Theme: Bereavement

Bereavement is a central theme in The Trick is to Keep Breathing by Janice Galloway.
The narrative main character, Joy, is dealing with the sudden death of her lover, Michael.
The theme gives us a profound understanding of her mental state, her thought processes and her actions throughout the narrative.

Joy’s prolonged mourning stages are characterised by denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance, forming the central thread of the narrative.
Bereavement’s aspect of loss materialises in the form of losing Michael to death, losing her mental stability, and losing control over her life.
The process of grieving underlines the theme of bereavement. Joy’s reaction to death, her frustration towards it and her detailed monologues affirm the theme’s profoundness.

The theme of bereavement acts as a catalyst for Joy’s psychological breakdown, illustrating the detrimental effect that intense grief can have on mental health.
It examines the process of bereavement and presents the struggle of an individual to cope with tragedy, which forms the core of the narrative.

Elements in the novel, such as water, are used symbolically to represent the theme of bereavement. Water stands metaphorically for her overwhelming grief, inescapability, and a drowning sensation that engulfs Joy.
Another important symbolic element is the title ‘The Trick is to Keep Breathing’ signifying Joy’s struggle to survive amidst her grief.

“The space you used to fill is a hole, a gap like an open door.” – This poignant phrase reflects the profound emptiness left in Joy’s life after Michael’s death.
“Not home but a place riddled with Michael.” – This quote elucidates how deeply Michael’s death has affected Joy’s perception of her surroundings. It also highlights the omnipresence of bereavement in her life.