There are many reasons why authors of young adult fiction write character deaths in their novels. In their article “Death and Dying in Young Adult Fiction” Carolyn Harvey and Frances Dowd state, “Reading about the death of a fictional character can help adolescents develop a personal code of values, appreciate life more fully, and release feelings of grief or anger that result from the loss of someone close to them” (141). It is not only the readers who benefit in these ways, but also the characters in the novel. In The Outsiders, Johnny’s death helps Ponyboy and the gang clean up their acts and appreciate the fleeting nature of life. Johnny’s death was a catalyst for change in the gang and helped Ponyboy craft his essay and write about the importance of the life of boys like him and Johnny. Ponyboy says, “But it still hurt anyway. You know a guy a long time, and I mean really know him, you don't get used to the idea that he's dead just overnight. Johnny was something more than a buddy to all of us. I guess he had listened to more beefs and more problems from more people than any of us. A guy that'll really listen to you, listen and care about what you're saying, is something rare” (Hinton 151). Johnny’s death was heartbreaking, but necessary. Dally’s death, on the other hand, was excessive. Overcome by grief, he puts himself purposefully in harms way. S.E Hinton did not have to kill Dally off, because Johnny’s death already accomplished her original intentions of personal growth for the Greasers. Adding Dally’s death did not add to the narrative, nor did it achieve anything new for the novel or the characters. Johnny’s death completed the narrative, while Dally’s was simply added for shock value. The deaths of prominent charac... ... middle of paper ... ...nd purposelessly. And the reactions to her death are mostly negative. One review states: When the main character dies, it should be integral to the plot. Either it was the unavoidable result of preceding actions, or the required catalyst for later actions. But her death didn't do anything. It didn't move the plot. It didn't motivate the other characters into actions that moved the plot, nor did it change them in any way. Her death didn't save the city. The plan with the memory serum would have worked the same way even if she hadn’t been shot while she was setting it off. Her death was meaningless from a plot perspective and served no purpose beyond the thematic point of sacrifice. And while the relevance of this theme to her character is clear, the failure to incorporate the necessity of her death into the narrative makes it seem merely arbitrary. (Authur)
...nny passed away a piece of each Greasers heart passed away as well. Ponyboy who usually aced his classes was lucky to get a C on assignments after Johnny deceased. He dazed off during classes and thought about the gang, mainly Johnny. While Dallas completely lost his mind when Johnny died. Dallas robbed a store to make sure the police followed him. He had made the bold decision to pull out his unloaded gun when he was surrounded by police officers. Dally new that once he pulled out his gun, his life was going to end. Dally had no reasons to stay alive since the only person he actually cared about passed away. Johnny spiritually gave Dally the courage and determination he needed to get through everyday when he was still alive. In other words, the loss and grief their group of Greasers underwent was what made all the boys make illogical decisions.
purpose; she flees from him. He then sees the souls of those who died in battle.
An example is her torture during the majority of the book. In 6th grade she went to her friends party, and to her astonishment, a couple began making out in the closet. She called her mom to tell her what was going on and her mom told the mother ...
...ain. He had her and he would rather die than see her get away again.
historical struggles, daily struggles, and should have been more sensitive in the depiction of her characters.
People say the mind is a very complex thing. The mind gives people different interpretations of events and situations. A person state of mind can lead to a death of another person. As we all know death is all around us in movies, plays, and stories. The best stories that survive throughout time involve death in one form or another. For example, William Shakespeare is considered as one of the greatest writers in literary history known for having written a lot of stories concerning death like Macbeth or Julius Caesar. The topic of death in stories keeps people intrigued and on the edge of their seats. Edgar Allan Poe wrote two compelling stories that deal with death “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Raven.” In “The
...e fact that Cordelia is deceased and the pain and guilt that his actions killed his daughter, is the catalyst of his apparent death.
...portant than anything and she did not let anyone or anything stop her from her main goal. This plays themes were based on love, passion, rage and vengeance.
Death in the Brave New World is not important, it is simply something that happens to your body when it has got worn out. In chapter 14 the nurse thought that the savage was
Sadly, I fear, we must also look at Lady Macbeth. Although it is unpleasant to speak ill of the dead, I ask you, why is the Lady dead? We all know that in the period of time before her death she was crazy and possessed. She walked around the castle rubbing her hands and trying to remove the stains of blood that she thought she saw there. Does this sound like an innocent woman? She believed that Macbeth was weak and not driven.
And it basically shows how much he risked for her and how much her opinion
The theme death has always played a crucial role in literature. Death surrounds us and our everyday life, something that we must adapt and accept. Whether it's on television or newspaper, you'll probably hear about the death of an individual or even a group. Most people have their own ideas and attitude towards it, but many consider this to be a tragic event due to many reasons. For those who suffered greatly from despair, living their life miserably and hopelessly, it could actually be a relief to them. Death affects not only you, but also those around you, while some people may stay unaffected depending on how they perceive it.
Notice how Shakespeare casually brings us through this voyage of death from the naïve spiritual view to the physical view to the sensible view. Notice how death evolves from two characters sharing the view that death is spiritual to two characters debating on the view of death (with one character giving in to the physical approach, to two characters sharing a completely physical approach to death, to Fortinbras? final view of death. Throughout the play, Shakespeare cunningly shows all the possible views of death and concluded with the universally sufficient perspective that death is imminent and we should glorify the dead for their lives lived and simply hope that there is a contented world to come.
and evil. These aspects are the result of plot development. In her novel, To Kill a
... At the end of the novel Mrs Sybil Birling has to come to the truth that she declined Eva Smith who needed urgent help and her daughter want marry a good man and Mrs Sybil Birling does not accept any sort of responsibility for Eva’s smith death.