Grief In David Lindsay Abaire's Rabbit Hole

“Mick Harte was Here” was a moving story about a girl who was grieving the loss of her younger brother. Not only was this story relatable, but also eye opening. The thoughts that roam a child’s mind when grieving is very important and should be told in a way that can possibly educate parents or peers. We see the main character Phoebe go through the path of grieving when she lost her younger brother Mick. We followed her journey for the first few days of his death and realize just how certain things can trigger an emotion or action.

People deal with grief in different ways. As a small child, the way the narrator handles uncertainty and pain is distressing, yet also expected. She finds distractions in the furniture and decorations. The child notices a

Though the death of a parent can create deep bruises or permanent scars, that time of agony is often seen as a time of realization. The loss of a parent will help the child to come to realize their love for them. In “A Wall of Fire Rising”, Little Guy cries this tender line from a school play after he witnesses his father’s death: “‘At night I relive once more the last caresses from the hand of a loving father, a valiant love, a beloved friend’” (66). Little Guy’s father was consumed by his yearn for freedom, and he gains his freedom through death at the expense of his wife and only child. Pain that Lili, the wife, and Little Guy experience is a price he was willing to pay because he loved his family and wanted to prove to his son that freedom is

‘Aprils’ Fool’ by David Burton and performed by ‘Grin ‘n’ Tonic’, is a thought-provoking Verbatim play that communicates the struggle that families display when losing a loved one to recreational drug use. This play, written in 2010, uses the direct words of those who were close to Kristjan Terauds; who’s tragic and untimely death due to recreational drugs is now inspiring and educating wider communities. One key scene of this performance that communicated a theme of absolute grief is the hospital scene where Kristjan’s siblings, Danika and Ari are explaining the thoughts that occurred after they first saw their sick, older brother in hospital. The verbatim style of this play allows the audience to feel truly connected to the characters as

The storyline centers on the life of the matriarch of the family, Diana. After the traumatizing and unexpected loss of her son Gabe, Diana loses herself. She struggles to accept that her son has passed and it has begun to consume her life. Diana eventually develops Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (which progresses into Bipolar disorder). Stemming from this illness, Diana is unable to normally participate in everyday life and spirals out of control. She has vivid hallucinations about her son and cannot cope. Eventually, after dozens of trial medicines, electro shock therapy seems to be her only hope of a “normal” life. This musical daringly tries to portray the roller-coaster ride she is experiencing.

Cinderella, a lovely young pretty woman who loved to dance had a dad who was taken from her in a war. She was then taken home by a woman and her two daughters; Daisy the mother and the 2 girls, Becky and Romie. By the face she had when she arrived at Daisy’s home, she had disgust, disappointment, and disgrace all smashed on her face. You could tell she didn’t want to be there. She looked furious, but it wasn’t that she was, she was still getting over the death of her dad.Daisy and the girls welcomed her with love and respect, but Cinderella didn’t accept their love and care. She just wants to feel the same love her dad gave her.

The story gave an insight on the struggle and difficulty one may face with emotional and personal connections. Haddon’s quick chapters and intense thoughts through Christopher’s mind illustrated his knowledge on autism. The detailed descriptions and actual illustrations paint a picture that makes Haddon’s writing style interesting and unique. The story started as a murder-mystery, but ends up being a family story that is quick and enjoyable to read. Haddon’s point of view helped me to see that grief and loss is handled many different ways, and affects those involved on an individual basis as well.

When Hannah’s beloved husband Frank Roennfeldt takes their infant Grace and jumps into a dinghy to protect her from a swarm of racial abuse, Hannah is unaware that this is the last time she will ever see her husband. She is forced to cope with the unknown for four years, wondering every day if her husband and daughter are alive. Despite never giving up hope, this loss takes a toll on Hannah’s mental health, as she feels isolated/isolates herself ??. Stedman emphasises Hannah’s loneliness and vulnerability through bittersweet lines of dialogue such as “The baby I lost is never coming back.” (pg. 310) and “Frank was a lovely man.” (pg.

“The Lost Boy” displays an overwhelming theme of loss. The theme of loss is shown in three perspectives of narration. The theme of loss is displayed as: loss of innocence through life-shaping experience, loss of illusion through change of time, and loss of a person through death. Loss of innocence through experience has to be the first way the theme of loss is introduced to the reader. The opening scene sets the stage for Robert losing his innocence.

The guilt washed over me like a tidal wave obliterating everything in its wake; my mind racing as my 15-year-old brain replayed every interaction looking for the signs that Skylar must have left, the hints she wanted me to catch on to. The more I thought about it the more I felt as if I had let her down. I had kept her secret and in the end in trying to save her I lost her. I felt alone, but this time I couldn’t seek refuge with her, how could she save me when she couldn’t help herself.

I haven’t slept in weeks, the thought of mom’s death has been creeping in more and more lately. Ever since that night things have never been the same and I find myself enraged at the world around me. Dad made Autumn stop dancing, the thought of her dancing reminded him of how mom had loved dancing and how it had caused her death. Little did he know she never stopped, she trained in secret, and I supported her along the way. Autumn was the only one who was there for me after mom died. We became closer to each other, our own support systems in a sense. That was until she left me to be with Sylvia. I was alone, and when I needed her most she left me. I still had my girlfriend Claire, but we were growing apart. When she left too, what life I had left finally shattered. Leaving me to deal with the impact in solitude.

With the serious discussion that was forthcoming Casey wanted to ask for something stronger. She went to the brick seating area by the wishing well and sat down in one of the wicker chairs. How could she explain what it felt like to lose a child? The pressure on your heart feels like someone is crushing it from the inside. It’s a constant pain with no relief from the misery. The image of your child dying in your arms that haunts your dreams and waking hours. The horror. The remorse. The guilt.

Grief is a natural response to trauma; such as the loss of someone or something one loves and has a strong bond with. In Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Mister Pip, I am Malala and The Lord of the Flies children from all walks of life experience grief as a result of an immense loss or change in their lives. The stories of trauma in these four texts are told from the perspective of the children who are affected. Seeing this grief from the child’s perspective emphasises the loss that has occurred, stresses the grief they are feeling and provides us an insight into how children can cope with loss.

Although the phenomenon of grief is a normal, healthy response to the death of someone loved, for children it is a traumatic ripping away of everything they have known. As a result, everyday life becomes utter chaos while familiarity and comfort vanish, emotionally propelling the griever into uncharted territory with innumerable questions and fears. When those uncertainties are not dealt with appropriately, grieving children tend to imagine circumstances that may be far worse than reality” (Pond, 2013, p. 113).

1 - Carver elicits the reader’s sympathy in this story by presenting the reader with a slow-moving although intense narration of a boy’s death whose parents are stricken with grief and panic.