Death Be Not Proud (Masterplots II: Juvenile and Young Adult Biography Series)
At a glance:
- Author: John Gunther
- First Published: 1949
- Time of Work: 1945–1947
- Setting: New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut
- Principal Characters: Johnny Gunther, John Gunther, Frances Gunther, Connie Traeger, Max Gerson, Lester Mount
- Genres: Nonfiction, Autobiography, Diary
- Subjects: Parents and children, Teenagers, Authors or writers, Autobiography, Cancer, Fathers, Death or dying, Sick persons, Terminal illness or terminally ill, Biography
- Locales: Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts
Form and Content
John Gunther took the title of Death Be Not Proud: A Memoir from a sonnet by British poet John Donne, from which he quotes at the beginning of the book: “Death be not proud, though some have called thee/ Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so.” This poem is an appropriate introduction to Gunther’s account of his son’s illness and death, for the book focuses not on death itself but on the triumph of human valor against the ultimately overwhelming forces of fate. Gunther follows the poem with a foreword that paints a picture of Johnny before his...
[The entire page is 1490 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
