42 pages • 1 hour read
After Ever After
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Themes
The Impact of Life-Threatening Illness on Family Dynamics
The novel’s portrayal of the Alpers and Ibsens illustrates some of the possible impacts that a life-threatening illness can have on family dynamics. Where Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie centered on Jeff’s diagnosis and treatment, After Ever After reflects on the way cancer has shaped Jeff’s identity, as well as his relationship with his parents and brother. The experiences of Jeff’s best friend, Tad, complement and contrast with those of the Alpers, rounding out the portrayal of families in crisis.
The first relationship to indirectly suffer from the impact of Jeff’s illness is the Alper siblings’ dynamic. As the older brother, Steven tried to protect Jeff by minimizing or repressing his own struggles. However, the pressure to perform the role of perfect son and brother eventually led Steven to break free from his family’s expectations in order to “find himself,” thus prioritizing his own well-being for the first time. This puts a strain on Steven and Jeff’s relationship because the younger boy feels abandoned by his older brother: “Basically, my hero woke up one day and quit the world” (37). However, as Jeff copes with his best friend’s relapse, he comes to empathize with Steven and realizes that his brother did not abandon him. In fact, Steven ultimately comes home because he wants to be close to his family again.
Tad and Yvonne’s relationship highlights another kind of tension that can arise when one sibling has a life-threatening illness. Tad is harsh with his younger sister because he resents that she was born a year after he was first diagnosed with cancer. In his words, “[His] own parents [...] replaced [him] with a cute little healthy baby while [he was] under the knife [because] they didn’t think they would lose [Tad], but better safe than sorry” (127). Additionally, he confesses to Jeff that he tries to distance himself from her because he does not want Yvonne to get too attached to him in case he does die. This blend of sibling rivalry and genuine compassion highlights the complex emotional dynamics that a diagnosis of chronic or life-threatening illness can give rise to.
Jeff’s illness also impacts his relationship with his parents, each of whom has a different idea about how to proceed now that he is cancer-free. Jeff’s father is hopeful but does not want to face the reality of his son’s acquired disabilities, insisting that he take standardized tests unaided because “Jeffrey has to stand on his own two feet in this world” (115). On the other hand, Jeff’s mother wants to provide him with necessary accommodations, but her underlying anxiety about his health makes Jeff feel insecure about his abilities.
That adversity both challenges and strengthens the Alpers and the Ibsens’ relationships underscores the novel’s nuanced depiction of cancer’s broader impact. As Jeff comments, “It is freaking uncanny how every single memory in the world ties back into having cancer” (57-58), implying that not only his but also his parents and brother’s lives all revolve around his illness. This leads Jeff to feel guilty for causing their problems—an irrational fear that reveals his underlying anxiety. As its title indicates, After Ever After depicts what happens after a supposed happy ending (i.e., remission) gives way to ordinary life, requiring each family member to grapple with their own fears, doubts, and anxieties.
The Aftereffects of Cancer Treatment
In conjunction with its exploration of family life, the novel also depicts the physical and social aftereffects of cancer treatment. Through the characters of Jeff and Tad, the novel depicts “late effects” (i.e., medical aftereffects) of medication used during the course of cancer treatment. The first-person narration supports this exploration by allowing readers direct insight into Jeff’s personal experience and how he now deals with his disabilities and anxieties.
That treatment has left both Jeff and Tad with disabilities, although they do not exhibit the same symptoms. This suggests that everyone’s medical history is different—part of the narrative’s effort to avoid stereotypical depictions of illness and its aftermath. The effects of Jeff’s cancer treatments on his current health include a limp (due to nerve damage in his foot) as well as neurological disabilities. He also mentions less severe symptoms, such as a tendency to gain weight easily. Jeff’s daily life is shaped by those late effects, which he manages through a mix of personal habits and official accommodations: He “spaces out” in class, is authorized to type his work on a laptop, and adheres to a strict exercise routine. The aftereffects of cancer treatment have become a part of his daily life, and he even points out that some of his symptoms will last for the rest of his life: “[Lifting my right foot up is] something I will never, ever do again” (32-33). Though Tad’s disabilities differ, he too contends with them on a daily basis; for instance, he is an ambulatory wheelchair user due to nerve damage.
