There are two types of personalities: introversion and extroversion. An introverted person is an individual who is prone to be socially withdrawn, focused on internal thoughts, and quiet. In contrast, an individual who is extroverted is more likely to enjoy being in a group of people, going to social activities like gatherings or parties, and is full of energy. In the short story called "Tears," Aharon Megged demonstrates the qualities of introversion and extroversion in Mirtel and Heddi and shows whether the two personalities are likely to be a good pair.
Mirtel is an introvert. He keeps his thoughts hidden from others and is a man of few words. Megged demonstrates his introverted personality by Mirtel's interactions with the other workers on the kibbutz. As Aharon Megged states, “there was also a haziness in his watery eyes that made it difficult to see in them joy or sadness, or even indifference. He spoke little, and when he did, his words were jumbled” (Megged 47). Mirtel rarely showed emotion towards people who were not blood-related to him. Likewise, the people around him grew used to his personality as a stoic man.
Unlike Mirtel's withdrawn personality, Heddi is the complete opposite. She is extremely extroverted and promiscuous. As Megged states, "when she worked in the clothing storeroom, she would speak of her love affairs without any modesty whatsoever, as one would talk of guzzling and boozing" (Megged 48). This quote demonstrates Heddi's personality. She is someone who does whatever she feels like it and talks to her peers often. While Mirtel lacks any inclination to communicate with his fellow workers, Heddi enjoys the company of her colleagues and does not fear people's judgments. She is a free spirit and refuses to let anything get in her way.
Not only does Mirtel have an introverted personality, but he is also old-fashioned and family orientated. He acknowledges Heddi's outgoing personality but expects her to settle down once she gets married to him. His expectation is shown by the couple moving into a family room right after their coupling. As Megged says, "for the first two or three months Heddi was as devoted to him as a maidservant, and saw to the upkeep of their new room with such vehemence it seemed their house would remain standing longer than any other" (Megged 49). Heddi is also slightly old-fashioned since she decides to follow through with these female societal roles of being a caretaker of the house right after becoming a wife. By following traditional roles of husband and wife, this is a similarity in Mirtel and Heddi.
Mirtel and Heddi have two very clashing personalities. Mirtel is introverted while Heddi is extroverted. Even though these two characters are different, they still manage to get married and attempt to follow the typical husband and wife role for a certain amount of time. At the end of the day, opposites attract. The attraction is stability, but sometimes you cannot overcome the boundary with mere appeal and leads to a broken marriage.
