Meeting with the deathless man in the novel The Tiger’s Wife, I was taken back by his pleasant demeanor. Throughout the novel, there are many variations of how people conceptualize death. From the villagers sacrificing themselves to kill the tiger to the gypsy diggers finding the carcass of a family member, people’s view of death’s importance is diverse. Throughout these groups there is a common fear of death, how it affects others, as well as what will happen to your soul afterwards. Yet, the aspect of death acts as a motivation for many characters in the story, rather than a defeat. When hearing the phrase, “the Deathless Man” I often correlate that with fear and avoidance, so I was surprised to recognize a more pleasant side to death, which the Deathless Man illuminated.
During the grandfather’s first meeting with the deathless man, we are able to see the fear that comes over the grandfather. He does not yet know that the deathless man, formerly known as Gavran Gailé is …show more content…
The grandfather would correlate the deathless man’s menacing demeanor with negative feelings of death, and would encourage his patients’ fear of death, rather than a hopeful outlook. The grandfather’s fear of death changes throughout his encounters with the deathless man, from fear to acceptance. As he explains to Natalia’s as she is becoming a doctor, “When men die, they die in fear,” he said. “They take everything they need from you, and as a doctor it is your job to give it, to comfort them, to hold their hand. But children die how they have been living – in hope.” (Obreht 154) The grandfather is teaching Natalia essential values of what it is like to be a doctor and deal with death. If the grandfather had a menacing experience with the deathless man, his outlook would change, and later affect Natalia’s journey in finding closure for her grandfather’s
During the grandfather’s first meeting with the deathless man, we are able to see the fear that comes over the grandfather. He does not yet know that the deathless man, formerly known as Gavran Gailé is …show more content…
The grandfather would correlate the deathless man’s menacing demeanor with negative feelings of death, and would encourage his patients’ fear of death, rather than a hopeful outlook. The grandfather’s fear of death changes throughout his encounters with the deathless man, from fear to acceptance. As he explains to Natalia’s as she is becoming a doctor, “When men die, they die in fear,” he said. “They take everything they need from you, and as a doctor it is your job to give it, to comfort them, to hold their hand. But children die how they have been living – in hope.” (Obreht 154) The grandfather is teaching Natalia essential values of what it is like to be a doctor and deal with death. If the grandfather had a menacing experience with the deathless man, his outlook would change, and later affect Natalia’s journey in finding closure for her grandfather’s