Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Examples of essays on grief
Examples of essays on grief
Now and then character analysis
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, by Kim Edwards, and Alice Seabold’s The Lovely Bones, both similarly explore the ways in which grief influences and ultimately structures the lives of their central characters. Although the authors utilise vastly disparate situations, Edwards and Seabold both depict the development of their families in response to the demise of a relative. Through the progressive transformation of their protagonists, the major themes are exposed to reveal how their struggle inflicts their future and the surrounding characters. The role of grief is established to determine how individuals seek closure through a variety of demeanours, in that the central couples exhibit dishonesties and cheating as a consequence of their loss. A …show more content…
In both texts lies and cheating emerge as parents drift further from their partners and children. Norah’s affair with a man named Howard creates tension between the couple and although David is aware, he remains silent “because his own secrets were darker, more hidden, and because he believed that his secrets had created hers.” The central couple are again symbolically compared to the solar system, as they “circled each other now, fixed in their separate orbits.” David’s obsession with photography becomes a distraction from his grief, but their “lost daughter still hovered between them; their lives had shaped themselves around her absence.” Eventually, he leaves town and travels back to his childhood home in an attempt to find closure. Similarly, in Seabold’s text, Abigail has an affair with Len Freeman seeking comfort in an effort feel emotion again. In his presence, “the need to get out, to smash, destroy, rescind, overtook her.” Abigail “needed Len to drive the dead daughter out” and to take away “her rage, her loss, her despair.” These lies and secrets create a barrier between Jack and Abigail, as Susie observes how he tries to touch her “and she [pulls] away over to the edge of the bed. But how in the presence of the police she seemed to bloom.” The “pragmatic, prim mistress” that Susie knew her mother to always be “was gone. She was …show more content…
David and Norah’s house becomes symbolic of their continually disintegrating relationship. Originally, it represents their mutual love and the family they were destined to have, however, David’s lie transforms the house into a reminder of their loss. Norah’s suffering causes her to sell the house because “whatever life her daughter had known, whatever Norah had experienced of her daughter, had happened in that house.” Her decision to remarry represents her ability to heal and progress past her grief. Although they divorce, David never lets go of his love for Norah “for multitude of ways in which their love had failed them all, and they love. Grief, it seemed, was a physical place.” David’s sorrow haunts him up until his death, carrying his lies and suffering to his grave. Contradictorily, Seabold employs the theme of recovery to conclude her novel. The light outside on their front porch becomes symbolic of their hope for Susie to return. On the night that Jack attempts to kill Mr. Harvey, it is turned out, representing the closure they will obtain when her murderer is finally captured. Jack seeks resolution through Mr Harvey’s death, which is foreshadowed by Susie earlier when she comments “how to Commit the Perfect Murder was an old game. I always chose the icicle: the weapon melts away.” The birth of Lindsey’s daughter adds a sense of formal
Lying and keeping secrets can only hurt someone in the end. This is true for David in the book “The Memory Keeper's Daughter,” written by Kim Edwards. He intentionally deceived others, but his dishonesty was meant for good intentions based on his and his family’s best interest. Or so he thought.
All through the times of the intense expectation, overwhelming sadness, and inspiring hope in this novel comes a feeling of relief in knowing that this family will make it through the wearisome times with triumph in their faces. The relationships that the mother shares with her children and parents are what save her from despair and ruin, and these relationships are the key to any and all families emerging from the depths of darkness into the fresh air of hope and happiness.
Throughout the novel, crucial family members and friends of the girl that died are meticulously reshaped by her absence. Lindsey, the sister, outgrows her timidity and develops a brave, fearless demeanor, while at the same time she glows with independence. Abigail, the mother, frees herself from the barbed wire that protected her loved ones yet caused her great pain, as well as learns that withdrawing oneself from their role in society may be the most favorable choice. Ruth, the remote friend from school, determines her career that will last a lifetime. and escapes from the dark place that she was drowning in before. Thus, next time one is overcome with grief, they must remember that constructive change is guaranteed to
There were several lies that unfolded throughout the story, each one having its own consequences. The main secret in the novel is the one that David and Caroline keep for years, that Phoebe is alive. This secret tears David’s marriage apart and causes years of guilt and pain for his whole family. Norah’s lies regarding her affairs not only caused a divide between her and her husband, but also with her son as well. All of the major conflicts in the novel revolve around the lies and secrets that are held between the main characters.
Jack Salmon, Susie’s father, is most vocal about his sorrow for losing his daughter. However, his initial reaction was much different. Upon hearing that Susie’s ski hat had been found, he immediately retreats upstairs because “he [is] too devastated to reach out to [Abigail] sitting on the carpet…he could not let [her] see him” (Sebold 32). Jack retreats initially because he did not know what to do or say to console his family and he did not want them to see him upset. This first reaction, although it is small, is the first indicator of the marital problems to come. After recovering from the initial shock, Jack decides that he must bring justice for his daughter’s sake and allows this goal to completely engulf his life. He is both an intuitive and instrumental griever, experiencing outbursts of uncontrolled emotions then channeling that emotion into capturing the killer. He focuses his efforts in such an e...
