Learning the Value of Life When Faced with DeathComparison Essay The Virgin Suicides by Jeffery Eugenides
... The novels The Virgin Suicides, by Jeffery Eugenides, and East of the Mountains, by David Guterson investigate the views that characters have on life based on their specific life experiences. In the novel, The Virgin Suicides, the Lisbon sisters end their lives tragically by committing suicide, which was their way in dealing with their life problems. In the novel, East of the Mountains, the main character, Ben is impending death but realizes the value of his life and decides to cope with his problems and live life to the fullest. Both authors explore different experiences with death, which in turn alters the views and values that the characters have with respect to life through characterization, conflict and atmosphere. The novel, East of the Mountains, tells a unique story of a seventy-three year old retired heart surgeon who is diagnosed with terminal colon cancer, which changes his life dramatically, forever. Ben’s first response to his illness was to commit suicide as the narrator tells, “Ben saw how his last months would be, the suffering that was inevitable, the meaningless trajectory his life would take into a meaningless grave. ... Better to end his life swiftly, cleanly, and to Subhan 2 accept that there would be no thwarting the onslaught on his disease. ... When Ben decides to go on a hunting trip to think about his life and illness his attitude toward life and his terminal illness change. ... Due to Ben’s previous occupation in the medical industry he soon realizes that a terminal illness should not abolish the rest of his life. ... Ben is able to reassess his premeditated actions and comes to the conclusion that life is a very valuable gift and that he should live every day, day by day, and appreciate what life has to offer. ... It is due to Ben’s strong characteristics that he is able to come to grip with his life and realize how valuable life is to him. The Virgin Suicides, by Jeffery Eugenides is an epic novel that tells a twisted tale of five sisters who are in complete isolation from the outside world. This isolation causes the teenage females to critically analyse their life and how important it is to them.