What does Death teach us about the nature of humanity and the world/society he sees?
Death sees humans from an almost god-like view point. He is a supernatural form but continuously refers to himself as being just like us - in looks and emotions. From his piont of view we see the insanity of war and the pure destruction it causes that us humans might be to small minded to see in the big picture. In a community like Molching, Death shows us the huge ripple effect war has on every life involved until we see humans searching for death in a desperate attempt to escape earth and their human bodies. Death tells us he has no control over events, he has the ability to be at the right place to witness and clean up but really he just works for the people who kill, saving the souls from the humans.
What is Deaths literal and figurative role in the novel?
Death takes the human souls when they die. He doesn’t like taking the souls but it is his job. Death shows us the wider picture of war, whereas the characters in the novel shows us the perspective of a smaller part of war. Death is a symbolic character. He symbolises the result of war. Because Death is portrayed as a bad thing but also a nice character, it symbolises that in this time people sometimes wanted to die because it could have been nice compared to living through the war. “So many people chased after me in that time, calling my name, asking me to take them with me.”
Death sees humans from an almost god-like view point. He is a supernatural form but continuously refers to himself as being just like us - in looks and emotions. From his piont of view we see the insanity of war and the pure destruction it causes that us humans might be to small minded to see in the big picture. In a community like Molching, Death shows us the huge ripple effect war has on every life involved until we see humans searching for death in a desperate attempt to escape earth and their human bodies. Death tells us he has no control over events, he has the ability to be at the right place to witness and clean up but really he just works for the people who kill, saving the souls from the humans.
What is Deaths literal and figurative role in the novel?
Death takes the human souls when they die. He doesn’t like taking the souls but it is his job. Death shows us the wider picture of war, whereas the characters in the novel shows us the perspective of a smaller part of war. Death is a symbolic character. He symbolises the result of war. Because Death is portrayed as a bad thing but also a nice character, it symbolises that in this time people sometimes wanted to die because it could have been nice compared to living through the war. “So many people chased after me in that time, calling my name, asking me to take them with me.”
lix, pudz and mukazz go wild.
introduction to death (Quotes):
"First the colours. Then the humans. That's ussually how I see things. Or at least how i try." (page 3)
"Personally I like a chocolate coloured sky. Dark, dark chocolate. People say it suits me." (page 4)
"A single hour can consist of thousands of different colours. Waxy yellows, cloud spat blues, murky darknesses. In my line of work, I make it a point to notice them." (page 5)
Explanation:
1) Chocolate brown- dawn/dusk of day dark sky with warmth links to; dawn/dusk of humans lives. Dusk refers to the end of a life, the right time for collecting souls.
2) Chocolate is a symbol of: devotion, power and love. Dark brown is a symbol of: earth, water convention stability and practicality.
"Here is a smal fact: you are going to die" (page 3)
"I'm not violent. I'm not malicious I am a result." (page 7)
Explanation:
part of life is death, death doesn't kill people, he is just a result. Death doesn'y choose when you die, and he actually doesn't end your life, he just takes your soul. It is his job.
Death is given no physical description, he says he does not carry a sickel or scythe "only wears a hooded black robe when its cold" and doesn't "have those skull like facial features."
"I buckled - I became interested in the girl." (page 8)
Instead of focusing on the colours, death became distracted by the girl.
Middle Section - Death (Quotes):
"They were French, they were Jews, and they were you" (page 374)
"For me the sky was the colour of Jews" (page 372)
"Even death has a heart." (page 262)
"Please believe me when I tell you that I picked up each sould that day as if it were newly born." (page 373)
- communal responsibility - the discrimination of Jews was prejudice towards one race. Despite the differences,in the big pitcure, they are human, we are human. Therefore we have a responsibility to see that all of our kind is treated the same with fairness and the same respect as in the end, we are all human.
"A small peice of truth: I do not carry a sickle or scythe. I only only wear a hooded black robe, when it's cold. And i don't have those skull like features you seem to enjoy pinning on me from a distance. You want to know what i truly look like? I'll help you out. Find yourself a mirror while i continue." (page 329)
"I've seen so many young men over the years, who think they're running at other men. They are not. They're running at me" (page 189)
"they say that war is death's friend, but i must offer you a different point of view on that one. to me, war is like a new boss who expects the impossible. he stands over your shoulder repeting one thing, inscessantly."get it done, get it done." so you work harder. you get the job done. the boss, however, does not thank you. he asks for more." (page 331)
Explanation: death isn't a person, more of a job. TImes of war do not promise perfect new beginings but more promise of destruction and loss, death ultimately. Running into battle is staring death in the face, asking him to come for you.
"so many humans. so many colours.
They keep triggering inside me. they harass my memory. i see them tall in their heaps, all mounted on top of each other. there is air like plastic, a horizon like setting gluethere are skies manufactured by people, punctured and leaking, and there are soft, coal-coloured clouds, beating, like balck hearts. And then there is death making his way through all of it" (page 331)
End Section Death (Quotes):
"So many people chased after me in that time, calling my name, asking me to take them with me." (page 534)
"A last note from your narrator: i am haunted by humans" (page 584)
- Death doesn't enjoy his job, and each human sould he takes follows him and he feels guilty.
