Different View of Death
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In the navel The Human Comedy by William Saroyan there were many themes that were used throughout the book each on just as important as the next. The main theme that one would pick up on was death. With the theme of death A Saroyan is trying to convey to the reader that it is a part of every day life.
The way Saroyan chooses to picture and describe death is often different depending on what has happened. In many cases Saroyan is describing Homer Macauley's (the main character) feelings towards death is that he hates it and is trying to flee from it. He is also trying to keep the essence of death out of Ithaca as in his nightmare when he was racing after the messenger of death, which happened to be him, trying to divert him from Ithaca and to make sure he didn't hurt any more people with his message. Homer was not only worried about keeping death away from Ithaca but from his own family because not only did his father die 2 years previous but at the end of The Human Comedy his brother Marcus, who is in the military and the war (WWII), dies. Homer is terrified of even thinking of his family getting a note from the department of war stating that his brother is dead. Homer not only is terrified of even the thought of having to tell his family the Marcus is dead but any one else even though he has to because he is the telegram messenger. The first time he had to deliver a notice of death he cried all the way home...