Iron Will

    “None of us can hold back our spirit from departing.  None of us has the power to prevent the day of our death...”  Ecclesiastes 8:8.  No one can prevent death, we can only regret it.  Many people think “what will happen now?” when someone close to them dies; but they sometimes think “What would have happened if he/she was still alive today?”  In literature does this happen also where you wish you could stop death, but there is no way you can.  In the adventure story, Iron Will, by John Hayes, the character, Jack Stoneman (Will’s father), drowns and dies at the beginning of the story; and if he hadn’t died, the whole story would’ve been entirely different, Will might not have won or even entered the race, the Stoneman’s might have the farm still at jeopardy and Will might not have ever got to go to college.
    Will would have never had the willpower to win the race if his Father hadn’t died.  Nor would Gus respect him.  Plus he probably wouldn’t have even entered it,  Since his Father death was a big influence to join the race and if his Father were still alive, he would not have let Will race, believing it was too dangerous and not necessary.   Also, if Will’s father died and if Will didn’t win the race, the farm would be near to impossible to save if they were going to pay for Will to go to college.  Will’s Dad would have to work super hard or even have to sell the dogs or the farm to get enough money for Will to go to college.  If they kept the farm, Will would not have gone to college, being forced to stay and live his Father’s life and work to help with costs of the farm.  Then he would never get an education and end up inheriting the farm when his parents eventually die, he might keep dog sledding and maybe sometime try to do a smaller race to earn some money. 
    Therefore, if Will’s Father hadn’t died, Will wouldn’t have won or possibly entered the race, The Stoneman Farm might have to be sold, and Will might not have had the chance to go to college.  Will regretted the day his father died, especially because he thought he could have saved his father.  But really there was no way to prevent what was happening and Will would have never turn out the same if his father had not died.