Have you ever read a book with a character you connected with so well, that it gave you some BIG feelings? Have you ever cried when a character died? Have you thrown a book across the room when it happened?

*raises hand* 

I sure have!

These emotional attachments are an incredible sort of experience, one in which I think a lot of authors strive for, because it means our characters have become as real to our readers as they have to us. Most of us don’t let characters die, or kill them off for the fun of it (looking at YOU, George R.R. Martin!). Most of us, in fact, cry right along with you as we come to a point in the story where it is time to say goodbye to our characters as they move on. 

Here are the ones that I can think of, off the top of my head, that have tear-stains on the pages because I felt their loss almost as deeply as a real person. 

Johnny Cade (The Outsiders)
Dobby the House Elf (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)
Algernon (Flowers for Algernon)
John Coffey (The Green Mile)
Beth March (Little Women)
Charlotte (Charlotte’s Web)
Old Dan and Little Ann (Where the Red Fern Grows)
McMurphy (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest)

These are just a few of my favorite, and most sob-inducing character deaths that I have experienced. Looking over my list, I realize one of the common themes that connect these characters is a willingness to love and do what is right, even if that means the ultimate sacrifice, which resonates with me deep in my heart. 

What are some of the character deaths that have affected you the most? Is there a common theme among them that you can identify? Let me know, and I will share it in next week’s newsletter!