2-3-4 Challenge Book Discussions #1 discussion

Claire felt extreme guilt about Danny, specifically the thoughts she harbored about his desperate situation right before his death. Did you understand/sympathize with her feelings or did she lack empathy?

I think all family members who have a suicide occur are affected and the closer the relationship, perhaps the more guilt and self-examination happen. I thought she was doing her best to cope
with the situation. Not all people show their grief in the same ways.

Everyone looks for a "reason". The closer you are the more you blame yourself for not "seeing" the suicide coming. Self-blame and what-ifs are natural. There is only so much another person can do to help someone heading down that road. I understand and sympathize with Claire and her helplessness in the face of Danny's situation.

I thought Claire dealt with this in a good way and sympathized with her situation. I thought she did well considering the circumstances.

Actually that whole thing was so rushed that I didn't really feel her frustration about his situation. We didn't experience it much with her. We were just told about it so I felt she came off sort of cold at the end.

I actually felt her frustration both with Danny and with her own feelings about his situation.

That’s one of the real tragedies of suicide. Those left behind are filled with guilt and remorse, constantly wondering if there was something more they could have done. I completely understood Claire’s feeling. She felt helpless while she was doing everything she knew how to do to help Danny. Her last thoughts of him were out of frustration and so she was left feeling guilty about it. This was just tragic.