In Alice Munro's collection "The Love of a Good Woman," the dynamics between sick individuals and their healthy counterparts are explored, revealing a deep-seated resentment that can develop in personal relationships. This tension is particularly evident within families, where the emotions of illness can strain the bonds between spouses and even between parents and their children. The narrative illustrates how illness can create an emotional distance, leading to feelings of bitterness and misunderstanding. Those who are healthy may struggle with compassion fatigue, while the sick may feel isolated and envious. This complex interplay sheds light on the human condition, emphasizing the challenges of love and care in the face of suffering.

Sick people grew to resent well people, and sometimes that was true of husbands and wives, or even of mothers and their children.

Both - book: The Love of a Good Woman: Stories - author: Alice Munro