The Benefits of Thinking About Death
A review of Emma Cline’s novel 'Switzy' explores how the book confronts the human fear of death through the story of a retired executive seeking assisted dying. The article contrasts the novel's themes with psychological terror-management theory.
Why it matters
The piece highlights how contemporary literature serves as a medium for processing existential dread and societal attitudes toward end-of-life choices.
Emma Cline’s new novel might not make readers happy, but it could strike them with moments of sublime clarity.
Illustration by Lee Kyutae September 8, 2026, 9 AM ET Share Save The human brain has a method for dealing with the intrinsic fear of death. Terror-management theory, which builds on the work of the cultural anthropologist Ernest Becker , explains that the psyche handles this fear in a variety of ways. Many people either escape reality or adopt a belief system that promises immortality: so on the one hand, sex, drugs, or entertainment; on the other, religion, fame, or careerism. Or we might immerse ourselves in family, or culture—something that imbues life with meaning. Otherwise, the theory goes, we would be cognitively immobilized by impending doom.
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