Understanding one’s behaviors and choices may be quite complicated at times. A plethora of factors affect one’s decision-making and the relevant perceptions, which is why dissecting behaviors is often attributed to past events, as “Crow Lake” by Mary Lawson demonstrates. As Kate’s story shows, though past events, in fact, define one’s ideas of relationships, one still has the opportunity to make decisions based on common sense and analysis, which is why blaming one’s behaviors on one’s past means relieving one of responsibility.
The concept of regret represents one of the core sentiments in the characters’ lives, and their past haunts them constantly, which proves the unhealthiness of one viewing past as the main factor in present decision-making., Specifically, Kate’s entire life has been shaped by Mark’s sacrifice and the feelings of guilt and regret that she has been experiencing: “If you’ve thought in a certain way for many years […] well, it stands to reason that it will take a while to adjust” (Lawson, 2009, p. 294). The description of Kate’s turmoil and regret serve as a cautionary tale against viewing one’s past as the main basis and the key rationale for decision-making. Specifically, the crippling feelings of guilt and remorse only serve to the detriment of Kate’s life, as opposed to a healthier attitude of viewing past as a series of life lessons and useful experience.
As the story of Kate’s life in the “Crow Lake” illustrates, past events are not to be seen as the sole factor behind one’s decision-making since it denies one’s agency and absolves one of responsibility. Instead, past events should be regarded as the experience that may have skewed one’s perception. Furthermore, the misjudgment based on past events can and should eb corrected, as the novel demonstrates tacitly. Thus, behaviors are the result of the past events only to the point where people allow them to be.
Reference
Lawson, M. (2009). Crow Lake: A Novel. Seal Books.