Analysis Of Dogrib Midnight Runners By Van Camp

Many young people are affected in some way by suicide, and must learn to cope with the horrible loss it has taken from them. â€Å"Dogrib Midnight Runners†, by Van Camp, â€Å"was inspired by a suicide. As far as [he knew, that was] the first published story that ever takes place in Fort Smith. And [Van Camp wanted] to talk about what a great thief suicide is: the huge, never-ending echo of its fatal decision† (Vranckx). In this short story, a group of friends are faced with their friend, Justin, committing suicide for no clear reason. Justin was remembered as an intelligent, fun individual and appeared happy. The reason why Justin committed suicide was unclear. One particular humorous, happy memory his friends had of him was that when he drank too much, he would take off all his clothes and run. In Richard Van Camp’s short story, â€Å"Dogrib Midnight Runners†, the â€Å"ritual of running† is so important to healing and rebirth because it allows th e group of friends to cope with the loss of their friend while rebuilding a meaningful friendship and support system they had lost during the tragedy. The â€Å"ritual of running† strengthens the group’s friendship by bringing them together on a regular basis. After the unexpected suicide of their friend, they were quite depressed and let the friendship weaken. Through the â€Å"ritual of running†, the boys are able to ensure there is a scheduled time to spend time together and this helps strengthen their bonds.  ­After running so often, it has become