They are conscious about different ideologies, but they do not have a general
understanding of those things as a whole, as life itself. And death as a key component of
life, as a limitation, a sense of closing gives all things meaning. That’s why there are so
many literatures about death, to help people understand, especially teenagers. Teenage
novel writer John Green’s book Looking for Alaska is one of the most known teenage
literature for death. It talks about how two high school students feel responsible about a
close friend’s death, and how they understand and made peace with it. In the novel, there’s
not only death, and misery and trying to understand, but there’s a progression. Way before
the death happened; you can see the development and curiosity of many different ideas in
those teenagers. The big event death takes a huge part in the novel, and at the end those
understandings of death, it’s so deep, it become part of the understanding of life, it blends
in.
Natural death is one of the best ways to end one’s journey, simply because there’s
nothing to blame, if it happens, it happens. One of Chinese’s old sayings is ninety-nine
becomes one. Ninety-nine and one here is not just numbers, it symbolized everything and
nothing. Basically, it meanings everything becomes nothing, like life. In the end you
become once again nutrients in the ground, just as those that fed plants and animals, and
eventually provided as nutrients needed for giving birth. At that very moment the cycle of
life is completed, and off to start again. People who are old enough seem to take this
calmly, probably because they’ve seen enough, maybe too much. On the contrary for
teenagers it’s something really hard to deal with, especially when someone close passed
away because of aging.
One day, when I woke up, just a few weeks after my 13th birthday, my grandpa
passed away. I know he’s been ill for a long time, staying at the hospital trying to get
better, but I guess he’s just too tired. I cried, not really because the existence of someone I
love and loved me has perished, but because everyone is. I used to be terrified of death
when I was little. Every day I wash my hands neatly to make sure I didn’t catch the
disease, and eat whatever parents said that can make me live longer. I used to think it’s
horrible, and it must feel like trapped in darkness forever, unable to do anything even
think. But it’s so peaceful, so quiet, he just went. I was the kind of boy who’s happy and
outgoing with anything and anyone, not thinking much at pretty much everything.