A model developed by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross (1969) is described which identified methods of preparation and coping used by terminally ill hospital patients as defense mechanisms. Kubler-Ross posits that less adjustment is required if a patient is allowed to terminate his life in familiar and beloved surroundings, and more when death occurs outside one's accustomed environment. The Kubler-Ross model is applied to 'Darkness at Noon' by Arthur Koestler, and the psychological analysis of its central character, Nicholas Salmanovitch Rubashov, are discussed. Striking parallels are found between the Kubler-Ross states of death and Rubashov's mental preparations before his death. The author posits that Koestler, whose work preceded the Kubler-Ross theory, had an innate understanding of the death states model. 2 references.