The Changeling

"The Changeling" by Walter Besant is a story that explores what happens when a grieving woman decides to adopt a child to replace the son she lost. It looks at big ideas like who we are and how our choices affect others. The story begins with a doctor helping a woman take a child whose own mother is still alive. The woman feels sorry for the child's mother, but she wants a child so badly that she goes through with the adoption. This decision creates a complicated situation where the lives of these people become connected because of family ties and what society expects.