A friend of the author, currently working on a memoir, expresses disdain for the notion that writing serves merely as a therapeutic release, fearing it leads to subpar literature. Natalia Ginzburg echoes this sentiment by cautioning that writing will not alleviate one's grief. These perspectives highlight a skepticism about the effectiveness of writing as a means of coping with emotional pain.

In contrast, Isak Dinesen posits a more hopeful view, suggesting that storytelling can help transform sorrow into something more bearable. This dichotomy between the therapeutic and storytelling perspectives captures the struggle between finding solace in writing and the challenge of producing meaningful literature from personal suffering.