91 pages • 3 hours read
Goodbye Days
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Themes
The Dangers of Seeking Causality in a Chaotic World
Goodbye Days presents a group of people all seeking to cope with a tragedy. In trying to make sense of the deaths of three teenaged boys, many of the book’s characters look for a cause. Mitzi wants to blame Nana Betsy for taking Blake into her care. Mr. Bauer wants to blame the fact that the family decided to send Eli to Nashville Arts Academy. Adair and Judge Edwards want to blame Carver’s text message. Even Carver blames himself.
Although the book makes it clear that it’s human to seek causality, it also argues that this is a dangerous and futile endeavor. Dr. Mendez best articulates this argument, repeatedly warning against seeking causality in a chaotic world. As he explains to Carver, “Our minds seek causality because it suggests an order to the universe that may not actually exist […]. Chaos is frightening. A capricious existence where bad things happen to good people for no discernible reason is frightening” (232). This is a cautionary message not only to Carver but to the reader.
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By Jeff Zentner
