"A Prayer for the Dying"

Paper Summary:

Stewart O'Nan's "A Prayer for the Dying", is an in-depth portrayal of one man's experiences of loss. The paper shows how O'Nan explores how much grief the human condition can endure with the portrayal of the protagonist, Jacob, who endures tragedies throughout his life. The paper shows that Jacob proves that, while not immune to the devastating mental affects of tragedy, human beings still can have hope. Human beings are not easily discouraged, nor are they feeble when it comes to having faith and hope.

From the Paper:

"Again, Jacob is faced with immense tragedy beginning with the outbreak of a disease in Friendship. What starts as an isolated illness turns into a rapidly spreading plague. One by one, the townspeople are falling ill and dying from the disease, and the community is almost helpless against it. Jacob, being one of the town's leaders, tries everything in his power to combat the spread of the illness. At the same time, however, he is faced with the reality that those dying around him are not nameless people, but rather people he has looked out for and cared about all his life. He is forced to remain professional while the spreading illness brings up so many personal issues."

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