The touching story, “Missing May”, written by Cynthia Rylant, talks about a twelve-year-old girl named Summer who grieves the loss of her Aunt May and seeks to find a way to continue with her life. Summer’s mother passed away when she was six. Orphaned as a baby, summer was passed around to various relatives before meeting Aunt May and Uncle Ob. The couple immediately saw Summer wasn’t receiving enough attention from her previous caregivers and decided to bring Summer home. Aunt May died all of a sudden, leaving Uncle Ob depressed. Both Summer and Uncle Ob were left struggling to cope with the loss of their beloved family member. Uncle Ob was always depressed and he believed that he had been visited by Aunt May’s spirit. Summer worried that Uncle Ob was planning to die so that he could be with Aunt May. There was a boy named Cletus, who believed in the supernatural, in Summer's class who liked to collect things. Cletus talked about how he went to heaven and came back. Uncle Ob believed that Cletus would help him connect with Aunt May’s spirit. He calls Cletus his “Afterlife antenna”. Cletus found an ad about a spiritualist, Reverend Young. Uncle Ob, Summer, and Cletus traveled to visit Reverend, hoping she could help them connect Aunt May spiritually. But it turned out that Reverend had died and they would not be able to do so. At the end, Uncle Ob decided to stay with Summer and love well, giving up thoughts of contacting Aunt May in favor of remembering her fondly. Three themes frequently recurring in the story: abandonment, suffering, and religion.
Abandonment occurs when individuals lack social or family support, making them feel isolated in a situation where they feel unsupported. Also, when individuals feel emotionally overwhelmed or unable to cope with their circumstance, they might choose to abandon their current situation at some point. All of the aunts and uncles didn't want Summer and abandoned her because they didn't want her. They kicked her out and Summer kept moving from place to place. Also, Uncle Ob felt depressed after Aunt May died and he was kind of abandoning himself just wanting to be with Aunt May spiritually. Abandonment can happen to every kid when their parents die or they are not wanted by their family members. People shouldn’t be abandoned just because they are not your child. They should be treated fairly and be taken care of just like other children with their parents. Summer was abandoned by her relatives and passed around like a ball. Summer already lost her mom when she was just six when she needed her mom the most. People should give her care, especially to take good care of her mind. Similarly, summer fears abandonment once again following Aunt May’s death. This fear is exacerbated by Uncle Ob’s emotional withdrawal, leaving Summer feeling isolated. This sense of abandonment is not only physical but deeply emotional, which highlights Summer’s underlying anxiety and insecurity. The concept of abandonment could bring the feeling of loss, neglect, and insecurity for those affected.
Suffering relates to an individual’s encounter with physical, emotional, or psychological pain or distress, significantly affecting his quality of life. Suffering is a subjective experience, so it is perceived and felt differently by each individual, meaning each individual responds to suffering differently. Aunt May’s sudden death left Uncle Ob and Summer in a state of depression and grief. They grappled with the loss of their cherished family member, Aunt May. Uncle Ob remained constantly depressed, convincing himself that Aunt May’s spirit had visited him while Summer tried to move on. Suffering is something that eventually all people would experience in their lifetime. Both Uncle Ob and Summer were suffering from the pain of Aunt May’s death. They were trying to cope with the loss of their loved one, Aunt May. Uncle Ob’s deep sorrow manifests in his lack of motivation for regular-based life. This authentically captures the exploration of how individuals confront and process loss. At the same time, Summer was trying to make efforts to manage her grief while supporting Uncle Ob’s desire to connect Aunt May’s spirit. This illustrates that even though Summer was suffering the pain of Aunt May’s death, she tried to balance her own emotional needs with the desire to help Uncle Ob heal the pain. The author described their struggles, making the story a heartfelt exploration of the grieving process. People can suffer when a family member dies or when they are dealing with something extremely painful happening in their lives.
The pursuit of religion’s spiritual understanding not only offers people comfort during difficult times but also fosters hopes for an afterlife or a better future. Religion often yields solutions to life’s big questions and serves as a coping strategy for dealing with life’s uncertainties and challenges. Cletus, Summer’s classmate, who held beliefs in the supernatural, spoke of a near-death experience where he visited heaven and returned. Uncle Ob believed that Cletus could spiritually connect him with Aunt May. This theme of religion is through the characters of Cletus and Uncle ob. Cletus is convinced of supernatural occurrences and afterlife experiences. His beliefs in having visited heaven and returned highlight the inhuman desire for assurance in life beyond death. Uncle Ob’s interest in Cletus’s story illustrates a deeper desire for spiritual connection with Aunt May. Such details between Uncle Ob and Cletus suggest that religion and spirituality provide comfort and hope. Religion offers a coping mechanism for those left behind. Although Summer is skeptical of the supernatural, her journey with Uncle Ob and Cletus leads to a broader understanding of life, death, and hope. Through religion, people seek answers and consolation in order to overcome personal tragedies.
Oversall, “Missing May” is a touching story that delicately examines human feelings through abandonment, suffering, and religion. By illustrating the sense of abandonment, the story not only emphasizes the importance of human relationship but also informs readers not to leave people who just suffer the loss of their loved ones. Also, the author portrays characters with detailed descriptions about their feelings toward Aunt May’s death, creating a resonant portrayal of a family searching for healing toward the tragedy, which offers readers insights into life’s most challenging emotions. Religion provides a way for Uncle Ob and Summer to cope with grief and loss of Aunt May’s death. At some point, religion symbolizes hope and faith, acting as a guiding light for Uncle Ob, who searches for spiritual contact with Aunt May, offering him comfort.
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