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Rescue By Anita Shreve : How Far Is Too Much When Sacrificing Energy And Time On A Neglectful Person Essay

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How far is too much when sacrificing energy and time on a neglectful person? We see this scenario unfold in the novel Rescue by Anita Shreve. Peter Webster, a rookie EMT, is a prideful and optimistic person. Through his line of work, he comes across a severely injured Sheila Arsenault who has been involved in a car accident. Upon arriving to the wreckage scene, the rookie’s eye’s quickly gaze towards Sheila’s hair, “ The shock of glossy brown hair in the artificial light registered with Webster, replaced immediately by acronyms. . .” (12). Calling it nothing but love at first sight is far from wrong. Little does Webster know that the series of events following the accident will dramatically change his life. Who would 've thought that a small insignificant moment would lead to a butterfly effect in which Webster has no control over. His devotion towards spending time with the love of his life, Sheila, can be compared to a drug addiction, “He thought of Sheila as a drug that had hooked him after only one hit” (58); furthermore, it’s his only way of expressing happiness. We come to find out that Sheila’s accident was the result of a mere intoxication of alcohol. A perpetual drunk is all that Sheila is, nothing less nothing more. Because of the devotion that Webster has for Sheila, he feels to have the obligation to not only tell her, but help her eradicate the need of alcohol in her life. Together, they form a life, or at least try to, staggered with addiction and

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