Louise, the unfortunate spouse of Brently Mallard dies of a supposed “heart disease.” Upon the doctor’s diagnosis, it is the death of a “joy that kills.” This is a paradox of happiness resulting into a dreadful ending. Nevertheless, in reality it is actually the other way around. Of which, is the irony of Louise dying due to her suffering from a massive amount of depression knowing her husband is not dead, but alive. This is the prime example to show how women are unfairly treated. If it is logical enough for a wife to be this jovial about her husband’s mournful state of life then she must be in a marriage of never-ending nightmares. This shows how terribly the wife is being exploited due her gender in the relationship. As a result of a female being treated or perceived in such a manner, she will often times lose herself like the “girl
A breathtaking saga of a young girl’s tragic memories of her childhood. As with Ellen, Gibbons’ parents both died before she was twelve-years-old, forming the family. basis of the plot and themes of this novel. The fond memories she possessed of her mother and the harsh ones of her father are reflected in the thoughts and actions of Ellen. The simplistic and humble attitude that both Gibbons and Ellen epitomizes in the novel is portrayed through diction and dialogue.
For this paper I read the novel The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards, this novel is told in the span of 25 years, it is told by two characters David and Caroline, who have different lives but are connect through one past decision. The story starts in 1964, when a blizzard happens causing the main character, Dr. David Henry to deliver his own twins. During the delivery the son named Paul is fine but the daughter named Phoebe has something wrong with her. The doctor realizes that the daughter has Down syndrome, he is shocked and age remembers his own childhood when his sister was always sick, her dyeing at an early and how that effected his mother. He didn’t want that to happen to his wife, so David told the nurse to bring Phoebe to an institution, so that his wife wouldn’t suffer. The nurse, Caroline didn’t think this was right, but brings Phoebe to the institution anyways. Once Caroline sees the institution in an awful state she leaves with the baby and
...e on her part. Throughout the story, the Mother is portrayed as the dominant figure, which resembled the amount of say that the father and children had on matters. Together, the Father, James, and David strived to maintain equality by helping with the chickens and taking care of Scott; however, despite the effort that they had put in, the Mother refused to be persuaded that Scott was of any value and therefore she felt that selling him would be most beneficial. The Mother’s persona is unsympathetic as she lacks respect and a heart towards her family members. Since the Mother never showed equality, her character had unraveled into the creation of a negative atmosphere in which her family is now cemented in. For the Father, David and James, it is only now the memories of Scott that will hold their bond together.
... is reminiscing about the fact that she messed up and it cost the boy’s life. The overall tone in the end of the novel is depressing as the governess’s actions and attitudes about current events tend to reflect the tone of the situation.
First of all, ‘The Lovely Bones’ is about a girl named Susie Salmon and tells a story of how she died and how people get along together and live without her. She was a normal fourteen-year-old girl when she was murdered in the novel 's opening pages. She narrates the rest of her story from heaven, often returning to Earth to watch over her loved ones; mostly family, some friends and Mr. Harvey and the other people he kills. ‘Lovely Bones’ is represents Susie’s body the connection of heaven to earth, earth to heaven. This is main symbolism of this book as Susie. ‘She began to see things without her and the events that her death will influence her in heaven and her family and friends in earth.’ In this passage, the author talks about her life
Looking back on the death of Larissa’s son, Zebedee Breeze, Lorraine examines Larissa’s response to the passing of her child. Lorraine says, “I never saw her cry that day or any other. She never mentioned her sons.” (Senior 311). This statement from Lorraine shows how even though Larissa was devastated by the news of her son’s passing, she had to keep going. Women in Larissa’s position did not have the luxury of stopping everything to grieve. While someone in Lorraine’s position could take time to grieve and recover from the loss of a loved one, Larissa was expected to keep working despite the grief she felt. One of the saddest things about Zebedee’s passing, was that Larissa had to leave him and was not able to stay with her family because she had to take care of other families. Not only did Larissa have the strength to move on and keep working after her son’s passing, Larissa and other women like her also had no choice but to leave their families in order to find a way to support them. As a child, Lorraine did not understand the strength Larissa must have had to leave her family to take care of someone else’s
Relationships are often difficult and messy, especially in the world Tayari Jones presents in her 2011 novel Silver Sparrow, chronicling the lives of the two daughters of bigamist father James Witherspoon. Jones depicts the complicated the world of Dana Yarboro the secret daughter, her father’s attempts to hide her from the prying view of the world and her refusal to stay hidden. While Chaurisse Witherspoon the public daughter James proudly presents to the world for all to see, enjoys the luxury of suburban life. Throughout the novel Jones’ character, Dana tries to reconcile how she can be part of her father’s family, but not truly a part of his life. While Chaurisse moves through the world with blissful ignorance of the secret life that lay
This is informative to the reader, so that they may grasp the way that she views her husband, her life and his when he was alive. The story commences with a journey to the Isle of Wight where the reader recognizes that the widow's husband had in recent times passed away. The widow appears grief stricken with insanity as she signifies her loss. A principal point in this story occurs with the way in which the narrator continually enlightens the reader, in that she had never wanted children, but she then discovers that her husband has a son, out of his affair with Anna. The narrator habitually uses "you" and "I" when sharing her viewpoint in relation to her husband, the Robertsons and their circumstances.
In conclusion, the first chapter of Grief Girl was great. If it were not for Erin Vincent’s descriptive details of that night, I do not think I would have been able to connect with her feelings and truly understand her pain. Going through the grieving process is extremely difficult. The fact that Vincent wrote this novel means