Death is an idea that everyone must wrestle with at one point in their life, whether it be a quickly approaching doom or a peaceful end sixty years down the line. In Shute’s On the Beach, each character’s individual arch in the novel take separate paths but are all headed towards the same place: death. In response to the extreme scenario they are thrown into, that climax will come much sooner than any of them intended and many are left wondering if they are ready to meet their end. What each one of them decide to do along the way in order to make their lives end on a positive note relates to how they choose to approach death. The theme deals with the way they react to their death, and what each distinct reaction does for them whether it be comfort, distraction, or enjoyment.
Being that no one can simply escape death, seeking comfort in it, or even welcoming it is a tempting idea that many might juggle with when meeting their end. Peter Holmes is a character in the novel with an ideal much in line with that goal: finding comfort in his doom and accepting his death. However, that may only be scraping the surface in relation to his true beliefs and motives. He knows a great deal more about the impending threat than his wife Mary because she lives a life "sheltered from realities, living in a sentimental dream world of her own" (Shute 127). He carefully tries to bring her to the same realization he had already accepted and chooses his words selectively saying “We’re all going to get it. Every living thing. Dogs and cats and babies-- everyone,”(Shute 125). He even implies that their infant daughter is involved. Peter, having been serving in the Australian Navy for years, is a strong willed man able to face the truth and protect his family from it. For that reason, he takes it upon himself to make it easier on them and attempts to put a positive spin on the terrible truth. Simply put, he welcomes his and his family's death in order to assure his wife that everything will be ok. Despite his love for the sea and the relaxation it brings him, he asks Commander Towers “Will the ship be at sea for much of that time, sir? Things aren't too easy now, compared with what they used to be, and it's a bit difficult at
This essay will focus on the theme of death in this story. There are lot
Death is a topic that unites all of humanity. While it can be uncomfortable to think about, confronting death in unavoidable. “Dying” addresses that discomfort and universal unwillingness to consider the inevitability of death. Pinsky’s use of imagery, symbolism, and tone create a poetic experience that is like death, something every reader can relate to. In “Dying,” Pinsky describes how people are oblivious and almost uncaring when it comes to the thought of death. Pinsky is trying to convince the reader that they shouldn’t ignore the concept of death because life is shorter than it seems.
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 its on television or newpaper, you'll probobly 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 effects not only you, but also those around you, while some people may stay unaffected depending on how they perceive it.
Death is one of the most avoided topics because of the finality that comes with it and the fear of the unknown after death. However, there are quite a number of authors such as AtulGawande, Elisabeth Kubler-ross and Ira Byock who have attempted to go ahead and deal with death as a topic and other connected topics.Each of these authors have delved into one of the most revered topics that is death including related topics that come with it such as the dying process itself. Ira Byock’s Dying well: Peace and possibilities at the end of life is a book that looks at the moment prior to death when an individual is terminally sick and is at the point of death. A
The way that Death communicates with the reader helps them to see many sides of the narrator. Such as their remarks in the beginning of the book, “A small fact: You are going to die....does this worry you?”. They are trying to tell the reader this, so that they aren't frightened later in the novel. Their emotions fluctuate as humans emotions do causing the reader to feel a relation to Death.
By biological logic, we human beings will face death sooner or later in our life and death has its very own ways to approach us - a sudden deadly strike, a critical sickness, a tragic accident, a prolonged endurance of brutal treatment, or just an aging biological end. To deal with the prospect of death come different passive or active reactions; some may be scared and anxious to see death, some try to run away from it, and some by their own choice make death come faster. But Viktor Frankl, through his work Man’s Search for Meaning, and Bryan Doyle; in his essay “His Last Game” show us choices to confront the death, bring it to our deepest feelings, meaningful satisfaction. To me, the spirit of the prisoners at deadly concentration camps, Frankl’s Logotherapy theory of “. . . striving to find a meaning in one’s life is the primary motivational force in man.” (99), as well as the calmness of Doyle’s brother on his last ride, like an awaken bell, remind us of how precious life is, how we should find the significance in every act of living, determine to live a meaningful life at any circumstances; hence, when death comes, we can accept it without anxiety nor regrets.
