The scale of the tragedy, individual endurance, and ability to establish adequate support systems determine the rate at which an individual is able to recover. In the face of a crisis, an individual must have the necessary will and support to endure. Individuals, who shut down because they are unable to adopt an appropriate attitude to survive in their circumstances, diminish their chances of survival. Having recovered from the trauma of the accident herself, Dolores Driscoll in The Sweet Hereafter expects that others would have done the same and arrived at the conclusion that she was not to blame. She expresses her hope that people have begun to forgive and, not forget, but recover and differentiate between her questionable role in the accident and…show more content… Although Dolores is plagued by guilt at her role in the accident, her personal values and conscience help her put the scale of the tragedy into perspective. Her ability to understand that she must put the past behind her and move on is an asset to her survival. The town, however, is unable to let go of the blame, preventing Dolores from truly healing. Her personal endurance is strengthened by the moral support offered by her husband, who is her sole support in the crisis. In