Critical Interpretation of the story Last Night by James Salter - Essay Example

Critical Interpretation of the story ‘Last Night’ by James Salter The discussion further delves into the debate of using euthanasia as a form of ending the pain of people with lots of suffering such as depicted in Marit. Last Night is James Salter’s short story that had its first publication in the New Yorker magazine in November 2002. ‘Last Night’, is a story that puts emphasis on the last night of Marit Such. From the story, Salter narrates to us how the character is dying from metastasized uterine cancer.

The story continues to reveal how Marit solicits the help of Walter to help her in committing suicide through an overdose of painkiller drugs. This is in contrast to dying a slow and painful death because of her sickness (Dobie 47). On that note, there are different themes, historical issues and styles arising from the short story. For example, the short fiction investigates the essence of morality and ethics concerning the subject of euthanasia. This is reducing the pain of a suffering individual through assisted suicide.

We can note this in Marit’s quest to die a dignified death through taking an overdose of prescription painkillers. As narrated in the story, when an advanced cancer weighs down Marit, she goes into introspection and reflection in order to have peace with the world. Marit has time to recall wonderful moments and radiance of life during one evening when invites her friend Susanna. Marit organized this invite in order bond with her friend and thank then as she embarked on the ‘final dinner.

’ Alternatively, the dinner is meant to offer Walter emotional support as attempts to cope with the repercussions of the events of an eventual suicide (Dobie 49). During this dinner party, Marit remembers beautiful memories how her mother used to hold the lamplight and when she used to watch storms and winters. Furthermore, as the dinner proceeds, Marit depicts the theme of a restless nostalgia that she cannot shake. This is because things she used to take for granted are now valuable and beautiful.

For example, she feels extremely moved when she tastes fine wine while observing the radiance of the night sky. There is the aspect of betrayal in the story by James Salter. For example, though we see Marit as a promising and beautiful woman who has a future ahead of her, she wants assisted suicide. Her husband Walter looks up to her for continued life as couples but Marit feels she is fed up with life (Dobie 56). She is of the opinion that living a life of cancer is a wasted life and hence she can depart from her loving husband and bosom friend, Susanna.

This also reveals the theme of desire amongst both the young and old characters. For example, Walter desires Marit to live and enjoy watching the night sky and the loving friends such as Susanna. However, his wife also has her agenda of requesting assisted suicide to terminate the pain of metastasized uterine cancer that has afflicted her for years. There is also absence of a male assurance that lets young and beautiful women such as Susanna cannot settle in peace and they embark on visiting older people as Marit and Walter.

This all tie to deep feeling of disappointments and hatred especially to Walter who is about to lose his dear wife to both uterine cancer and assisted suicide (Dobie 43). However, apart from disturbing themes that illuminate ‘Last Night’ by James Salter, his writing styles are also noteworthy. For instance, he narrates his story from the third person narrator. This is a great literary advantage