Characters in a novel who have died from a disease?

Question

I was trying to recall two characters from two different novels who have died from a disease, and the effectiveness of their death as related to plot, theme or symbolism?

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Answer 1

The Year I Got Polio...?

Just a guess. I read it in 6th grade, and it is exactly that reading level, so it probably isn't it. I just want the two points.

Have a good night!

☺

Answer 2

Little Women.  Its depressing but yeah a charecter dies from a disease and it affects the plot.

Answer 3

Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad? Kurtz dies of a disease while harvesting Ivory in Africa, and his death is certainly symbolic and advances the theme of "Man vs. Nature"

Answer 4

Sounds like Homework.  In the Stephen King book "The Stand" many people die from a super-flu in the beginning.

Answer 5

In the book Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, the character Fantine dies of consumption (it's set in 1800's France, when there was no cure for that). On account of this, the character Jean Valjean takes care of her daughter. Several years later, after they moved to a different city because Valjean was being pursued by the police, the daughter, Cosette, meets a young man, Marius. Marius and Cosette fall in love with each other. Another character, Eponine, loves Marius, but he only sees her as a friend, not even that really. This love triangle leads to broken hearts, death and sacrifice.

So, if Fantine had not died, Cosette and Marius would have never met, jealousy would not have been a problem, and people would not have died.

Answer 6

Nana, in Zola's novel of the same name, springs immediately to my mind.

Have a look at the synopsis here; it's quite short:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nana_(novel...

http://www.online-literature.com/emile-z...