Death
These stories are a portrait of life's essential dilemma—the end of life in death. For Ward, the finality of death was thrust upon her five times in only a few years, ultimately culminating with the death of her very own brother. As she tells the stories, she also thinks openly about death in her prose, considering the existential opinions of some of her loved ones, discussing the real deaths, and also considering death as the consequence of tragedy. It isn't just that these five men died; they all died so young, tragically, and unnecessarily.
The problem of suffering
This theme is explored in Ward's treatment of pain and suffering. Most of these five deaths happened to people whose lives were extremely difficult already. One was locked into bitter fights with his girlfriend while his mental health deteriorated because he didn't know how to talk about the fact that he was becoming suicidally depressed. It isn't just that he died—he endured a true torture along the way.
What is the meaning of this? Is the universe designed for us to just suffer and die? Why do some people receive fates that are less difficult and painful than others? These questions are asked but not answered, though Ward pontificates openly about the negative effects of specific social injustices that could be addressed—like bullying.
Legacy and meaning
The true meaning of life is a big question mark in this book. It looms over Ward's stories, because the stories themselves are Ward's real attempt to record these deaths in a meaningful way by bringing the stories to the public through her writing. In other words, Ward feels that by writing these stories, perhaps the reader can have a meaningful experience with the legacies of these men—so they won't be forgotten.
The idea here is legacy. Without a way to explain how much their suffering and death meant to those who knew them, Ward would have to let their memories pass. So the purpose of the book is to honor their lives by remembering their names, their stories, and their tragic fates.
