Grief In My Sister Lives On The Mantelpiece

Grief is explored to be a complex concept through loss. In the text, 'My Sister Lives On The Mantelpiece', the complexity of grief is explored in three ways. Firstly, we learn what grief is; an intense sadness in response to loss. Secondly, the complexity of grief is explored through the difficulty characters have when overcoming grief. Finally, grief is explored by the different ways characters respond to it. Hence the complexity of Greek is explored through loss in the text.

The first way grief is explored is as an intense sadness in response to a loss. In the text the deaths of Rose and Roger Bring grief to the Matthews Family. The death of Rose in London bombings is harder for the protagonist, Jamie, as he's only 10 years old and is unable
The difficulty of overcoming grief is shown through Rose's urn. Every year of September 9th- the day Rose died-Jamie's dad tries to sprinkle roses ashes into the sea and is unable to let go of his daughter. This exhibit the difficulty Jamie's dad faces with when trying to overcome the grief that consumed him after his daughters death. On the contrary, Jamie's mom gives up on trying to face her grief and instead abandoned her husband and children for a man from her support group called Nigel. Through Rose's death, the difficulty overcoming grief is explored.

The final way grief is explored in 'My Sister Lives On The Mantelpiece' is through the different responses characters have to grief. These responses are specific to each character. These include Jasmine's change in appearance and her eating disorder, which is highlighted when Jamie says, "…she doesn't eat enough," and Jamie's dad's alcoholism and the neglecting of his children. These responses contrast to Jamie's habit of the detaching himself from the situation and providing comedic relief. Jamie's mum's response to her grief is the most tragic of all; abandonment of family. Responses of characters is the final way grief is explored in the