Everyman as a Morality Play

Everyman is a novel in which the theme of mortality is explored by several dichotomies: sickness and health, life and death, Everyman and Howie, Everyman and his long-dead hospital roommate, and so on. By establishing this series of contrasts between Everyman and all of these other characters, Roth explores the theme of life and death in even greater detail. Everyman is so-called because he represents the darker aspects of everyone, including resentment and jealousy. Overall, the complex relationship between Howie and Everyman strengthens the development of this theme.