"The Curlew's Cry" by J. Leslie Bell
             To help determine Sheila's future decision as to wither staying or leaving Neil, one have to explore the theme of this story, the character's inner conflict, the personalities and emotion of each character, as well as the climax or resolution(s) to their conflict .
             I think the theme of "The Curlew's Cry" is about faith, understanding yourself and trust. As I begin to read the story, right away I sensed tension and eventually I realized the tension she felt is due to Neil. I believe Sheila's conflict is with herself and her inability to devote passionately towards Neil. Sheila does care for Neil but the problem is she isn't a romantic person. She compares herself to how Neil treats her and how she treats Neil. When in comparison, Neil seemly does love her more than she loves him. "There was something pitiful and inadequate about her letters at the best of times compared to Neil's. His often ran to six pages, full of details ....By contrast, her letters were niggardly and hastily written" Based on her observation rather than what she feels, or at least due to her observation she reasons herself to believe that she's unable to reciprocate his devotion, and therefore leaves him temporarily to understand and gain a better perspective from a wider screen. "Why did you leave? Why did you leave?" She feels that because she does not show signs of affection, therefore perhaps she doesn't love him enough. I say this because if one loves or care for another, they would try to understand the situation while if one do not love that other person they would leave them without so much as a second thought. Yet we see that Sheila on the other hand experiences great emotion and tension (with herself) as she tries to understand and analyze her feelings about Neil. "She went out to the balcony and leaned on the railing... ...