Character Analysis: If I Stay By Gayle Forman

To Live or To Die?
To make the hardest decision of one's life to live or to go on to heaven, is what Mia has to do in the novel If I Stay by Gayle Forman. Mia faces the hardest decision of her life. A traumatic car accident causes her to lose her father and mother and puts her in a serious coma! Music is the only way to escape from the reality that she has to make a decision to live or die. Music is the way she met the love of her life, Adam. Mia has a hard time deciding whether to go to heaven or stay on earth, because if she does decide to go, she has to leave everyone behind including her grandparents, her boyfriend, and her best friend. If she decides to stay on earth another day, she will wake up an orphan. Music is symbolic of the way
Mia was in the hospital for a few days before someone was able to contact Adam. “But then I feel Adam’s grip tighten, so that the grasp of his hand feels like it is holding my entire body” (Gayle 210). Once Mia knew that Adam was around she knew the decision was easy to make. Life has never been easy for Mia, She was always different from someone. She loved what kids in her school thought the weird music, the music that no one listen too. Her parents thought she should go out and have more fun and make mistakes. Mi would rather sit in her room and practice to make her cello playing perfect. Her whole life revolved around her cello and music. It was the calm to the storm but it did not make like any easier for her."I don't know exactly what's happened to me, and for the first time today, I don't really care. I shouldn't have to care. I shouldn't have to work this hard. I realize now that dying is easy. Living is hard" (Gayle 174). Mia could not leave the love of her life behind as well as her family. Deciding on weather to make up a story or having it based on a real one Gayle would have to made the decision and she did “There is but I don’t go into the specifics. There was a real-life event that raised a question that has haunted me: if something catastrophic happened to your family, and you were hovering between life and death, would you choose to stay? “ (PublishersWeekly). Having the one you love
Many times people develop PTSD. Three years ago my father was in a traumatic car truck accident. After his accident he developed PTSD. After Mia’s accident she will definitely suffer from a type of PTSD, She will have to seek therapy because it is not normal to wake up and have to leave the house you grew up in and visit your parents grave for their birthday. Mia will be able to cope a little with her cello, just like my father copes with riding his harley and spending time with family. Mia made the decision to stay on the earth instead of leaving. With every question there has to be an