Let me start with saying, I get very attached to the characters from the books I read. I'm sure that most people do. Books take us into an entirely different world, and we start to feel the emotions from those books rub into us. Therefore, after reading The Awakening, I can honestly say I am disappointed. Edna was truly engulfed in depressing emotions, but that is no reason to give up on life entirely. Some people may argue that it was the only way for her to escape, but I strongly disagree. Escaping from life is no way to solve problems! It will just make life worse for those around the victim, as well as a terrible end to anyone's life. Edna could have found another solution. In the worse case scenario, she could have left her town and started a new life, away from the people causing her distress. Still, she should not have given up on the rest of the people in her life.
Pondering Edna's suicide, I started to think about all of the other books I have read where some of the best characters have died. I understand that sometimes it is necessary to kill off an important character, but it really tears at my heart when my favorite characters die. For instance, in Mocking Jay when Prim dies, I could not stop crying. Although it was in fact necessary for this to happen in order for Katniss to move on with her life, I was thoroughly angered by the book. After all of the other significant deaths like Finnick (in Mocking Jay) and Rue (in The Hunger Games), Prim was the final straw. Another book riddled with death was the last book in the Harry Potter Series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows. What about Fred? Who could have ever wanted one of the Weasley twins to die? Who could have wanted Remus Lupin or Dobby or Hedwig to perish? I'm guessing that most people cried A LOT during the last book. Deaths like these truly leave a mark. It's hard for me to go back and read books with deaths in them over again. Every time I re-read novels, I carry a hint of sadness with me by knowing what will happen to characters who are currently alive but won't be for long.
Deaths within books frustrate me. I understand why the characters need to die, but it breaks off a piece of the story. Every time a character is killed off, a fraction of the love for that book is ripped away. Books with suicide are the worst. At least when characters die from other factors, there is a valid reason. When characters go so low as to take their own life, I am very tempted to throw the book at the ground in frustration. This is the main reason I did not enjoy the end of The Awakening. Even when there are misunderstandings in novels or even plays like "Romeo and Juliet", I can't erase my frustration with the characters. I mean, I know that Romeo and Juliet loved each other and could not bear to face life without the other, but still! There are so many alternatives to death. Just think about what would have happened if Romeo had not killed himself when he saw Juliet's body? She would have woken up and they could have run away and lived a happy life together. Unfortunately, many stories do not end with happy endings.
To sum things up, I strongly dislike book deaths. If it were up to me, all books would have a happy ending. Still, I know that if all literature had happy endings, there would not be nearly as much creativity in writing. Therefore, although I want all of the characters to live wonderful lives, I acknowledge the fact that not all stories from real life are essentially happy. Everyone lives in their own way, and we have no right to judge others on their own styles of living. I'll try to keep an open mind whenever I read books containing death. I may not agree with it, but there's no harm in giving them a chance. Who knows? Maybe one day I won't be as bothered by book deaths!
I completely understand you being frustrated with characters dying in books, tv shows, whatever it may be, and it's always good to stay open towards the idea of death. I watch and read things with characters that die all the time, most recently as you know Shingeki no Kyojin and my despair over Marco's death, and I think that one of the reasons why reading something that involves death is important is because it starts to desensitize you to the idea of death. Now personally, I've never had anyone in my immediate family, or even a neighbor or someone I was close to, die. I've never had to deal with it in any way. I guess I'm lucky in that regard, but at the same time, that means that I will never have any time to adjust to the loss of a loved one. That's why I think book deaths are in a sense a good thing, helping the audience realize that death isn't always the end of everything.
ReplyDeleteAlso, another point I'd like to add is about the idea of always having a happy ending. Death in books gives a story more dynamics, and sometimes, even if there is death in a certain book, the story can still have a good outcome.
Great post Theresa! :)
Good point, Rachel! I agree that it is good for those who have never quite experienced death first hand to know that it still exists. It is sad to see them die but at the same time it helps us to grow in the understanding of life itself, and how to cope with loss. While too much death can desensitize us, a little is essential in literature. I still don't like to read about death in books, but there are special cases where there is no other way to move on with the story line. Thanks for the comment! (:
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