The novel starts off with the main character of the novel, Henry Armstrong. We learn that he is extremely sick, most probably due to an illness of an internal organ, but not dying. He is confused as to why he is buried, but he hears the voices of 2 medical students and a “gigantic negro” named Jess uncovering his coffin but the 2 medical students flees after seeing that he is alive. The next day, they are surprised to see Jess asking for “his pay”, implying that he had killed Henry and that bodies are illegally dug up and used in medical research.
I thought this novel was very interesting to read and it also highlights that problems of today’s modern society, that in fact things like these often occur especially in countries that have few legitimate laws. It also highlights the human nature of greed. That some people go to the extent to which they break laws and disrespect the families of the dead to do things such as these.