All people have known an elderly person in their life. Some people have even stood witness to the passing of an aged loved one. Many times people wonder: Was that person happy with the outcome of their life? Was the elderly person fearful of the things to come? Were they ready for the grave? Unfortunately, many of these questions are uncouth to ask at the side of a death bed. Yet, the ability to access the thoughts of a dying senior citizen would show some insight concerning that dreadful future that younger generations will undoubtedly face at the sunset of their lives. A look into such a situation can be found in a short story by Robert Olen Butler entitled “A Good Scent From a Strange Mountain”.
The story is set in New Orleans, Louisiana, and is centered on an old Vietnamese man who has decided to follow the traditions of his people by having family and friends over for a sort of a “goodbye party.” Within the story the character speaks erratically, jumping from subject to subject and never quite finishing one idea in chronological order. At first the reader might believe that the narrator is not of sound mind. Yet, as the reader sees more of
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This may point to the possibility that Ho has been sent as the reaper of the old man’s soul. In addition, one may notice that the more the specter shows up, the weaker the man becomes. One may suspect that the old man may be trying to cope with his inevitable demise by questioning Ho about his role in the afterlife. Death will find then and reach his sharp, unwavering grasp toward the soul of every person when the time comes for them to join him in the shadows. The character of the old man is full of memories and thoughts of the life that he will soon be leaving behind. The conversations are usually out of worry for the happiness of the old man’s best friend and wondering why his spirit is so restless. That the good memories of a life well lead can far outweigh the regrets of squandered opportunities.
During the course of the story, the old man’s friend “Ho”, an old life long buddy and fellow soldier, shows up quite often.
The character of the old man, or rather the insight given by the old man’s struggle with the inevitable, stimulates the thoughts of the reader. The nature of these visits from Ho is revealed when the narrator lets the reader in on the secret that Ho is dead, and is visiting the old man from the afterlife.
Throughout this tale, the old man’s recollections begin to unravel his façade of steel, and show a man that perhaps has lived too long. ” Each time the ghost of Ho visits the old man, he hopes that he will be taken to the afterlife. He has seen many things and has loved many people, and most of those things and people are now gone. Will there be great regret at the extinguishing of the light or will there be peace and happiness? The character of the old man shows us that we cannot avoid death, but we can make every effort to understand it and to embrace it when it comes.
Approximate Word count =
792
Approximate Pages =
3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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