Velma Wallis' "Two Old Women"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that Velma Wallis' book "Two Old Women: An Alaska Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival" tells a story based on a legend among the Athabascan Indians of the upper Yukon river area in Alaska. The author relates that, according to the customs of the tribe, the elderly are left behind during difficult times for the tribe so that the others may live. In the story, two old women are left to die; however, they prove that they can survive. The paper stresses that Wallis believes people possess hidden gifts that they do not develop until they need to.

From the Paper:

"The mantra for the two women becomes, "Let us die trying." Whether they succeed or not, then, they will have demonstrated their personal power and their refusal to sit down and die without a fight. They begin by taking inventory of their skills and by considering skills, they had in their youth but may not have used for many years. They see the need to revive these old skills now that they need them to survive. The women are left alone but not with nothing, for they still have their possessions and so can make use of what tools they own."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Wallis, V. (2004). Two Old Women: An Alaska Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival. New York: HarperCollins.

More papers on Velma Wallis' "Two Old Women":

• Book Review # 75357 : "J. Joseph's "When I am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple"
• Analytical Essay # 62770 : "Old Woman Magoun"
• Persuasive Essay # 75759 : "The Freedom of Aging Women"

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