Where Is the Mango Princess?

What is the author's tone in Where Is the Mango Princess? by C. E. Crimmins?

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Crimmins' narrative displays the ambivalence the author often felt. She would be thrilled at certain moments, such as when Alan was able to walk for the first time, and then crushed in the very next passage when Alan would show additional symptoms or a regression in his recovery. She grieved for the loss of the husband she knew, but at the same time she knew Alan was quite fortunate to retain as many abilities as he did. She understood that Alan was not aware that his behavior was inappropriate, yet at the same time, like any human would do, she sometimes exploded in anger at Alan and at the situation with which she had been cursed.

Crimmins reserves her most furious anger for her Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), a company which Crimmins felt only cared about the bottom line (cost) with respect to Alan's illness. Crimmins fought with the HMO on several occasions with respect to Alan's medical benefits, and she fantasized at one point, kiddingly, about murdering the HMO executives.

As a humorist, Crimmins is able to find moments of lightness and humor in even the darkest moments of the tragedy. Her sense of humor helped her through some incredibly tough moments, and she is usually able to maintain a somewhat wise perspective on her family's misfortune, reflecting that she had seen other traumatic brain injury sufferers who had been left in much worse shape than Alan.

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Where Is the Mango Princess?