Deadline Chris Crutcher Analysis

Deadline by Chris Crutcher is about a boy names Ben who is eighteen years old, a senior in high school and lives in a small town in Idaho. One day when Ben went for his sports physical his doctors tells him that he has a blood disease and only has less then a year to live. Ben decided not to tell anyone about his disease and to not take treatments. The doctor wasn’t very happy about Ben’s decision, but there was nothing he could do about it, because Ben was eighteen and could legally make his own decisions. Normally Ben would run in cross-country, but since he knows that his time here on earth is cut short he decided to join the football team instead. Another thing that Ben does, that he normally wouldn’t have done was try to get with one of …show more content…
The theme that seems to really stand out is death and how the author portrays it. Right in the beginning of the book you find out that Ben will be dying soon, even though he is still in high school. (4). The weird thing is that Ben says, “ But I have to say, and this will sound strange, the minute Doc said it, I felt a congruence. I’ve never pictured myself over twenty; never really thought I would be.” (6). This shows that the character, Ben isn’t really afraid of dying but accepting the fact that he will be dying at a young …show more content…
For example in the beginning of the book the doctor is a friend of the family and when Ben decided not to tell his parents or to take treatment for the illness the doctor was getting annoyed and furious. When Ben says,”” I’m eighteen, Doc. This is my call. I don’t expect you to understand, but you have no choice but to go along. This shit is confidential.” Doc stormed into the hall, then back into the room before the door could close.” (8). Even though Ben might not be necessarily afraid of dying, he is now starting to think about his life as he says, “ I have maybe twelve months to fall in love, marry, make smart investments, grown old, and die.”