In the short story Before the End of Summer by Grant Moss, Jr., the boy Benny deals with death. Living through the deaths of his Grandmother’s friend as well as his Grandmother’s own, he begins to realize that death is just as natural as birth.

In the beginning of the story, Bennie overhears his grandmother talking to the local doctor, who says that she will not make it to the end of the of the summer. At this, Bennie becomes frightened, and, metaphorically speaking, runs away from his problem.

Through a turn of events, his grandmother’s friend’s death, and overhearing future conversations, Bennie will slowly learn what death is and what it means, and to accept his own mortality. Towards the end of the story, Bennie will have gained enough knowledge to confront death itself, in his grandmother.

In short, Bennie learns what death is and learns not to fear it, but to accept it as a natural part of life of which we all must face at some point in our lives. Bennie’s change is from that of an immature child fearful of death, to a young adult who has accepted his own mortality.