ERIC Number: EJ1010212
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013
Pages: 23
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0748-1187
EISSN: N/A
Selective Disclosure in a First Conversation about a Family Death in James Agee's Novel "A Death in the Family"
Rober, Peter; Rosenblatt, Paul C.
Death Studies, v37 n2 p172-194 2013
The first conversation of a family about a family death is a neglected but potentially important topic. In a first conversation in James Agee's (1957/2006) novel "A Death in the Family," the member who knows the most about the accidental death of another member discloses information selectively. The first conversation in Agee's novel suggests that communication and caring in the first family conversation about a death is attuned to family member emotions, particularly those of the family member considered most vulnerable, and that the aim is not a shared narrative that is true, but one that people can live with. (Contains 1 figure.)
Descriptors: Novels, Death, Family Relationship, Interpersonal Communication, Emotional Response, Coping, Disclosure, Qualitative Research, Case Studies
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A