Faith in a Prayer for the Dying

Faith in a Prayer for the Dying

Stewart O'Nan's, A Prayer for the Dying, is an in depth portrayal of one man's experiences of loss. The main character, Jacob, seems to experience great human tragedy throughout his life. The unique thing about Jacob, however, is that he always seems to preserver in spite of the tragedies occurring around him, while those he is with perish. This gives Jacob insight and experience with tragedy, and we are able to observe O'Nan's exploration of how much grief the human condition can endure. His portrayal of Jacob in the story would lead us to believe that O'Nan is of the opinion that we are resilient creatures in the face of great dilemma -- that we are hopeful when hope consistently pervades us. Jacob proves that, while not immune to the devastating mental affects of tragedy, human beings still can have hope. Human beings are not easily discouraged, nor are they feeble when it comes to having faith and hope.

We learn from the beginning of the story that Jacob handles a number of different jobs in the small town of Friendship. He acts as the sheriff and coroner, and he also assists the other civil servants in their duties. Jacob's responsibilities require him to interact with the townspeople throughout the day. He knows of them, their personalities, and in a way, he has a connection with everyone in Friendship.

We also learn that, prior to the story, Jacob had experienced great tragedy. He fought in the civil war, and faced almost certain death on numerous occasions, but miraculously survives each one. On these occasions, Jacob came face-to-face with enormous tragedy and devastation. He had soldiers with whom he tried to save die in his arms. After a vicious fight with rebellion forces during one battle, Jacob emerges as one of the only surviving men.

Again, Jacob is faced with immense tragedy beginning with the outbreak of a disease in Friendship. What starts as an isolated illness turns into a rapidly spreading plague. One by one, the townspeople are falling ill and dying from the disease, and the community is almost helpless against it. Jacob, being one of the town's leaders, tries everything in his power to combat the spread of the illness. At the same time, however, he is faced with the reality that those dying around him are not nameless people, but rather people he has looked out for and cared about all his life. He is forced to remain professional while the spreading illness brings up so many personal issues.

Not before long, Jacob's daughter, Amelia, contracts the disease. Jacob has witnessed many around town dying with no chance of survival. There is no reason to believe his daughter, who is an infant, will be able to fight this disease, yet Jacob has faith. After learning of his daughter's contraction of the illness, Jacob instinctively knows of her oncoming demise, yet his hope refuses to allow him to accept it, "There's the proof, irrefutable. And though you know what it means, you can't understand it. You stand there like a man confronting a loaded gun for the first time. There must be something you do" (88).

Jacob is not unaware of the failure of hope in his past. He remembers a time during the civil war when his division was under heavy barrage from the enemy. He befriended another young soldier, and promised to protect him during the onslaught. Jacob believed that his faith and his hope would allow him to save the young man. He applies that same faith even at the moment of Amelia's death, "Doc said it would be quick, and yet it seems so far off. She could be sick, nothing more. Not even that, just sleeping. Marta's hands rest on the rail; she lets you cover them with yours" (92).

Jacob's faith is again tested when his wife, Marta, contracts the illness. He approaches with the same sense of denial, and belief that, despite his past experiences; Marta will be saved with hope. Marta, just like Amelia, dies from the illness, and in his grief, Jacob refuses to accept this. He continues to pretend as if his family is still alive. He washes them, dresses them, and even carries on imaginary conversations with them. O'Nan describes one of Jacob's delusional thoughts after the deaths of his wife and daughter, "Watch the white dust of the road, the sign an oblong shadow in the moonlight. At home Amelia's sleeping, Marta waiting up for you in the rocker" (150). As previously mentioned, Jacob is not immune to the devastating affects of tragedy -- he is only human. He becomes delusional, and denies in his head the reality of the situation.

More importantly, though, he never loses faith. Despite how many times it has failed him in the past, it continues to be the most important thing in his thought process. Even after Jacob and Amelia die, Jacob continues to serve his sheriff duties, and tries to rescue the remaining survivors of Friendship. He organizes all those remaining that are healthy, and directs them to a passing train. His intent is to transfer them away from an oncoming fire and the spread of the illness by transporting them to a neighboring town. His plan falls apart, however, when people from the other town sabotage the train in fear that the disease will spread.