Let It Go: Grief And A New Normal In 'Six Feet Under'
Start writing a post
Arts Entertainment

Let It Go: Grief And A New Normal In 'Six Feet Under'

No, things will not be normal for a while and will be chaotic. But that doesn't mean we can't forge a new normal - and maybe, for this scene, that's the point. That's how we let it go.

101
Let It Go: Grief And A New Normal In 'Six Feet Under'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0EcNdM79sA&t=2s

Nathaniel: "You hang on to your pain like it means something. Like it's worth something. Well, let me tell you - it's not worth shit. Let it go! Infinite possibilities, and all he can do is whine."

David : "Well, what am I supposed to do?"

Nathaniel: " What do you think? You can do anything, you lucky bastard - you're alive! What's a little pain compared to that?"

David: "It can't be that simple."

Nathaniel: "What if it is?"

The above interaction is from "Six Feet Under," a show about the grief of a family that owns a funeral parlor. A dark comedy series, the show features hallucinations and flashbacks of the dead father of the family, Nathaniel. David is getting over an experience getting violently beaten and almost murdered by a stranger he picked up on the street, and he is grieving and unable to go on with life and his job for a very long time.

In the scene, he imagines the interaction with his father after meeting with his assaulter, after still feeling dissatisfied despite the interaction and reckoning. After the hallucination, he does get over his trauma, and that means we have to ask ourselves: can it be that simple? Should we be grateful that we are still alive?

For the vast majority of my life, my answer would have been a no. Moving on is complicated, and not very simple. Life is supposed to be brutish, and messy. But what if life is actually that simple, I ask?

But maybe I'm asking the wrong questions. Obviously, the philosophy is much easier said than done. The show goes on for another season, and it's pretty clear that scars from the incident still follow him.

"Let it go" in this scene does not actually mean to let it go. I have been grieving, too, of late, and the part of the powerful scene that strikes out to me now is Nathaniel's notion about infinite possibilities being out there. David is alive, and people who are alive can do anything. I remind myself sometimes, faced with new experiences that break the routine of sad monotony, that there is a whole world out there. It's not a new world, but just one that tells me that what I do now, at this moment, is not all there is to life.

The emphasis is perhaps what the point is. A story simply about my pain or yours gets repetitive, reductive, and at times, boring. A story is the combination of plot and narrative. There needs to be some conflict in plot, and simply people suffering and being in pain is narrative with no conflict. Do I have temptation, sometimes, to just stay in my room all day, cower to shame, and not allow life to go on? Yes, I do, much like David does in much season 4 of "Six Feet Under."

"Let that shit go" is perhaps more of a plea from the image of Nathaniel to David to not let the pain of re-living of trauma consume him, but instead a plea to venture out bravely with it, much like he did in confronting his assaulter. It is a plea to stop running away, because what is a little pain compared to being alive? David has been living as if he was dead, yet the confrontation of the assaulter was the first time he allowed himself to be alive.

Maybe the fact that we can live with our pain and go on, and no, things will not be normal for a while and will be chaotic. But that doesn't mean we can't forge a new normal - and maybe, for this scene, that's the point. That's how we let it go.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

53753
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

34595
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

957028
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

181721
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments