It's pretty much a given that any book about cancer is going to have mortality as a theme. But when the person with cancer is a kid, the thought that they might die becomes all the more tragic. Physical mortality is only one kind of death, though—other things can wither and die, too, like your voice, your marriage, and your sense of self. We see all these deaths in Stitches, too. Fortunately, David has a fierce will to live, and the way he stares down both physical and emotional death is part of what makes him such a compelling narrator.
Questions About Mortality
- Would David have died if his parents had waited any longer to remove the tumor? Would he have kept his voice if they had removed it sooner?
- Why doesn't David's mom say goodbye when she thinks he's dying?
- Why isn't the rest of David's family there when he goes to say goodbye to his mother?
- Why does David's grandmother try to kill her husband? Does she really want to kill him, or does she just set the house on fire because she's mentally ill?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
When David goes to say goodbye to his mother, it's more about closure than love.
When David learns he had cancer, he realizes his parents would have been content to let him go.