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Analytical Essay: The Cellist of Sarajevo
War itself is the enemy of mankind. In the historical fiction novel “The Cellist of Sarajevo” written by Steven Galloway, the characters are surrounded by war which allows the author to illustrate how the characters lose their humanity and ultimately crush their compassion.
War eventually allows the characters to hate causing them to lose their humanity. To begin with Arrow, a female sniper starts killing the men on the hills out of anger and hatred. When Arrow protects the cellist she thinks to herself that on days “when she [does not] kill, she feels a loss that reveals a hostility within her,” (Galloway 110) that goes, “deeper than a lack of remorse. [Its] almost a lust” (110). It is clear that Arrow has so much hatred built up inside of her that if she does not kill the men on the hills on a regular basis she feels as if she loses a part of herself. Furthermore Hasan, Arrow’s spotter has an unreasonable desire for vengeance towards the men on the hills. When Hasan is talking to Arrow about the several losses that he faces during the war he says “we will make [the men on the hills] pay for what they have done to us, to everyone” (222). He also implies that even the defenceless civilians are, “like rabid animals, killing them does the world a favour” (225). It is clear that Hasan has so much hatred boiling inside of him that he is even willing to kill unarmed civilians just to take his revenge on the men on the hills. Finally Kenan a local citizen wants to harm anyone who is not already suffering during the war. When Kenan is waiting at the market for his friend Ismet, Kenan sees a man, “dressed in a brand new track suit, and is [he], clearly well fed” (205). When he sees the man buying water from a truck and Kenan is, “angry and all he wants to do is put his hand around [the man’s] throat” (206). Kenan hates the fact that people like that man do not suffer like Kennan and the rest of Sarajevo. When he sees the
War itself is the enemy of mankind. In the historical fiction novel “The Cellist of Sarajevo” written by Steven Galloway, the characters are surrounded by war which allows the author to illustrate how the characters lose their humanity and ultimately crush their compassion.
War eventually allows the characters to hate causing them to lose their humanity. To begin with Arrow, a female sniper starts killing the men on the hills out of anger and hatred. When Arrow protects the cellist she thinks to herself that on days “when she [does not] kill, she feels a loss that reveals a hostility within her,” (Galloway 110) that goes, “deeper than a lack of remorse. [Its] almost a lust” (110). It is clear that Arrow has so much hatred built up inside of her that if she does not kill the men on the hills on a regular basis she feels as if she loses a part of herself. Furthermore Hasan, Arrow’s spotter has an unreasonable desire for vengeance towards the men on the hills. When Hasan is talking to Arrow about the several losses that he faces during the war he says “we will make [the men on the hills] pay for what they have done to us, to everyone” (222). He also implies that even the defenceless civilians are, “like rabid animals, killing them does the world a favour” (225). It is clear that Hasan has so much hatred boiling inside of him that he is even willing to kill unarmed civilians just to take his revenge on the men on the hills. Finally Kenan a local citizen wants to harm anyone who is not already suffering during the war. When Kenan is waiting at the market for his friend Ismet, Kenan sees a man, “dressed in a brand new track suit, and is [he], clearly well fed” (205). When he sees the man buying water from a truck and Kenan is, “angry and all he wants to do is put his hand around [the man’s] throat” (206). Kenan hates the fact that people like that man do not suffer like Kennan and the rest of Sarajevo. When he sees the