Summary Of Lament For A Son

In spite the basic requirements for human’s survival, personal relationships should be added because not many people are able to function well without intimate relationship with other people or valuable things. Due to this fact, grief occurs when there is a loss either through death, divorce, and theft or when something valuable to an individual can no longer be reached. Grief is that period of time when loss is felt acutely, and the feelings of loss are still very raw to the person. This paper is based on the book of Lament for a Son which was written by Nicholas Wolterstorff, a collection of narratives by this author who is going through grief due to the premature death of his 25 years old son, Eric, who died by an accident when climbing

In the first stage of grieving, Wolterstorff demonstrates denial by wondering what would have happened if Eric did not go to climb the mountain. In the second stage of grief people start to believe something really happened and they start to come into reality. The narrator is feeling angry that he went alone and not take others. Wolterstorff feels angry that there was no chance to bid Eric farewell before the death. In the bargaining stage, this is where Wolterstorff wishes if Eric had died of an illness. This would have given a chance to be prepared or say goodbye. In the stage of depression, people come to realize that anger and bargaining are yielding no fruits. In this narration, Wolterstoff fell into great depression and even went against the society believe that man never cry. The narrator felt like owning the responsibility of Eric’s death feeling as though it was a battle in the field where a soldier was lost. In the final stage of grieving, it does not mean people are happy, but there is acceptance of the new position. Here Wolterstorff breaks news to the family about Eric’s death and tells the family to continue living as though Eric was still