Inkling

In the heart of Inkling, the Rylance family grapples with the aftermath of Olivia’s passing, exploring the many ways they cope with grief. Olivia’s significant role in the household leaves a void that each character addresses uniquely. The narrative underscores that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to grieving; instead, individuals navigate this complex emotion in their own time and manner.

Even two years after Olivia’s passing, Peter, Ethan, and Sarah grapple with grief in distinct manners. With her youth and Down syndrome, Sarah appears the most adept at handling her emotions. Understanding her mother’s death took time, and Peter and Ethan had to explain Olivia’s death repeatedly over a period of weeks. Although Sarah eventually ceased asking about Olivia, she erupted into uncontrollable sobs one night. Sarah’s emotional maturity lies in her acceptance and acknowledgment of her feelings: a resilience that both Peter and Ethan struggle to imitate. Sarah is also the only one of the family to openly discuss Olivia, echoing her mother’s words and finding comfort in toys that Olivia once gave her. Even when faced with Inkling’s abduction, Sarah’s emotional outburst is followed by marked resilience, and her openness serves as a beacon of strength.

Ethan, like Sarah, manages to carry on with his daily responsibilities amidst his internal grief. He attends school, fulfills his household chores, and looks after Sarah. However, unlike his sister, Ethan copes by suppressing his emotions, which leads to heightened anxiety, frustration, and resentment. This emotional repression results in unexpected waves of grief, such as when Sarah echoes his mother’s farewell, causing “a hard squeeze in his throat” (13). Likewise, Ethan confesses that, “without mom the house still felt emptier. […] Some mornings […] he had that same terrible feeling he’d had right after she died” (105). The recurring nature of this overwhelming emotion implies that Ethan has yet to process his grief. Instead, he is ignoring it because he feels responsible for keeping the family together. 

Inkling becomes a crucial supporter in Ethan’s journey to process his grief. Because Peter’s struggles push Ethan into a secondary parental role, he finds it a challenge to trust others. Inkling’s assistance builds Ethan’s trust and enables the boy to open up about his fears, his concerns, and his profound sense of loss. Sharing these emotions with Inkling and later with Soren proves therapeutic for Ethan, and recognizing Inkling’s reliability fosters Ethan’s broader willingness to trust others and seek support, propelling him from mere survival to a thriving state.

While Ethan and Sarah navigate life despite their grief, Peter faces a different struggle. Olivia’s death leaves Peter unable to write, struggling with childcare, and possibly relying on alcohol to induce sleep. Peter’s grief evolves into a deep depression that is further exacerbated by his secret guilt over being absent at the moment of Olivia’s death. Peter’s refusal to seek help and his insistence on projecting a mask of stability isolates the family from any external supports that might otherwise be available to them. Moreover, this behavioral pattern teaches Ethan that expressing emotions or seeking assistance is unacceptable.

Peter’s grief forms a relentless cycle as it intertwines with his guilt over Olivia’s death and plunges him into a state of depression. The weight of this emotional burden renders him incapable of working, and his persistent writer’s block compounds his feelings of uselessness. Grumpiness and impatience surface in his interactions with his children, intensifying his guilt and further deepening the spiral of depression. Stuck in this cycle, Peter’s journey toward healing initially seems unattainable, but fortunately, Inkling becomes a motivation for change. Taking over some of Peter’s responsibilities, Inkling alleviates Peter’s burden of feeling useless, thereby enabling the artist to reconnect with his emotions and his family.

Peter’s breakthrough in grief comes with the release of his guilt surrounding Olivia’s death. Constantly plagued by anger and worry during Olivia’s illness, Peter feared Olivia thought his anger was directed at her. Olivia’s note is a revelation, offering understanding and absolving Peter of this guilt. This newfound clarity prompts Peter to confess his conflicting emotions to Ethan, unburdening himself. Like Ethan, Peter experiences heightened functionality after acknowledging and processing his emotions. After unburdening himself of this guilt, Peter initiates a new project and transforms into a more active parent.With this character’s development, Oppel illustrates the larger message that embracing and communicating emotions rather than repressing them is an essential part of the process of grieving. Each character’s unique journey accentuates the narrative’s central theme: the healing power of acknowledging and navigating the complexities of loss.