These physical disabilities also have emotional consequences, as they can create insecurities and social anxiety. Jeff feels isolated from his peers due to being labeled “one half of the Cancer Twins” and facing hardships that his classmates struggle to empathize with (4). He is consequently insecure about revealing his medical baggage to new people, as exemplified when he wonders how Lindsey will react to him disclosing his disabilities. Tad’s insecurities tend instead to manifest as anger; at one point, he lashes out at Jeff because the latter’s disabilities are less visible. Regardless of the form the boys’ emotions take, the novel suggests that the psychological aftereffects of cancer stem from a mix of trauma from the disease itself and frustration with societal misconceptions and stereotypes about cancer survivors. Jeff, for example, laments being pigeonholed as a “town mascot” by those who find his story inspirational—a narrative that erases the long-term realities of a cancer diagnosis.
In short, the narrative seeks to convey a nuanced and realistic depiction of the aftereffects of cancer treatment. Jeff and Tad’s differing experiences underline the heterogeneous and unpredictable nature of those treatments, further challenging sanitized pop culture depictions of the disease.
Dealing with Loss and Grief
After Ever After does not shy away from the darker implications of cancer, including the effect of treatments on an individual’s health, the diagnosis’s impact on family dynamics, and the reality of death. Through these varying forms of loss, the novel’s characters develop emotionally and ultimately come to understand the most meaningful aspects of life.
At first glance, the most significant example of grief involves Jeff dealing with Tad’s death. However, this event is the symbolic culmination of a series of losses, such as Jeff’s distant relationship with Steven. Steven’s absence makes Jeff feel abandoned and then resentful before he finally accepts his brother’s perspective—an evolving dynamic that evokes the different stages of grief. This implicitly prepares Jeff to deal with Tad’s death in an emotionally mature way. Jeff’s experiences with illness and mortality also entail grief and pave the way for his acceptance of Tad’s death. For instance, he notes that his realistic outlook on life makes him “a bit more grown-up than [his] brother” (99), who is more naïve despite being older. Lindsey likewise praises Jeff’s bravery and resilience, which Jeff dismisses as simply having to face reality. However, he is also shown to act irrationally when he is emotionally overwhelmed, like when he first learns about Tad’s relapse. As they are exercising, Jeff insists that “[getting Tad back onto his machine suddenly] felt like the most important thing in the world” (204), which suggests that he is in denial about Tad’s diagnosis. Nevertheless, when Jeff must confront his loss of Tad, he finds purpose amid his grief by reflecting on their friendship: “I know that [...] journeys aren’t pointless if they come with a round-trip ticket. And I know that [...] Tad’s life wasn’t pointless” (258-59).
Jeff and Tad’s families also experience and grow through loss and grief. For example, Jeff learns that Steven’s departure was partly motivated by his grief over the death of Samantha, a girl who encouraged Steven to stay close to his brother in Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie. Steven eventually confesses that running away was his way of coping with the overwhelming pressure he faced. Eventually, however, Steven realizes that “a big part of why we’re here is to support the people around us” (258), and he comes home to his family. Like Jeff, he passes through grief to an understanding that human relationships are what ultimately matter.
The novel’s title frames the narrative as bittersweet. It is a twist on the phrase “they lived happily ever after,” a common ending to fairy tales that is often referenced in popular culture. The title implies that the phrase erases the reality of death and suffering, yet the novel itself ends on a hopeful note, with Jeff commenting that the purpose of life is to create meaningful relationships and rely on community in times of need. Grief is real, After Ever After implies, but so is love.
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