Death is the destiny of all creatures. From humans to the smallest organisms, like an amoeba, death is inevitable and there is no escaping it. In thinking about this, one can find great despair in the face of this truth. However, death can be premature. A premature death can be considered as a death occurring before a being's average age of death, or in shorter terms, "the expiration date." To shed light on this, premature death is seen in literary works, especially in American narratives. Concisely, the stories that will be analyzed include: The Awakening by Kate Chopin, “Paul's Case” by Willa Cather, and Daisy Miller by Henry James. Mainly, untimely death is seen in the short story The Awakening by Kate Chopin. In short, this story revolves around Edna Pontellier, wife of a very rich Creole businessman, Léonce Pontellier. The short story focuses on Edna's awakening as she undergoes emotional and mental transformations that lead her to abandon her lavish lifestyle to become "free" in her art, thereby "finding" herself. Feeling trapped by her sumptuous surroundings, she finds herself in a very infinitesimal dwelling, described as a “dovecote” (89), where she remains in solitude. At the end of the novel, she swims towards the sea, ends up submerged by the depths and drowns. Additionally, another illustration of premature death is demonstrated in the short story “The Case of Paul” by Willa Cather. Finally, the story follows a high school student, Paul. Paul is suspended from school and is tired of his dull middle-class life. Afterwards, he steals $1,000 from his current employer and flees to New York. At this point, Paul recognizes the metropolis, only to discover that his great...... middle of paper ......ion is subjective; however, Henry James can argue that this was complete negligence. James would do this because it can be inferred that when a person “does not care,” especially about themselves, they are being negligent. Overall, the untimely deaths of Edna Pontellier, Paul, and Daisy Miller reveal themes to readers of The Awakening, "Paul's Case," and Daisy Miller, as a result. When relating similar situations to their own lives, these themes can teach people valuable lessons that can help them live their lives. In any case, witnessing or even reading about deaths can encourage a person to live well, that is, to live life to the fullest. Life is too short and as the examples above prove, it can end prematurely, but you still have to enjoy the precious moments you have, because everything can disappear in the blink of an eye..