The Great Sadness

"Little distractions like the ice storm were a welcome although brief respite from the haunting presence of his constant companion: The Great Sadness, as he referred to it. Shortly after the summer that Missy vanished, The Great Sadness had draped itself around Mack's shoulders like some invisible but almost tangibly heavy quilt. The weight of its presence dulled his eyes and stooped his shoulders. Even his efforts to shake it off were exhausting, as if his arms were sewn into its bleak folds of despair and he had somehow become part of it. He ate, worked, loved, dreamed, and played in this garment of heaviness, weighed down as if he were wearing a leaden bathrobe - trudging daily through the murky despondency that sucked the color out of everything" (27).

Young does an extremely thorough job of describing the effects and the feelings of depression. It is an interesting effect on the story to have depression personified in this way. The reader immediately is drawn to this description because of the use of italics in The Great Sadness. This is seen instantaneously as an important part of Mack's life, and the reader wonders what importance this will have on the story. The question is, how and why did this "great sadness" come upon him, and what will it promote?

The Great Sadness came upon Mack shortly after the disappearance of his daughter, Missy. He was "draped" in this being because of the guilt he felt over his daughter's death. It is a horrible thing for a parent to lose a child because it goes against the laws of nature. Children are supposed to outlive their parents, and because Missy did not, this is already a huge blow of sadness to Mack. In addition, Mack blames himself. He believes it is his fault because he should not have left Missy alone when he went to save his other children, but at the time, he believed that what he was doing was best. The point where the sadness seems to leave him is when he explains to his other daughter that Missy's death was not her fault. The chain of events was unfortunate, but no one is to blame for Missy's death but her killer. At this moment, Mack also realizes that he is not to blame either.

Mack's depression was also helpful to him because it helped him to create a stronger, more lasting relationship with God. He had always marveled at the relationship his wife had, calling God "Papa" as if they were family, but he did not know how to have a relationship like that. After receiving the letter from "Papa," Mack is intrigued and happy to have a break from The Great Sadness. He hopes he can find what he needs to make things right at the shack. While at the shack, Mack meets "Papa," but he has trouble calling her that because he does not have that strong relationship with God that he craves. It is at this point, though, after all the years of his life, that he works to create that relationship. Why now? He is at his absolute lowest point and needs faith to cling to. By creating a relationship with God, he is taking a step to heal himself. After going through this period of enlightenment and learning how to relate to God, Mack is a much happier person. The Great Sadness has left him, and he has a greater understanding of the world and the things that occur around him.