Who would've guessed that a story called "Death in the Woods" would be about death, right? Next thing we know, you're going to try to tell us the Star Wars is about battles in space. Insanity!
As its title implies, this story centers around the tragic passing of poor Mrs. Grimes. Although she was ignored during her life, her death is big news to her small town neighbors—our humble narrator included. This isn't a sentimental story: it certainly won't make you feel good in the end. Instead, it examines the very real psychological effects that mortality has on our puny human brains.
Questions About Mortality
- Why does Mrs. Grimes look younger after her death?
- Why does Mrs. Grimes' death turn her "dogs" into "wolves"?
- How do the narrator and his brother react to seeing the dead body?
- Why is the rabbit hunter so frightened after seeing Mrs. Grimes' body?
Chew on This
In an odd way, Mrs. Grimes achieves peace through her death—it is her release from a life spent "feeding" others and being ignored herself.
Our first experience with death is always profound, which is why this story has remained such an obsession in the narrator's life.