The reasons for sad bits in books

[Poledra]

I posted this question as an aside on another thread, but everyone is ignoring it as not being the point of that thread

So, DD1 and I were reading a book last night that I read as a child. I knew this sad chapter was coming up, in which one of the parental characters dies, and the chapter talks of what a good man he was and how much everyone loves him. I could feel DD wriggling next to me as I read and I stopped and asked her if she was ok. The poor little soul cried out 'I don't like this chapter' and burst into tears. I remember crying at this chapter every time I read the book as a child.

Can anyone tell me a good reason for sad bits in books? She asked me this, and I couldn't think of a good reason. Her exact question was 'Why do they [the authors of books] make the young people die? It's not like [an elderly character] dying, I'm expecting that! Why is it a good idea to make sad bits in books?'

Help!

Because there are sad things in life. If a child experiences sadness and loss through the relatively safe medium of a book, they may be more prepared when something happens in real life. It also gives them an experience that they can relate to. Sadness brings up discussion about the issues of life, which is a good thing!

It's good because then children can explore their emotions about something sad with a fictional character, which lessens the shock if it happens in their real life and aren't prepared.

Thanks both. I get the idea of exploring emotion in the safe environment of fiction, I'm just not sure if she gets that. We did discuss it a bit last night, and I said that it could help us in real life as we have felt it a little when the character died.

I guess the question I should have asked is how to best explain to a bright emotionally-mature 10yo why it's good to have sad bits in books!

Sometimes sad things have to happen in books in order to make the character grow into the person he or she was meant to be. if she can make it to the end of the book, maybe she can have a think about what kind of people the affected characters have become. would they be the same way (positive and negative traits) if the tragedy never happened?

course, im making a few assumptions because im not sure if I've read your particular book.

Also, because it would be boring if everything that happened in fiction was cheerful and problem-free. Adversity and difficult emotions are compelling even if we don't like them. Of course, this philosophy doesn't apply to real life!