Lament for a Son

Wolterstorff describes his son Eric’s state just before his untimely death. Wolterstorff reviewed Eric’s notes from his graduate school work and saw that Eric had recently completed his research and was poised to begin writing. Wolterstorff also notes that Eric’s friends who had visited Eric a week earlier remarked on Eric’s unprecedented enthusiasm. Eric was eagerly anticipating a climb of the Matterhorn with friends later in the summer, actively preparing himself through running and practice climbs. This portrayal serves to emphasize the shocking contrast between Eric’s vibrant life and his sudden death, underlining the tragedy of a life cut short at its prime.

Wolterstorff then delves into a philosophical exploration of whether the death of a young, healthy person is more difficult to accept than that of someone who has been ill or weakened by disease. He ponders if death seems a more fitting conclusion when it follows a period of decline. The author concludes that each death is unique, possessing its own “inscape”—a term referenced earlier in the book, which he borrows from poet Gerard Manley Hopkins. He asserts that the pain of losing a child does not vary in intensity based on circumstances, but rather differs in quality.