Comparitive Essay

There will always be something in your life that you want to protect or cherish. You sacrifice yourself in order to keep these valuable things with you. Self-sacrifice, by dictionary definition is sacrifice of one's interest, desire, etc., as for duty or the good of another. Self-sacrifice has always been a big theme in many literary works such as Crow Lake by Mary Lawson and Proof by David Auburn. In Crow Lake, the author, Mary Lawson mentions how Luke sacrifices with his education and love relationship for his family not to be separated. David Auburn, the author of the play Proof, created a situation that Catherine drops out of school, stays at home for several years taking care of his father alone while her sister is working in another city for the family. The decisions Luke and Kate make cause a huge impact on their lives. Both Luke and Catherine sacrifice for their families. But they also differ in their different responses toward their self-sacrifices. Family is the place where we live with the ones we care, we love and we treasure. It is the same to Luke and Catherine. They can do whatever is the best for the ones they love, even to sacrifice their most valuable things. Luke, character portrayed by Mary Lawson in Crow Lake, makes a decision after his parents' death. "Basically, I'm not going to teachers' college. I'm staying here. The four of us are staying here. I'm looking after you guys."(77). It will be great for Luke to go to teachers' college because Luke is the one who can go on to higher education in Morrison Family after three generations of striving. If Luke chooses to go to college and complete his education, he can easily make enough money to support Kate and Bo going to university. But as a result, Kate, Bo and Matt may be scattered and they will live in different families, brought up by others. Luke has thought about all these factors and finally sacrifices his chance to receive education and stays to take care of his siblings.