Comparing The Graveyard Book And Grimm's Godfather Death

Gaiman’s Graveyard Book and Grimm’s “Godfather Death”: How One’s Traumatic Environment Causes Impulsivity.

Many people make impulsive decisions in their life, however, the reason for their impulsivity could be because of the environment they grew up in. Research shows that a person’s environment can play a role in impulsive behavior. They can also be linked to certain risk factors that may have been caused by the environment they live in or grew up in. If one grew up in an impoverished area, one might make more impulsive decisions when it comes to money or resources they may need. Impulsivity is defined as the tendency to act without thinking. You may think of more immediate rewards than long-term rewards, and ignore the possible consequences.

Impulsive decisions can lead to negative consequences, and is an unhealthy habit that many people make. In The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, the main character Bod was forced to live in a graveyard surrounded by ghosts because of the unfortunate death of his parents by a man named Jack who is now hunting Bod. Because of this, Bod never got to live a “normal” life and was forced to live in the Graveyard so he would be protected. In the fairy tale “Godfather Death” a boy was given the gift by the devil to be the world's most famous physician. When at the bed of a sick person, if the physician saw death at the person's feet, he is supposed to give the person to death. However, he ignores this twice and has to face the consequences of his actions. In both Neil Gaimans’ The Graveyard Book and Jacob and Wilhelm Grimms’ “Godfather Death”, a traumatic childhood contributes to the development of impulsive behavior later in life. In Neil Gaiman’s Graveyard book, the trauma of being hunted causes Bod to become dangerously impulsive. A man named Jack had entered Bod’s home when he was just a baby and did unspeakable things, “He had left the woman in her bed, the man on the bedroom floor, the older

Seeing that the trauma of his parents murder still affects Bod, he makes another impulsive decision. He follows a stranger into a room to get the answers he wants. This turned out to be a trap, and the man he followed was indeed the person who murdered Bod's parents, otherwise known as Jack. Everyone grows up in different environments, some grow up in traumatic environments and some grow up in comfortable ones, however in both stories the characters have grown up in traumatic ones. In the fairy tale “Godfather Death”, because the physician grew up in a traumatic, harsh environment, he makes an impulsive decision that ultimately costs him his life. In “Godfather Death”, “A poor man had twelve children and had to work day and night in order to feed them”(Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm). Through the use of the phrase “a poor man” the reader can now infer that the physician grew up poor and in turn grew up in a traumatic environment. Growing up in a poor environment can expose children to chronic stress and uncertainty, which can have long-term effects. Children from low income families may experience housing issues,