Grief (novel)
During the course of the novel, the ideas of the stages of grief are introduced. The stages are denial, anger, depression, and acceptance. The narrator, as well as other characters in the story, slowly passes through these stages in trying to deal with death.
Delayed grief
The term "delayed grief" is also used to describe a "pattern" in which symptoms of distress, seeking, yearning (etc.), are occurring at a much later time period than is typical. Delayed grief refers to any reaction that occurs later than usual, as a delayed onset of symptoms. Contrast to the term "complicated grief" as meaning a form of grieving that spans years (see full description at: Grief).