Friday, October 4, 2019
The Quest Of Life From Childhood To Death Essay Example for Free
The Quest Of Life From Childhood To Death Essay The quest for life has always been a medley of â€Å"the good, the bad and the ugly†. The occasional ups and downs of life and the frequent twists of fate here and there have left nobody untouched even the famous celebrities people see as role models. From Cradle to grave, everyone is faced with one challenge or the order of diverse degree. This was what Terry Kay’s plot captured in his classical, award winning novel titled To Dance With The White Dog. The plot of the novel revolves around Sam Peek, a complete family man, a local farmer and a celebrity, for featuring in many horticultural magazines in Hart County, Georgia, who devotedly planted pecan tress and even more devotedly loved his wife, Cora. For over 55 years, they were happily married, with kids until tragedy came knocking one night when Cora suddenly develops a heart attack which led to her death. Sam, already in his eighties was deeply saddened by his wife’s death. The children were not left out in sharing in the sorrow for they were one very happy family and devotedly loved each other. Sam’s health was naturally affected with by his grief and his daughter, Kate became too worried over his health, most especially when Sam claimed he keeps seeing a stray white dog that nobody else could see. Even Sam’s favorite son, James did not see the dog initially and everybody believes that the grief has affected his and simply going crazy, except his grandson, Bobby. However, after a series of events, everybody began seeing the white dog. Until the dog eventually disappears immediately after Sam’s death. It was concluded that the dog was Cora in another form. The theme of the novel is virtually about the quest or journey of life.The series of quest in Sam’s journey of life. His â€Å"saddest day†of loosing his wife, the lonesomeness that follows and the strength to live life without his wife. Sam’s story is about a true grief, aging, love and family life. Adding flavour to the quest is the mysterious White Dog that can only be seen by Sam Peek. It demonstrated a life-long love, natural process of aging and family relationship. One can taste bitterness and sweetness as one enters Sam’s life. You can feel the tears in his eyes, loneliness in his heart and joys on his face as the entire book enfolds vividly and dissolves in your mind. The book has been described as poetry portraying itself to be fiction. Despite his many children and friends, Sam felt lonely after his wife’s death. He had been invited for his 60 year college re-union, which he was looking forward to going along with Cora who promised to go with him. She died the very day the invitation came in the mail. Sam left home for the re-union, but lost his way along the road, he ended up in a medley of memories of his past struggles and achievements. He ended up going to where he proposed to Cora. He took a while reflecting on how he spent his life, the good old days with his wife, the younger days of the children. The life after his wife’s death and his companion, the mysterious white dog. He eventually discovers that he has cancer. As the cancer progresses in its stages, his oldest daughter moved back in to take care of him. Meanwhile, during his lonely days, his companion, the white dog would come around to keep him company. He was living alone in the farm. His children did not believe he could survive living alone in the farm without his wife. â€Å"How can this elderly man live alone on his farm? How can he keep on driving his dilapidated truck down to the fields to care for his few rows of pecan trees?† Their fear was further aggravated when Sam keeps telling them about a white dog, â€Å"as white as the pure driven snow†, which seems to be  invisible to everyone but him, his children  be to think that grief and old age have gotten to his brain. Sam on the other hand begin to think his children crazy. Sam, knew he saw the dog. He, one of the smartest men in the South when it comes to trees could not be insane. He survived the pain of loss, grief, loneliness and old age yet maintaining the old farm alone. It is an emotional and intriguing story tracing Sam’s life through his life span, his memories, travails and the process of learning in life. Sam learns that the simple things of life are the most important after all. When he needed anyone, the white dog was always there, showing itself only when it felt was necessary. The story proves that love transcends death, for the love of Sam and Cora continued after Cora’s death through the white dog that Sam saw licking up grease on his back porch. Strangely enough, the white dog looked just like a dog that Sam and his wife had when they first were married. As Sam’s eldest daughter moved in to take care of him in his dying days, he opens the door for the white dog never to be seen again. After Sam’s death, the dog was not seen again either, only a faint print of the dog’s paws was noticed on his grave. The work was inspired by the experience of the writer and that of his parents. Kay was born in Hart County, Georgia, the setting of his novel. The eleventh of twelve children, which was the reason Sam had many children and friends. He grew up on a farm, he said that his parents had an undying love which he uses his novel to express, proving that true love disregards the concept of time and can possibly carry on lasting for eternity. It is actually a revised story of his experience about love, family and relationships. A memorable experience of his childhood struggles, parental love and devotion, peer and family interaction etc. Summarily, the novel captures a true- life-like-story of humor, love, and friendship woven through the journey of Sam’s life. A quest for life from cradle to grave of an old man who must deal with the death of his wife death, as well as the trials of old age. A compelling story of the unusual struggle for survival despite the loss of a true companion and the other series of events time temper one life with. Sam Peek is a personification of strength, will and endurance, as he chose to continue to live on with all odds. Eventually his death culminates to creativity of the novel as the paws of his perpetual companion, the white dog, which was another form of Cora, was found on his grave. A true proof that their love will continue even after death.                                                          Reference: Terry Kay: To Dance With the White Dog: Washington Square Press 1st edition Trade.1991 Paperback. ISBN # 0671726730 http://www.terrykay.com/TerryBio.html www.mupress.org/webpages/books/blackmarrhouse.html www.amazon.com
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