“The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity” by W. P. Young

NB: We do not resell your papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.

NB: All your data is kept safe from the public.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Conclusion
Work Cited

Introduction

The fourth chapter of the book The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity by William Paul Young presents a cyclic development of the plot, where Mack has to get to the shack two times; in fact, tragedy starts here and has to come to the end in this very place. The shack is a starting point, but not for the detective part of the story. It is the place where Mack’s distrust to the Creator begins and this is the place, where Mack will find a spiritual peace in the end of the story. Chapter four is a step between mystical and realistic parts of the book. It describes the events of relatively remote past, which still torture Mack: the disappearance and murder of Mack’s daughter, Missy, from the hands of a serial killer, called The Little Lady-killer. In the end of the chapter Mack thinks over the note from mysterious Papa who invited him to the shack. The main character cannot understand who has send it and on what purpose? Was it the killer? Or could the author of the note be really God? Doubting, Mack goes to the shack to look for the truth he needs.

I chose the chapter 4 The Great Sadness, because it describes the concurrence of circumstances of events which led Mack to the destruction of his belief. Comparing with the rest of the book it presents the description of everything which took place in the camp city after Mack found out that one of his daughters, Missy, was kidnapped by one moral “monster”. Through the chapter we may observe a difficult path of disappointment. The whole chapter is crammed with details. Such technique gives the author an opportunity to highlight the tension Mack felt. We can follow all places Mack had been at, all people Mack had talked to. Still, after the conversation with young people who saw the Missy with a man, the development slows down: there is no rapid development any more: the father is already frustrated, and there is nothing to move forward to. The first part of the chapter is a harsh, while the second one is the depiction of the Great Sadness.

At the beginning of the chapter, when Mack wants to find where his daughter, one of the firsts he appeals to is God: “Oh God, help me find her…” (Young, 2007, p. 58), and then intensify his appeal: “Oh God, please help me find her” (Young, 2007, p. 58). The author reveals the intensity of Belief: “he was desperate to get Missy back, and surely God knew she was” (Young, 2007, p. 58). And the only fact which could ruin his faith was the fact his daughter disappeared, that something wrong happened to her. Just this event was the most destructive one: “God, how could this happen” (Young, 2007, p. 68). The author dedicated the forth chapter to the illustration how Mack degraded in the aspect faith. The whole chapter is filled with anger, anxiousness, and disappointment of Mack by his destiny and the power of faith: “…anyway, what good was following God at all? Look where it got him” (Young, 2007, p. 74).

The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts is an interesting mixture of different styles, such as detective, realistic narration as well as mystics and fantastic. The book reflects author’s ideas about universal equality where everybody has their place in God’s hands, and it makes no difference, either they are Christians or representatives of other religions.

Those who love me come from every system that exists, They were Buddhists or Mormons, Baptists or Muslims, Democrats, Republicans and many who do not vote or are not part of any Sunday morning or religious institution… I have no desire to make them Christian, but I do want them to join them in their transformation into sons and daughters of my Papa, into my brothers and sisters, into my Beloved. (Young, 2007, p. 148)

Conclusion

Though the book caused a lot of criticism on the hand of deeply religious people, it is very interesting as metaphor of humanisms principles, worded in the form of accessible and attractive reading.

Work Cited

Young, W. P. (2007).The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity. New York Windblown Media.

Click Here To Order Now!

“The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity” by W. P. Young

Do you need this or any other assignment done for you from scratch?

We have qualified writers to help you.

We assure you a quality paper that is 100% free from plagiarism and AI.

You can choose either format of your choice ( Apa, Mla, Havard, Chicago, or any other)