Paper Summary:

This is an analysis for a poem from the 1930s by Linda Pastan. The poem "Ethics" is analyzed by looking at narrative, emotional tone, psychological journey of the character, etc. Also several pieces of the language are analyzed to look at the subtext. The writer discusses that memory is a main part of this poem as well as the imagery of winter and fall. The aging process is a main psychological theme.

From the Paper:

This poem, "Ethics", is about age, regret and the old woman's thoughts about her teacher and the ethical question from so long ago. In the poem, "Ethics" by Linda Pastan, the same question was asked in Ethics class every fall, "If there were a fire in a museum, which would you save, a Rembrandt paintings or an old woman who hadn't many years left anyhow?" The author or main character in the poem probably grappled with this annual question for years. The question brings up the value of any life, both youthful and old. Perhaps in the 1930's Ethics classes were common, but this is not the case today, unless a student enrolls in a philosophy course in college. Was this class in a university or high school? The

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