Henry James' novella The Best in the Jungle is a beautifully warning tale about age and activity. The protagonist, John Marcher, is a fatalist, believing he is destined to endure some grand catastrophe which will ruin his life and the lives of anyone close to him by extension. When an old friend, May Bartram, reunites with him, she rekindles an old flame. She moves to the city to spend more time with Marcher, but he keeps her at arms length for her own protection. After years and years of misery pass, the ever apprehensive Marcher begins to realize that maybe the disaster he's awaiting is actually never going to happen.
Marcher's character is not tragic is nearly tragic in the classical understanding of the term. Although he doesn't die at the end of the book, he wakes up to learn he hasn't really been living this whole time. But it's too late. In trying to brace for anticipated catastrophe, he never allowed himself to take the risks which define a life. He allows experiences, relationships, and success fly past him as he refuses to invest in any of them. If each year of his life was measurable by a dollar amount, he would have kept every cent in a savings account only to find in the end that he can't keep any of the cash for himself.
In a similar way, May's narrative is one of sadness and loss. She really loves Marcher. Ecstatic to reunite with him after ten years, she believes that she's been given a second chance at love. To her despair, he won't allow the relationship, even though he too loves her. Everyone can see they both possess all the necessary elements to have a successful marriage. As Marcher cheats himself of his own life, he also robs May of hers, though not without her consent. She waits for him, hoping he will eventually allow her to come close.
