The narrative of Marilynne Robinson's Gilead is expressed in the form of a long, heartfelt message from a dying father to his young son. Intended to be read after his imminent passing, John Ames III writes to capture his moral sentiments and life advice through a series of stories and recollections, all influenced by his upbringing in a godly family and profession as a pastor. After expressing his guilt and comfort at leaving his family with almost nothing in monetary terms, Ames hopes that the letter will leave his son with something of moral value (8). Written in the ordinary town of Gilead, Iowa, the letter is the embodiment of the value of the father's knowledge and lessons, and is essentially the only thing he leaves in the physical world for his son. Throughout the novel, there are a variety of stories and memories collected in a stream of consciousness. However, one storyline remains prominent from cover to cover, and stands out for its themes of forgiveness and personal progress: Jack Boughton's return to Gilead, his childhood home, and his subsequent departure. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The son of longtime friend Robert Boughton, John Ames considers his namesake, John Ames Boughton, or Jack, his son. Although it is initially unclear why Jack returned to Gilead, John III eventually reveals Jack's secret dishonor. In his early college years, Jack has a son with a young girl who lives outside the city in a poor family in an old, dilapidated house. The mother gives birth to the little girl, only to see her die at the age of three due to an infected laceration. This could have been avoided if Jack had been involved in their lives and removed them from their humble living circumstances, but Jack "never acknowledged the child" and never "[made] any provision for it (157)" . Although Jack's actions were in accordance with his selfish desires and motivations, the judgment of rightness lies in the viewer's perception. Although John Ames has consistently framed situations for the better and sought the good in every moment, he sees Jack's decision as a dishonorable one. Jack not only abandoned his daughter and her mother, but refused to acknowledge their existence. While one might believe that the Ames family's ability to find a blessing in even the darkest of circumstances is a testament to optimism and living one's best life, Through the analysis of John Jack's ultimate forgiveness and abundance of blessings that precede it, it is confirmed that the recognition of even the smallest blessings produces the ability to achieve empathy, giving way to the extension of forgiveness even for the most atrocious acts. The old adage of the glass being half full or half empty is a proverbial manifestation of the two ways in which one can evaluate a situation. One way airs on the side of pessimism, viewing the situation as negative and undesirable. The other side is a vision of positivity and optimism, and it is the way John Ames III was raised to see the world. There are a multitude of examples in the novel where John finds, or is shown, blessing in even the most dire situations. With his father and grandfather both being pastors and his upbringing generally being devout, the importance of finding the positives in every situation is instilled in John from a young age. This was a skill that his one-eyed grandfather mastered, as he was even able to interpret the loss of his eye in battle as a form of blessing, remarking "I am confident that I will find in it greatblessing (36)." Furthermore, during a trip to Kansas with his father, in search of the grave of the deceased John Ames I, the two find themselves hungry, without water and covered in dirt from head to toe. Despite this, the two manage to enjoy each other's company as they "remain [at the grave] until the sun sets and the moon rises." After witnessing this magnificent sight of “great, provocative skeins of light suspended between [the sun and moon],” John's father observes that “[he] never thought [the cemetery] could be beautiful” and “[he was] happy to know that” it was possible (14). In this moment of struggle, in which the two beg to work in exchange for food, John's father finds beauty and meaning. Despite the less than desirable circumstances of John's grandfather's death and how it impacted John II, the beauty surrounding the place of death and sadness is emphasized, illustrating the small blessing hidden in this difficult time. Yet another example of finding a silver lining in a dire situation also occurs when John is a young man. Reminiscing, she writes of the "great pride" her mother felt in her chickens who "produced eggs at [an astonishing rate]." One afternoon; however, a storm broke out over Gilead and a “general disaster” ensued (35). The wind tore off the roof of the chicken coop, causing the chickens and dogs to run away, with unparalleled enthusiasm, chasing the chickens and tearing them to pieces. If that's not enough, fresh laundry hanging outside begins to sag in the muddy ground. Even in the face of extreme chaos and the death of their livestock, her mother gently mocks, “I know there's a blessing in here somewhere,” replicating her father-in-law's behavior and words (36). The two, mother and son, share this moment together, a glimpse of bonding, and that is the great blessing. As John grows up, he is able to identify the favorable aspects of different circumstances himself, even if he is not directly involved. One morning, going to church, he sees a young couple walking. In the letter he shares that “the sun had risen brilliantly after a heavy rain, and the trees were glistening and very wet.” Watching carefully, he observes “the man [jumps] up and [grabs] a branch, and a storm of bright water pours down on the two of them.” While this outcome might have made another couple angry or frustrated about the water dripping on their clothes, “they laughed and ran, while the girl wiped the water off her dress (27).” He notes that “it was beautiful to see…for it is easy to believe at such times that the water was made primarily for blessing, and only secondarily” for other purposes (28). This moment captures his innate ability to see the blessing in a simple moment of beauty, while also recognizing the blessing that is the pure and holy substance of water. John's continuous effort to “find the blessing…somewhere” in every stage of life allows him to develop empathy (35). Since John is a man of God, it is appropriate to define empathy in the context of God's word, through the text of the Bible. Galatians 6:2-3 says, “Share one another's burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you're too important to help anyone, you're only fooling yourself. You are not that important (The Holy Bible 1479).” Through analyzing this passage from Galatians, it becomes clear that through counting and recognizing blessings, the multitude of positive characteristics in their lives are realized, allowing them to exemplify empathy for those who do not have the same ability, thus sharing the their burden. No man is exempt from showing empathy as no man.