A Common Story
It is easy for people to try and classify this play as, ‘a story about grief’. These people try to describe grief as something only the most unfortunate people have to deal with, as if this topic is one that you can conveniently pull out when you feel like crying. However, Rabbit Hole is a story first and foremost about people. This is because grief is a human situation that everyone has or will have to go through at some point in their life. These characters are not “grieving people” (as if it were some other species). They are people who are grieving.
The other thing about this play is that its genre is purely realistic. While that works for and drives this play, perhaps you as an audience member cannot relate to realism. That’s alright. If there’s anything to be learned from Rabbit Hole, it’s that everybody grieves in a different way. Just like that, everybody comprehends and deals with the topic of grief in a different way, too. If you find yourself leaving this play wishing for something similar, but from a different angle, try some of these other ‘stories about grief’.
The Haunting of Hill House: This Netflix TV series written by Mike Flannigan and loosely based on a book of the same name by Shirley Jackson. It centers around a family who just lost their sister and are having to reconnect from around the country for the funeral as well as re-examine their childhood in a severely haunted house. The genre here is horror and yet the theme of grief is as unmistakable, poignant, and well put as ever.
Hamlet: The classic play by William Shakespeare centers around a prince who just lost his father and is having to cope with grief as well as revenge his father’s murder. Unlike Rabbit Hole, Hamlet is clearly a tragedy. Now, Hamlet is by no means realistic. Ghosts are talked to, royal plays are performed, and old men are stabbed through curtains. However, Hamlet’s sense of loss is very real throughout this story, making it another good representation of this same theme.
Paddington: The 2014 children’s film written by Paul King, begins with the title bear finding his father figure (uncle) dead and having to leave home. The story does get brighter from there, having Paddington adventure through London and meet the Brown Family. However, this is all ultimately tied into the goal of trying to find a new home and family to replace the one he lost at the beginning. As happy as most of the movie is, we are not allowed to forget throughout that Paddington has this hole in his heart. Something is missing for him that may never be filled again.
In these stories we see bears, princes, and people all dealing with the harsh reality of the death of a loved one. This story is a common one. Don’t shy away from it. Let it resonate with you. Accept the journey that each of these stories takes you on, along with everything that comes with it.