Shame In The Lie And Ysrael

Many people feel shameful about some part of their identity for various reasons. Shame can derive from a bad decision or a character trait that one is born with and often, it can be an unpleasant burden for one to carry. In the short stories, “The Lie” and “Ysrael”, Dr. Remenzel and Ysreal both deal with shame, but Dr. Remenzel’s shame stems from trying to to use his name and identity to his advantage, while Ysreal feels shameful because of a traumatic experience in his past.
Dr. Remenzel and Ysrael are both shameful because they are embarrassed about an aspect of their identity. Ysreal is shameful about the scars he has on his face from a pig attack. The narrator speaks of Ysreal’s decision to wear a mask to disguise his scars and describes,
“The father was very sensitive about anyone taunting his oldest son, which explained the mask” (Diaz 213). Ysreal’s shame and embarrassment to reveal this part of his identity causes him to be an isolated figure to the other students. In the minds of Ysrael and his family, the mask made him appear less gruesome in public. Dr. Remenzel is shameful because of the way he decided to handle his son’s denial from Whitehill School. Dr. Remenzel explains to his son that he spoke with the board of the school to attempt to get Eli into the school even after he was denied and says, “I asked them to make an exception in your case- to reverse the decision” (Vonnegut 12). Both characters share a feeling of shame because they are suffering the consequences of past events. Neither Dr. Remenzel or Ysreal is willing to stand up to their shame, so they hide behind it. Ysreal literally hides, as he always wear the blue denim mask to hid his scarring, while Dr. Remenzel is able to escape his shame because of the financial role that the Remenzel family plays at the Whitehill school.
Both characters feel shame in a part of this identity, but Dr.
Remenzel is embarrassed as a result of his past actions, in contrast to Ysreal who was given the burden of his scars by chance, as opposed to a conscious decision. Dr. Remenzel made a conscious decision that he was going to go in front of the board and use his name and legacy to get his son admitted into the school. After realizing he made the wrong decision, Dr. Remenzel explains, “I apologize… It was a very bad thing to try” (Vonnegut 12). Eli’s father chose his fate and therefore, he brought the burden upon himself because of his lack of proper judgement and his shame is a result of being forced to face the consequences of his past actions. Unfortunately, Ysreal’s shame is not something that he can control. As the narrator explains, “When he was a baby a pig had eaten his face off” (Diaz 212). His facial disfigurement was not something that he chose or even brought upon himself, but rather unlucky fate that he is forced to deal with. Ysreal had no connection to the source of his shamefulness and that is where the two character’s shame is different. Dr. Remenzel’s shame is result of an improper decision, while the burden of having permanent facial scars was placed upon Ysrael by chance.
Although Ysreal and Dr. Remenzel both feel shame, the causes of their shame are very different. Ysreal feels shameful because of a part of his identity that he has had since he was a baby. Dr. Remenzel tried to circumvent the typical application process by using his financial advantage and is now experiencing the harsh consequences of his actions. When approaching the board, Dr. Remenzel did not understand that his actions might incur further consequences. When making an important decision, it is always important to consider the possible further consequences of your
actions.