Comment on theme

One thing that most of the novel’s characters have in common is that they have passed away, and through this collection of deceased characters, the novel seeks to explore the significance and implications of death. The occupants of the bardo, whether they are able to admit it or not, have all passed away, and because they are still conscious entities, the novel is able to explore the concept of death from the perspective of both the dead and the living. One of the most prominent effects of death that the novel explores is the permanent separation between the dead and the living. For many of the people in the bardo, the thing that keeps them from passing on to the afterlife is a need to return to their loved ones to give guidance or make amends or simply enjoy one another’s company longer. Willie and his father, for example, are drawn to one another because it seems unnatural for the son to pass before the father However, they eventually come to terms with the irrevocability of Willie’s death, and they become content to keep their love for one another only in their hearts and minds.