Returning to Earth-Week 4, Post B

I am caught slightly off guard by Donald's decision to die. I knew there was talk of suicide, but honestly I didn't believe it would ever become a reality. I was reading about Clare and K's relationship and then all of the sudden K is preparing to leave for a trip to Canada where Donald would like to die and be buried. I can't even imagine to turmoil the family must be experiencing. It is extremely brave of Donald's family to allow him this decision and let him go.I know I would have severe difficulty letting a family member die voluntarily. Cynthia, Donald's wife, is not joining him on this trip so I just realized that the last couple sentences I just read would be the last moments they would spend together. That realization gives me knots in my stomach. The concept of death seems so foreign as a teenager. I obviously know that people die and that no one lives forever, but the idea that someone could say "I would like to die now" and then pass on is unreal to me. Don't get me wrong, I understand that suicide is a very real thing, but I guess I never thought about it so deeply before I read this novel. I'm sure Donald understands what he's putting his family through, however, this disease truly eats away at your body. It is excrusiating to experience and is truly a horrible disease. Living his life must be becoming more and more impossible each day for Donald. As much as I hate to see him go, I can understand why he is making this important decision.

Returning to Earth-Week 4, Post A

Vocab:
-Neural (115): Of or pertaining to a nerve or the nervous system.
-Rivulets (116): A small brook or stream; a streamlet.

Figurative Language:
"I held her but it was like I wasn't there" (114) This quote represents a similie describing the severe hurt Clare was feeling when K refused to help her bring a child into this world.

"'I was as big as a cow at your campsite.'" (115) This statement also represents a similie describing what Clare had imagined herself to look in her dream of when she was pregnant.

"When Cynthia left there was nearly interminable silence as if we three were willingly lost in our universe." (121) This statement represents a simile describing the first step David, K and Donald would take on their journey. They are going to Canada so Donald can be buried on the grounds of natice tribe. Donald has decided he would like to die and he has requested to be buried there.

Quote:
"I dropped Clare off adn drove over to my mother's and hung the tent and sleeping bag over the clothesline. Mom came out the back door and we walked down the street to the old Coast Guard station to watch the huge white-capped waves slamming against the breakwall. We've always loved storms and made this walk even in the dead of winter to watch a norther..." (117) I found this passage significant because it is the first time as far as I'm concerned that K has reffered to his mother as "Mom" or any other variation of that. Throughout the story, he continually called her by her first name, Polly, so this passage caught me off guard. Also, K never seemed particularly close with his mother so reading about them watching storms together was another unexpected element. It's as if they both have become so accustomed to watching storms together that the storm K is referring to in this passage didn't even need an explanation for them to observe it together. There doesn't appear to be any dialogue between K and Polly, just an understanding that they will both watch the storm. I have reason to believe this because K doesn't return to his parents house very often.

Theme:
The theme that seems to be present in this portion of the novel is sacrifice. Everyone in the family is making grave sacrifices for Donald. The biggest being allowing him to die as he has decided where he is going to die and where he would like to be buried.