Essay Questions

Is Reggie’s mysterious death satirical in ‘The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey’?

The reader is introduced to Ptolemy, an older man who has dementia. Ptolemy is 91 years old, and he can rarely do anything on his own. In most cases, Ptolemy relies on his nephew, Reggie, to help him. Unfortunately, Reggie dies a mysterious death. Reggie's death is ironic because it makes Ptolemy start thinking about his few remaining days before he dies. At some point, Ptolemy sees himself as a survivor, but at the same time, his death is becoming more apparent.

What is the limitation of time in an individual’s life?

Reggie is determined to take care of Ptolemy for the rest of his life. Unfortunately, Reggie dies before accomplishing his mission. The reader realizes that despite Reggie's desire and determination to take Ptolemy's care, his time on earth is limited because he dies before accomplishing his mission. On the other hand, Robyn comes in place of Reggie to take care of the older man. Robyn is determined to help Ptolemy to recover his memory, and she takes him to a doctor. The doctor, unfortunately, tells Ptolemy that his time on earth is limited. Despite the doctor's efforts, Ptolemy dies. Robyn was willing to spend the rest of her time taking care of Ptolemy, but unfortunately, time did not favor her.

How does Ptolemy solve the mystery of his death?

Ptolemy had dementia for a long time, and his memory was slowly getting lost. With Robyn and doctors' help, Ptolemy is given a drug that helps him recover his memory despite reducing his life expectancy for some months. After taking the medication, Ptolemy's memory comes back, and he realizes that he has dementia which is the ultimate cause of his death. Therefore, despite dying painfully, at last, Ptolemy understands the reason that led to his death.