A Contract with God is a graphic novel created by Will Eisner. In this novel, a young Hasidic Jew named Frimme Hersh makes a contract with God and devotes his life to him. He believes all his good fortune is a result of this. One day he receives an orphaned baby girl, who he then takes care of. However after a few years, she suddenly passes away, which infuriates Hersh as he feels god has violated the contract. This drastically changes him, he becomes a greedy business man, indulging himself on various vices. Even with all of his indulgences, he feels an emptiness that he believes can be filled with another contract with God. However almost immediately after it is written, he dies as well. Later, a young boy finds Hersh's old contract and signs it, creating a new cycle.
What struck me most profoundly is Eisner's depiction of grief and irony. The anger in the novel was nearly tangible, you could truly feel Eisner's rage. I originally did not know the author had gone through such a tragedy but after reading this it was obvious. Anyone who has dealt with a loss so deeply tragic, as Eisner had with his own daughter, would definitely feel as though the world or God had turned their back on them. In death especially, things can feel so utterly unfair, no matter what age, but to be so young is so heartbreaking. Hersh had done everything right in is life prior, which made his daughter's death even more senseless and unjustifiable. I felt just a deep pity for Hersh.
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