“The North London Book of the Dead”
This Beginning of this story is set in the hospital while the man watches his mother pass away. Throughout the excerpt, the man is attempting to accept what has happened to his mother. This is hard for him though because she is appearing in his dreams first and then it eventually turns into him seeing her during the day and on the street. He also holds conversations with her always checking to make sure she is actually dead. It is written in a chronological structure that allows the readers to see each situation ignorer over the ten months after his mother passed. This allows for a smoother reading and understanding of the events.
What I like about this short story is that the theme touches on what happens when life and death combine. The mothers death was not final because he has the ability to contact her and see her when he wants. This style brings upon many questions regarding if he is sick and needs help or if he is actually communicating with her. We are allowed to infer on our own about what the after life consists of and if what is happening to the narrator is real or not.
Postcards From London 