"All The Years of Her life" is a short story in which Morley Callaghan describes that Alfred's view has changed very much. Alfred is afraid of growing up and becoming an adult at the beginning story. However, he begins to understand something about his mother after his mother helps him when he is caught stealing. In this story, Callaghan presents an idea of change demonstrated by Alfred's epiphany due to his mother's influence, such as being more mature, growing ashamed of himself, and being aware of people's age. There is segregation between Alfred's behavior and his thinking when Mr.Carr tries to contact his mother to deal with the bad situation that happened to Alfred. Actually Alfred tries to be mature, and he wants to act like an adult, but his "childish hope was in him, the longing that someone at home would come and help him" (174). At that moment, his immaturity is very distinguishable. When he goes to the kitchen to watch his mother, Alfred notices a change on his mother's face: a private expression of frightened despair at home; a kind, respectful, and smiling face at the store. This change causes Alfred to be more mindful of his bad behavior because it deeply affected his mother. The realization of being more mindful reflects Alfred becoming more mature. .
Alfred never felt ashamed of his actions when he did wrong things. Alfred is ignorant to the fact about stealing things when "he listened there was no shame in him, just wonder and a kind of admiration of her strength and repose"(177). After he sees that his mother pours hot water with trembling hand, he becomes fully aware of what he causes his mother to feel. This "trembling" gives Alfred the opportunity to grow sympathetic towards his mother. Callaghan often considers his fiction for spiritual insight, and "for its view of human being as responsible social creaturessuperior to it"(Patricia 11).