In these three literary pieces a prevalent theme is death. Death may be defined as the end-ing period of physical life. However, throughout the development of these stories, it was possible to distinguish plenty of physical but even non-physical death as well. This absolutely
In the play “everyman” death is depicted as something that is terribly feared as no one seemed ready for it, death is perceived as something that takes one away from the pleasures of this world.
When faced with the inevitable fate of death, the reaction of the population is very different because of their relation to life. Some men did not stop for death; they “hurried to and from” grinding their teeth in anger, which indicated their frustration in their inability to change the inevitable. Some “hid their eyes and wept” because of their unwillingness to accept the end while others rested “Their chins upon their clinched hands.” The latter watched their world fall apart bravely and smiled at their fate.
As the old saying goes, in this world nothing can be said to be sure, except death and taxes. Even everyone knows their life must have an end, but most of them still fear the death. In the short stories, A Drowning by Mark Ferguson and Red Bean Ice by Nancy Lee, authors have demonstrated the reaction and feeling of people to death. In these two stories, the characters are unlike the other person when death comes. They are both calm facing to death, and they are all insisting their hope. However, the reaction of people around them for their death is different.
“Death, the one appointment we all must keep, and for which no time is set” (Charlie Chan). Although many believe it to be ominous, death, signifies an end to this earthly and material life; the life of which we are sure of. Plato’s Phaedo and Shakespeare’s play Hamlet offer different perspectives on the life we are unsure of, namely death or the afterlife. Through the characters of Socrates and Hamlet, readers are offered two contrasting outlooks on death. On one side, Hamlet is haunted by the fear of the unknown, and leads his morality astray. Inversely, Socrates portrays a man who is relieved by the prospect of death. Both Hamlet and Socrates demonstrate inherent differences in their internal characteristics, but most notable difference is the characters’ contrasting outlooks on the meaning of life and death. Socrates, considered the leader of philosophy, WANTS to die, because only in the afterlife will he be able to see the truth without the distractions of his body. Hamlet, on the other hand, fears what will happen in the afterlife. He would like to escape his life, which at the moment is nothing short of depressing, but he worries that the afterlife might prove to be a bad dream, even worse than his life at this moment.
People would not want to hear that their loved ones merely gave up and died passively. This poem in itself is a celebration of life, the poem is not only about death but it is an affirmation of life. To further emphasise the points being made Dylan Thomas utilises a wide range of literary devices. Parallelism is used from lines seven to fifteen to juxtapose the different attitudes of the so called “genres” of men at their death. This is used to outline that if you continuously lead one set type of lifestyle whether it is as a “wild man”, a “grave man” or a “good man” you will not be satisfied when your time comes to die. The only true way to be satisfied is to live a life of balance; only with a good contrast can you be at peace.
This photograph was taken on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii in 2015. It was taken during sunset and as the tide had gone out, revealing a wider coastline. The world-famous beach is manmade and since 1951, over 80,000 cubic meters of sand has been imported to replace sand lost through erosion from heavy rainfall, sea swells, wind and tropical storms.
Many people have both feared and questioned death throughout the ages but when it’s time to die, two kinds of people emerge: those who accept it and wait to die, and those who keep fighting. Dylan Thomas describe the importance of continuing to fight in his poem “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night”, which he wrote for his dying father. Firstly, there is lots of symbolism in the poem, which helps to develop the theme of never giving up. Secondly, the author uses many literary devices, which help to develop the main theme of the text, which is to never stop fighting. Lastly, there is lots of imagery used to help develop the theme of persevering until the end even more. Death is all around us but it is important to persevere and keep fighting
Although a scene of a funeral home might come to mind when a reader first hears a short story aptly named “The Dead,” the tale actually takes place in the festive setting of a winter dance at the home of the two aunts of the main character, Gabriel Conroy. James Joyce’s short story “The Dead” has a literal title, because its main concept is death – both physical death and spiritual death.