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Funny Old World
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in When Will There Be Good News?, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Trauma, Survival, and Reckoning with the Past
Appearances vs. Reality
Lies and Deceptions
Family
Summary
Analysis
Jackson is seeing a brightly lit corridor. He is sitting on a plastic bench along the corridor, expecting his sister or brother to appear and invite him into the light. He feels at ease and curious about what will happen next. Then, Niamh does appear and smiles at him. They don’t say anything to each other, but Jackson feels euphoric for the first time in his life. Then his sister breathes into his mouth. Her breath tastes like violet creams, which were her favorite chocolates as a girl. He feels himself being pulled out of the white tunnel and resists, wanting to follow his sister. Jackson feels as though he’s been punched in the chest incredibly hard. He desperately wants to follow Niamh and feels furious at whoever’s stopping him.
Jackson seems to be on the verge of death. He believes he’s been reunited with his dead sister and is ready to follow her into the afterlife. Then he tastes violet creams, which are the chocolates that Reggie had just been eating. Reggie has just resuscitated Jackson, as will be confirmed later. Characters’ lives are starting to come together in surprising and unexpected ways.
Themes
