Comments on: After the First Death, Robert Cormier http://theopencritic.com/?p=207 Literate Discourse of Literary Works Wed, 08 Sep 2010 05:24:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.5 by: kerrin http://theopencritic.com/?p=207#comment-48765 Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:58:26 +0000 http://theopencritic.com/?p=207#comment-48765 Oh, and it's not definate that Mark was in a mental institution (ending is left open to interpretation). Some people believe that he is just left to be insane in the mental institution, and others think that he killed himself at the bridge like his son. If you believe that Mark died, than it makes more sense to have him jump off the bridge, because crazy people are monitered in the cuckoo shack, and I imagine it would be quite difficult to kill one's-self in there. Hope that helps anyone else who reads this :) Oh, and it’s not definate that Mark was in a mental institution (ending is left open to interpretation). Some people believe that he is just left to be insane in the mental institution, and others think that he killed himself at the bridge like his son. If you believe that Mark died, than it makes more sense to have him jump off the bridge, because crazy people are monitered in the cuckoo shack, and I imagine it would be quite difficult to kill one’s-self in there. Hope that helps anyone else who reads this :)

]]> by: kerrin http://theopencritic.com/?p=207#comment-48764 Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:51:04 +0000 http://theopencritic.com/?p=207#comment-48764 If you go back and read all of the sections that ben talks to his dad, you'll see that he skips around in time in some of the chapters, but he will note that he did so. I think when he's talking in past-tense he's discussing the events before or during the hijjacking, not after. So when he's talking about his father visiting, he's still alive. However, upon his father returning to the room, Ben panics, feeling like a pathetic traitor, and flees to the bridge, where he ultimately kills himself. The father is sent to a mental institution, because he has had a few conversations with Ben in his mind, even though Ben is dead. At the end of the conversation when Ben says "Good-bye Dad." Mark dies. So yes, to take ten minutes to answer your question, Mark dies in a way from the guilt. The book just doesn't show us how. He leaves it open for interpertation. If you go back and read all of the sections that ben talks to his dad, you’ll see that he skips around in time in some of the chapters, but he will note that he did so. I think when he’s talking in past-tense he’s discussing the events before or during the hijjacking, not after. So when he’s talking about his father visiting, he’s still alive. However, upon his father returning to the room, Ben panics, feeling like a pathetic traitor, and flees to the bridge, where he ultimately kills himself. The father is sent to a mental institution, because he has had a few conversations with Ben in his mind, even though Ben is dead. At the end of the conversation when Ben says “Good-bye Dad.” Mark dies. So yes, to take ten minutes to answer your question, Mark dies in a way from the guilt. The book just doesn’t show us how. He leaves it open for interpertation.

]]> by: David http://theopencritic.com/?p=207#comment-22693 Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:54:24 +0000 http://theopencritic.com/?p=207#comment-22693 That is even though Ben had taken his own life, after recovering from the gunshot, and thus wasn't really there... That is even though Ben had taken his own life, after recovering from the gunshot, and thus wasn’t really there…

]]> by: David http://theopencritic.com/?p=207#comment-22692 Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:51:57 +0000 http://theopencritic.com/?p=207#comment-22692 Yes the father does kill himself... In his mind, when "Ben" says goodbye, he is being pushed off of the cliff by his son in search for retribution, or he believes that is the way it should be... The General felt like he had betrayed his son, and thus made Ben take his own life, and for that reason he sought refuge at the bottom of the cliff... Yes the father does kill himself…

In his mind, when “Ben” says goodbye, he is being pushed off of the cliff by his son in search for retribution, or he believes that is the way it should be…

The General felt like he had betrayed his son, and thus made Ben take his own life, and for that reason he sought refuge at the bottom of the cliff…

]]> by: Susanne http://theopencritic.com/?p=207#comment-21139 Fri, 20 Jun 2008 20:06:55 +0000 http://theopencritic.com/?p=207#comment-21139 But how do you explain their final conversation? Ben is already dead then, he can´t talk to his father in reality. I would say Ben jumps off the bridge during his father´s visit and after that he goes crazy. The question is the end: Does Mark also kill himself? But how do you explain their final conversation? Ben is already dead then, he can´t talk to his father in reality.
I would say Ben jumps off the bridge during his father´s visit and after that he goes crazy. The question is the end: Does Mark also kill himself?

]]> by: anony http://theopencritic.com/?p=207#comment-18120 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 06:42:31 +0000 http://theopencritic.com/?p=207#comment-18120 and hes father isnt schizophenic,, although he does blame himself for bens death. and hes father isnt schizophenic,, although he does blame himself for bens death.

]]> by: anony http://theopencritic.com/?p=207#comment-18119 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 06:41:14 +0000 http://theopencritic.com/?p=207#comment-18119 ben jumps off the bridge ben jumps off the bridge

]]> by: Sammi http://theopencritic.com/?p=207#comment-11211 Mon, 19 Nov 2007 13:34:52 +0000 http://theopencritic.com/?p=207#comment-11211 susan the secret is that :At the end of “After the first death”, the son, Ben is not talking to the father. Ben dies from everything that happens and that is the Father narrating through Ben. The father is in a mental institution because of Ben dying. He is living with the guilt and blaming himself that Ben is dead and he is “haunted” now by his son and the events that surrounded his death. He goes crazy at the end where “Ben” won’t leave, but it’s really him in his own mind. Ben’s father is schizophrenic. susan the secret is that :At the end of “After the first death”, the son, Ben is not talking to the father. Ben dies from everything that happens and that is the Father narrating through Ben. The father is in a mental institution because of Ben dying. He is living with the guilt and blaming himself that Ben is dead and he is “haunted” now by his son and the events that surrounded his death. He goes crazy at the end where “Ben” won’t leave, but it’s really him in his own mind. Ben’s father is schizophrenic.

]]> by: susan vergara http://theopencritic.com/?p=207#comment-8078 Mon, 01 Oct 2007 04:25:14 +0000 http://theopencritic.com/?p=207#comment-8078 hello! i would want you to give me some information about the final secret of the book. it would be very useful for me please answer me as soon as possible! thanK you a lot for you website page! hello!
i would want you to give me some information about the final secret of the book.
it would be very useful for me
please
answer me as soon as possible!
thanK you a lot for you website page!

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