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A Drive to Destiny An Appealing aspect of Arna Bontemps’ short story “A Summer Tragedy” is the way he gives Jeff and Jennie Patton justifiable reasons for choosing to end their lives together. When reading “A Summer Tragedy” the reader learns about the declining health, unfair labor, and loss of life the Patton’s fall victim to. This combination of hardships justifies the couple’s decision to fulfill the pledge they have made to one …

…unfair labor, and the devastating loss of their children leaves the Patton’s with nothing to live for. These hardships had controlled the quality of life Jeff and Jennie experienced. Now they serve as justifiable reasons for the decision the couple has made together. As Jeff and Jennie Patton’s car rolled into the river that sunny summer day, is was the first time they were able to control something in their lives; their deaths.