HW 2:

The central claim in Hallward’s speech is rather than being scared of sharing what we think makes us a “bad” person; we should instead share our stories of shame because it is an act of courage and generosity. Shame is typically a feeling that many of us hide from because it makes us feel bad. In Hallward’s speech, she tells a story about her dad who was diagnosed with dementia. She states that “He would just bite his hands so hard… and it pained me so much to see him, and I would just pray for him to die. I would just pray for him to die, and I felt so horrible wishing death on my own father, who I loved so much.” This quote is about a time in her life where she felt shame. She didn’t tell anyone for a long time that she was feeling this way because she felt as if she was a bad person. Later on in her speech, she says, “And then I got home, and I was really afraid, like all these doctors think I was not a loving daughter, and they think that I’m a bad doctor. And then the emails started coming in, saying thank you so much for saying that. I felt the same way too about my mother but I felt so ashamed I didn’t tell anyone.” This quote shows that Hallward, who was courageous enough to share her story about a time that she felt real shame, helped others accept the feeling they felt in a similar situation. In conclusion, shame does not make you a bad person. Contrary, sharing your story or feelings to others helps people connect and empathize about a feeling that they might also have.