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Edith Sharp The Test

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“The Test” by Edith Sharp is a captivating story that shows the importance of being loved and accepted. While shown throughout the story the main character Nkwala is considerate and caring. He shows that before a person judges another, they must first give them a chance to prove themselves and who they are. This is established in many ways and from this come important lessons. The main thing this proves is that no matter the struggles, love, and acceptance are important to everyone and without it, this world would be a much different place. As demonstrated in this story Nkwala is met with the difficult choice of choosing whether or not to keep his new found friend. When he returns home alongside his father and his dog, some people in the village are skeptical about the dog. Saying that it is a dead man’s dog and how it will bring misfortune upon them all (Sharp, 1958, p.87). This is an example of superstition. A superstition is a myth or belief that leads to a certain consequence of an action. In this case, it would be because Nkwala brought back this dog who is presumed to have been owned by a now deceased man and that the dog will bring bad luck to them. …show more content…

An instinct that tells what a person should or shouldn't do. It is often referred to as a gut feeling that tells you whether or not something is alright. An example of instinct from the story was shown several times. It was shown by Nkwala when he didn't shoot the dog, (Sharp, 1958, p.85) it was shown by the villagers and those who were uncertain of the dog (Sharp, 1958, p.87), and it was also shown by the dog herself when she tried to protect the villagers (Sharp, 1958, p.89-90). An instinct is important for love and acceptance, an instinct may help to know whether it's safe to accept or not. Sometimes an instinct can help get away from harmful situations. From “The Test” it is shown that instinct is important for people to love and accept others or

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