Death Be Not Proud
Get this SparkNote to go!
Key Facts
full title · Death Be Not Proud
author · John Gunther
type of work · Non-fiction memoir
genre · Illness narrative; epistolary narrative
language · English
time and place written · Late 1940s, the United States
date of first publication · 1949
publisher · Harper & Row
narrator · Gunther (in main narrative); Johnny (in letters and diary); Frances
climax · Johnny's doctor's cannot extract any fluid from his stone-sized tumor.
protagonist · Johnny
setting (time) · 1945-47
setting (place) · New York; Connecticut; Massachusetts
point of view · Gunther's; Johnny's (through his diary and letters); Frances's
falling action · Johnny's death and funeral
tense · Immediate past tense
foreshadowing · Gunther reveals on the first page that Johnny died; he also sees it on a doctor's face early on.
tone · Elegant, journalistic, yet often emotional and philosophical
themes · Courage and willpower in the face of death; the uniqueness of loving life; childhood versus adulthood
motifs · Johnny's bump
Readers' Notes allow users to add their own analysis and insights to our SparkNotes—and to discuss those ideas with one another. Have a novel take or think we left something out? Add a Readers' Note!
