Reality is Quality There are many perspectives and definitions on art, an abstract topic. In the world of books, nothing is considered art unless the novel can engage the readers through the author's use of emotions and stylistic syntax. Using Groen's essay “Books Still Win” tragic realism is seen in Joshua Ferris' novel “Then We Came to the End.” Tragic realism is evident in Ferris' novel through the fact there is both good and bad within a person, that life improves with struggles and that sadness is always evident. An author's piece begins to impact the audience once connections are made between the readers and characters of the novel. Rick Groen states that fictional characters acquire more personality compared to those who
To illustrate this we could take Ferris' novel when Hank Neary is reading a passage in his book, Carl Garbedian surprises his ex-coworkers when he is present with his wife, Marilynn: “He was hardly recognizable. His gut was gone and he was tan as an almond. He was wearing a dark blue linen blazer with an open collared shirt and he'd done something with his hair. His legs crossed, he was focused on Hank with great curiosity, perfectly still, listening. (Ferris 372)”

At the beginning of the story, Ferris portrays Garbedian as a fat, unenthusiastic, and moronic character. Yet, throughout this, as Garbedian persistently climbs up that mountain, the readers acknowledge his change for the better. Garbedian did not attain a healthier life by sitting down at a computer; he takes the necessary actions to improve his life in every way. For example, Garbedian now owns a landscaping company but had to give up a well-paying job in order to obtain this. Such actions display that one must overcome harsh obstacles in order to achieve desired goals and that tragedies are a factor of reality. Therefore, one can say that readers are provided a sense of connectivity within the book based on the discussed scenarios. There is always sadness within one's heart, and Lynn Mason is no