Themes and message

Guilt and grief

One of the themes explored by Declan J Connaughton in the short story “Field of Tears” is the theme of guilt and grief. This theme is illustrated by De Burca who, at the beginning of the narrative, is a ninety-eight-year-old man reliving memories of his past. After his granddaughter comes to visit him in the nursing home, they go for a ride around the village and he directs her toward a field that played an important role when he was young. 

The field reminds De Burca of a traumatic event that he experienced in the past when he w...