Death Theme Essay

One of the major themes found in literature is death. Many authors use death in literary works abstractly thus, provoking the reader to contemplate the power of death. In Jack London 's "To Build a Fire," Susan Glaspell 's "A Jury of Her Peers," and William Faulkner 's "A Rose for Emily," the theme of death is not the obvious theme at the beginning of the stories but, slowly builds as the story develops.

In Jack London 's," To Build a Fire," a man explores the Yukon trail to join his friends. As the man begins his journey, London emphasizes the significance of death and dying with the inability to stay warm in the cold climate of the Yukon. The man is warned by the "old-timer" about traveling in the cold weather. However, the man refers

John 's wife, Minnie, is accused of his death and taken to jail to await trial. Glaspell portrays Minnie as a woman that feels isolated and abused. When Minnie discovers John Wright kills her only joy, she feels she has no choice but to kill him. Minnie places a rope around John 's neck, killing him the same way he does her bird. Minnie portrays a "queer" look when questioned about the John Wright death (185). Not having children and staying home alone all day, certainly lead to a lonely life. In search of evidence Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale discover "quilt pieces," (190) a "broken, bird cage," and a bird wrapped in silk (193). The women piece together the sort of life Mrs. Wright lives. Mrs. Hale describes the home as "lonesome" because the home stands in a hollow (192). Mary M. and Bendel-Simso states, “John Wright isolated her physically and mentally" (295). If John would show more affection towards Minnie, death would not

Living a lonely life, Emily wishes to find love. No man is good enough for Emily, according to her father. After finding herself single at age thirty, Emily struggles with accepting her father 's death. The reader senses the grief and denial that Emily must feel as she states, “he is not dead" (146). Ultimately accepting her father 's death, Emily allows the townspeople to bury her father. However, she becomes so depressed that she can not accept the reality of her life. Depression causes Emily to become sick. Soon after her illness, she meets Homer Barron. Emily now walks around with dignity and her "head high" (147). However, when Homer refuses to marry her, Emily approaches a druggist and states, “I want arsenic" (148). Later Emily discovers Homer Barron “likes men" (148). This is why homer would not marry Emily. Homer is never seen again until friends, family, and the townspeople tour the Grierson home after Emily 's death. They find Homer 's "rotted" corpse in the attic (151). Next to Homer lies an “indentation of a head “and” iron-gray hair" (151). The gray hair proves Emily sleeps in the same bed with Homer. She does so in fear of losing him. Aubrey Binder states," Her father’s actions leave her with no husband, arguably the cause for Emily’s determination to hold on to Homer at any cost" (6). Death symbolizes the decay and ultimate destruction of Emily 's