Response to “Manners of Dying” by Yan Martel

“Manners of Dying” is a epistolary fiction composed with 9 letters written from Harry Parlington, who is a warden of Cantos Correctional Institution to Mrs. Barlow, whose son Kevin Barlow faced up to his execution by hanging for the crimes which he was convicted. The letters record and tell about all the things happened to Kevin during the last twelve hours before his death. And the letters are written with objective and official tones without much personal emotions.

However, what makes this fiction particular is the way that the author writes 9 different letters just with the same protagonist whose name is Kevin and the same events happened to him. I think it is a very interesting fiction to read, although the generally same plots just like to make fun. In these nine letters, the protagonists and story plots are not changed, but in every version, Kevin has different characters and he has very different behaviors when facing execution every time. It is interesting to see one thing repeated happen to the same person but different characters, and how he would behaves with every different character. I think it is a good fiction, because the general fiction creates a protagonist with specific character, and describes and enriches it with the story plots goes on. But it is more difficult when we create a character but changes his characters and describes what would he behave differently when facing the same event happen to him. It is also a good way to practice for describing various different persons created in fictions.