"The hot sky was red and turning. Pepper streaks were starting to swirl, and I became curious. Yes, yes, I know what I told you at the beginning. Usually my curiousity leads to the dreaded witnessing of some kind of human outcry... but on this occasion, I have to say that although it broke my heart, I was, and still am, glad I was there." (page 567)
- Death doesn't usually like watching the deaths, the blood from humans actually die but sometimes curiosity leads him to witness the death of humans. This time - on Himmel Street - he was glad he could see the humans go even though he didn't want them to. The red in the sky represents the blood from the deaths, the pains, courage and sacrifice they had.
Red also symbolises sin, guilt, pain, passion, blood, anger, courage and sacrifice. All of these symbolic meanings bring deeper meaning to Death's character.
"I am constantly overestimating and underestimating the human race." (page 584)
"I attend the greatest disasters, and work for the greatest villians." (page 583)
"A human doesn't have a heart like mine. The human heart is a line, where as my own is a circle, and I have the endless ability to be in the right place at the right time." (page
"It kills me sometimes, how people die." (page 494)
"Personally I like a chocolate coloured sky. Dark, dark chocolate. People say it suits me." (page 4)
"A single hour can consist of thousands of different colours. Waxy yellows, cloud spat blues, murky darknesses. In my line of work, I make it a point to notice them." (page 5)
Explanation:
1) Chocolate brown- dawn/dusk of day dark sky with warmth links to; dawn/dusk of humans lives. Dusk refers to the end of a life, the right time for collecting souls.
2) Chocolate is a symbol of: devotion, power and love. Dark brown is a symbol of: earth, water convention stability and practicality.
"Here is a smal fact: you are going to die" (page 3)
"I'm not violent. I'm not malicious I am a result." (page 7)
Explanation:
part of life is death, death doesn't kill people, he is just a result. Death doesn'y choose when you die, and he actually doesn't end your life, he just takes your soul. It is his job.
Death is given no physical description, he says he does not carry a sickel or scythe "only wears a hooded black robe when its cold" and doesn't "have those skull like facial features."
"I buckled - I became interested in the girl." (page 8)
Instead of focusing on the colours, death became distracted by the girl.
Middle Section - Death (Quotes):
"They were French, they were Jews, and they were you" (page 374)
"For me the sky was the colour of Jews" (page 372)
"Even death has a heart." (page 262)
"Please believe me when I tell you that I picked up each sould that day as if it were newly born." (page 373)
- communal responsibility - the discrimination of Jews was prejudice towards one race. Despite the differences,in the big pitcure, they are human, we are human. Therefore we have a responsibility to see that all of our kind is treated the same with fairness and the same respect as in the end, we are all human.
"A small peice of truth: I do not carry a sickle or scythe. I only only wear a hooded black robe, when it's cold. And i don't have those skull like features you seem to enjoy pinning on me from a distance. You want to know what i truly look like? I'll help you out. Find yourself a mirror while i continue." (page 329)
"I've seen so many young men over the years, who think they're running at other men. They are not. They're running at me" (page 189)
"they say that war is death's friend, but i must offer you a different point of view on that one. to me, war is like a new boss who expects the impossible. he stands over your shoulder repeting one thing, inscessantly."get it done, get it done." so you work harder. you get the job done. the boss, however, does not thank you. he asks for more." (page 331)
Explanation: death isn't a person, more of a job. TImes of war do not promise perfect new beginings but more promise of destruction and loss, death ultimately. Running into battle is staring death in the face, asking him to come for you.
"so many humans. so many colours.
They keep triggering inside me. they harass my memory. i see them tall in their heaps, all mounted on top of each other. there is air like plastic, a horizon like setting gluethere are skies manufactured by people, punctured and leaking, and there are soft, coal-coloured clouds, beating, like balck hearts. And then there is death making his way through all of it" (page 331)
End Section Death (Quotes):
"So many people chased after me in that time, calling my name, asking me to take them with me." (page 534)
"A last note from your narrator: i am haunted by humans" (page 584)
- Death doesn't enjoy his job, and each human sould he takes follows him and he feels guilty.
"The hot sky was red and turning. Pepper streaks were starting to swirl, and I became curious. Yes, yes, I know what I told you at the beginning. Usually my curiousity leads to the dreaded witnessing of some kind of human outcry... but on this occasion, I have to say that although it broke my heart, I was, and still am, glad I was there." (page 567)
- Death doesn't usually like watching the deaths, the blood from humans actually die but sometimes curiosity leads him to witness the death of humans. This time - on Himmel Street - he was glad he could see the humans go even though he didn't want them to. The red in the sky represents the blood from the deaths, the pains, courage and sacrifice they had.
Red also symbolises sin, guilt, pain, passion, blood, anger, courage and sacrifice. All of these symbolic meanings bring deeper meaning to Death's character.
"I am constantly overestimating and underestimating the human race." (page 584)
"I attend the greatest disasters, and work for the greatest villians." (page 583)
"A human doesn't have a heart like mine. The human heart is a line, where as my own is a circle, and I have the endless ability to be in the right place at the right time." (page
"It kills me sometimes, how people die." (page 494)