Tragedy plays an important role in narratives. This role is particularly evident in many short narratives of danger. Stephen King's "The Boogeyman" follows a man as he tries to deal with the tragic and mysterious deaths of his children. Bharati Mukherjee's "Management of Grief" follows a woman as she tries to deal with the loss of her children and tries to help others do the same. “In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson is Buried,” by Amy Hempel, follows a woman as she spends time with her dying friend and tries to deal with the situation. In these stories, among many others of this genre, tragedy plays a vital role in defining the story. Tragedy has become a popular tool in short stories and therefore must be a beneficial tool for authors. In his essay “Interest and Truth” Gardner argues that for a narrative to work it cannot simply have meaning; it must convey it in an interesting way. Tragedy is an effective means of satisfying both of these requirements. The tragedy satisfies the reader's immediate interest by drawing him into the narrative and also demonstrating to the reader the importance of the author's argument. In these works, tragedy serves as the foundation of the story. Without the tragedy these stories would not exist. “Management of Grief” focuses on Shaila's attempts to deal with the tragic loss of her loved ones. The reader experiences how she and many others deal with the grief they feel after the tragic death of their loved ones. Some deny this, such as Dr. Ranganathan who suggests that his son “might arrive safely on some island. It is quite possible that there could be many, many microscopic islands scattered here and there,” when in reality this is an unlikely possibility (Mukherjee 939). Some try to ignore it while others move on... middle of the paper... story. It engages the reader and at the same time demonstrates the meaning of the story. It allows the reader to appreciate and understand both the story and its meaning. It also provides an interesting outlet for the author's argument. Understanding the purpose of such a large part of short stories as tragedy helps to understand how these stories work, how authors construct them, and what the author's intent is. This helps take a step towards understanding literature in general. It might help explain why tragedy, something avoided in life, is often sought out in literature. Tragedy plays a role in all of these categories because it takes on such an important role in short fiction. This understanding begins with the idea of ​​how tragedy provides an interesting means of expounding the subject and simultaneously involving the reader in the narrative.