VERONIKA DECIDES TO DIE
We belong to a world in which a person commits suicide in every 40 seconds. Its a fundamental question that every person asks themselves : " Why should I go on living ? ". At some or other point of life, we humans, being an emotional animal may get depressed on every minute obstacles in our life and begins to search the rope to "Hang" ourselves. Poulo Coelho in his book " Veronika Decides To Die " with the tag line ' A Journey of Redemption ' deals with this indespensable issue. This is not just a book but a journey towards oneself.
Veronika, the protagonist of the novel is a 24 year old,Slovenian girl who has everything in her life ; beauty , friends and a satisfying job. But in her inner soul she felt void which nothing ever in this world could fill. After evaluating every possible method of committing suicide, she finally decides to kill herself by taking sleeping pills. Her decision to conclude her state of being alive was based on two reasons. Firstly, she would gain nothing by continuing to live rather than her sufferings. Also it is sure that one day she will become old. The second reason is highly philosophical; she felt the world is full of sins and her deeds are entirely powerless. So its better not to live here.
Unfortunately, or should i say fortunately, her attempt to suicide wasn't as successful as she wished. She opened her eyes into a new world of "insanity". She was admitted into a mental asylum and was informed that she will live only for a week due to severe heart damage. From there Veronika met new characters. They are Dr Igor, Zedka , Mari , Eduard ( fellow patients ) who plays a crucial role in her life. Locked with the mentally disabled , she was confused wheather she was insane or not. There she explores her life to the fullest level possible by wearing a mask of mental illness so that people will not criticize her for whatever she does. This provides her the freedom to do anything she loves. She discovered the love of her life. She was opened to a place with new experiences with the beauty of madness. Days she spent there was like a journey to herself. It is the attitude of human beings that make their life monotonous or beautiful. People who live by obeying the societal concepts are considered to be normal. But here , our heroine begins to enjoy her life when she was categorized under the " abnormals ". Now she doesn't wish to die. Thus Veronika Decides To LIVE...
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