Ink And Ashes By Valynne E. Maetani: An Analysis

Fiction in the Curriculum
In our society, fiction keeps imagination alive. Without fiction and creativity, the world might not have developed the technological advancement we have today. This genre keeps our emotions alive and well. Most stories connect with people in ways they can't imagine. With fiction keeping our heads out of the clouds, there should be no reason to take it out of the curriculum.
Ink and Ashes not only deals with the coping of a parent's death but also the difficulties of high school and the hardships that go along with it. For example, the book begins with a family tradition of remembering and honoring Claire's father every year. This is shown in the quote, “Parker took a few steps forward and began the ceremony to commemorate the anniversary of our father’s death” (Maetani, 3). This quote is very important due to the fact that their fathers death is obviously something they cannot ignore. The author desires for the reader to understand that sometimes, we cannot ignore our problems instead we have to deal with them head on. Another example is later on in the book, Claire is accused of cheating on a history test, when in reality she had just been falsely accused. “Claire, you've been accused of cheating on the last test Mrs. Davenport gave you before she
Maetani is dealing with the death of a parent. In the article 8 tips for coping with the death of a parent by Nancy Stardahl, she states that “grief does not end. Rather grief comes and goes. And then it comes again”. This is significant because the article explains what Claire is going through and her type of experience. Therefore, it helps connect with the real world. Another example from the article is “this work of grief takes time...and it is never entirely over”. Many people have a death of a parent at a young age but still grieve and are sad for their parents death. These give reasons for fiction to be kept in the