together. On the other hand, Esther, who loved Laurence, kills him because she loved him so much that if she could not get his love, then no one can. It may sound freaky but again, to think critically, if she did not love him, she would not have cared for anything and just let it be. Her feeling towards Laurence was much stronger than the Ethiopian wife's love which, one side sacrifices herself and the other sacrifices the person who she loves.