Death

Death and the afterlife is the central theme of Under the Whispering Door as Wallace and Nelson both prepare to cross in their own special ways. For while Wallace needs to come to terms with himself and change his worldview, Nelson needs to accept that the family he is leaving behind will find happiness even after he is gone.

Wallace's acceptance of death requires him to go through all five stages of grief: "Denial. Anger. Bargaining. Depression. Acceptance" (81). The order does not matter, nor does the intensity of each stage. The fact that he experiences each one throughout his journey- especially in the last seven days as a ghost - displays how coming to terms with the end is different for everyone. For Wallace, accepting his death requires him to come to terms with the mistakes he made in life. He seeks change in the final...