Death in Speaker for the Dead and Romeo and Juliet

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DEATH IN SPEAKER FOR THE DEAD AND ROMEO AND JULIET Grade Ten English May 18, 2012 Our society believes death is one of the worst prices that we can pay. We believe that suicide is the wrong way out, that murder is one of the worst crimes that criminals can commit. If we believe in the afterlife, what harm is it to die anyway? In the books Speaker For The Dead and Romeo and Juliet, the characters are put into situations where they must face death. These characters take death in the opposite manor that society speculates. These characters demonstrate that death is a good thing. First, characters in both books believe that death will send them to a better place. In Speaker For The Dead, the alien species called the piggies get sent to the third life when they die. The third life for the piggies is where they get sent to when they die. When they get sent to the third life, they transform into a tree. They may bear children, give tools and speak to the other piggies. “The third life is when we reach and drink from the sun, in the full light at last, never moving except in the wind; only to think, and on those certain days when brothers drum on your trunk, to speak to them. Yes, that’s the third life.” (p.340) In other words, the piggies believe the third life is like a heaven to them, a place where everyone wants to go when they die. In Romeo and Juliet, Romeo believes he will be with Juliet when he dies beside her. In the mausoleum where Juliet lies, Romeo goes there in hope of resting aside her when he dies. “For fear of that, I still will stay with thee/And never from this palace of dim night/ depart again” (5.3.106-108) Romeo is saying that he will protect Juliet from anything and stay beside her when he dies. These characters show that death is a good
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