A new perspective by Janice E. Fein
During the telling of the text A New Perspective by Janice E. Fein, the author goes to great lengths to describe how she feels cheated through her childhood because of her ill mother. Fein's life story is mostly told by her in the second person. Though we do not know the exact time period the story takes place in we do however know that it is based on her childhood. Fein then explains how she no longer feels cheated because her perspective has changed after having a child of her own.
Fein's Mother, early in Fein's life, had developed rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This illness greatly affected Fein and her lifestyle. Fein Does not have many happy memories of herself and her mother other than her mother walking her to kindergarten. Fein shares that most of her memories with her mother are of her mother in a hospital bed. The author feels like Connie, her best friend, had everything in life. From the best toys to a happy caring mother. Fein could not invite her friends over because then they'll have to see her ill mother. Fein used to see other kids hug their mothers after school when they would be there to pick them up while Fein would have to walk nine blocks home herself. Later in the essay, Fein explains how she has a son of her own and loves doing activities with him. She realizes that she was not the one who cheated in her childhood but rather her mother because she couldn't do the same things with her. Different people feel cheated from different perspectives.
Fein's tone is this essay is overall very sad, one could say disheartened and envious. An example of the aut...
