In reality, it's impossible to know, 100% what people desire, think, or feel within themselves. Some people are very open with their inner emotions, whilst some are extremely reluctant to express themselves. In Mary Lawson’s Crow Lake, protagonist Kate Morrison is raised with an emotionless family, who believe that “Thou Shalt Not Emote” is their “Eleventh Commandment” (9 Lawson). The Eleventh Commandment forces Kate to keep conflicts contained. As for Catherine in Proof by David Auburn, she is more than happy to express her emotions to anybody whom she encounters, which results in constant conflicts with others, while having to deal with past conflicts as well. Although both Catherine and Kate seem to reside on opposite sides of the spectrum, their unwillingness to resolve past and present conflicts, consequently, creates a vital obstacle which thwarts the advancement of their lives. That being said, there are a select number of characters, such as Daniel or Claire, who are able to handle these conflicts and carry on, without any hanging problems, with their life.
With Kate, the capability of progressing with the future will be present when she can let go of her thought of the supposed tragedy of her closest brother, Matt. Not going to university or achieving his dream is apparently devastating to Kate, even though Matt chose his path a long time ago. It’s understandable that Kate feels this way because it was enforced by her great-grandmother that education was a top priority in the Morrison family. However, it doesn’t completely justify Kate’s actions; she shouldn’t always care for Matt, especially when she cannot care for herself. The fact of the matter is that Matt was Kate’s informal teacher during their childhood and Kate cannot stop feeling as though she “stole” Matt’s job: “If Matt had been speaking to them, they would have been riveted.” (200 Lawson). Just before reaching Matt’s son’s birthday, she kept going over the “tragedy” in her mind, “Matt...