The Cellist Of Sarajevo Summary
In The Cellist of Sarajevo, Galloway suggests the concept of death in moral through his presentation of an intriguing character called Arrow, who is proposed with an internal conflict about whether killing people, in order to defend the city, is morally equitable or not. In the story’s exposition, Galloway reveals that ‘Arrow’ is a code name since “the first time she picked up a rifle to kill” (Galloway 6). As soon as the reader is informed Arrow’s identity as a sniper, Galloway sets up a cold and defensive mood, which, in turn, seems to foreshadow Arrow’s survival will be accompanied by the enemies’ blood.
Before Arrow’s epiphany at her story’s resolution, she is characterized as a defender of Sarajevo who has a sense of justice and wants
to protect the city with her belief about shooting the men on the hills means saving innocent lives in the city. The fact that Arrow’s abomination of others calling her real name leads to her statement about her name -- “I am Arrow, because I hate them. The woman you knew hated nobody” (7) -- which illustrates hatred that is contained inside her. Furthermore, Arrow the name is emblematic of emotionless and sharpness, which suggests she is losing herself slowly and her moral dies with the former name because of her overwhelmed hatred and anger toward the men on the hills. However, Galloway conveys Arrow’s distorted justice when she thinks the thought “have her bullet hit a living being instead of a piece of paper” (58) doesn’t “horrify her” (58). Here, Galloway’s use of comparison between “ a living being” (58) and “a piece of paper” (58) elucidates Arrow regards people only as a target that she is shooting at, which dehumanizes people, although they are enemies. But more importantly, this thought of killing people doesn’t frighten her; it seems to reinforce that Arrow is also being dehumanized and morally died.
On the bright side, Arrow somehow expresses moments of understanding moral justice when she has a moment of hesitation whether to kill the sniper that is hunting the cellist or not because “she can see that he doesn’t want to pull his (trigger)” (135) and ironically, “he’s listening to the music” (135) the cellist is playing in honor of the twenty-two people who were killed by the men on the hills. Here, Galloway suggests a parallel connection between music and killing while music connotes civilization that is against killing each other. Music brings back humanity within the sniper since “he doesn’t want to pull his (trigger)” (135), in the same way, it also brings back a moment of conscience within Arrow; her death in moral is being diminished. Finally, and perhaps most significantly, Galloway develops Arrow’s characterization at the story’s resolution. Arrow is presented with an epiphany in the end when she says “[her] name is Alisa” (231) with a “strong and quiet” (231) voice. The diction “strong and quiet” (231) changes the mood of story into hopeful and relieved. But, more importantly, Arrow’s reassertion of her identity demonstrates Arrow has physically died, but Alisa is morally and spiritually born again.
Before Arrow’s epiphany at her story’s resolution, she is characterized as a defender of Sarajevo who has a sense of justice and wants
to protect the city with her belief about shooting the men on the hills means saving innocent lives in the city. The fact that Arrow’s abomination of others calling her real name leads to her statement about her name -- “I am Arrow, because I hate them. The woman you knew hated nobody” (7) -- which illustrates hatred that is contained inside her. Furthermore, Arrow the name is emblematic of emotionless and sharpness, which suggests she is losing herself slowly and her moral dies with the former name because of her overwhelmed hatred and anger toward the men on the hills. However, Galloway conveys Arrow’s distorted justice when she thinks the thought “have her bullet hit a living being instead of a piece of paper” (58) doesn’t “horrify her” (58). Here, Galloway’s use of comparison between “ a living being” (58) and “a piece of paper” (58) elucidates Arrow regards people only as a target that she is shooting at, which dehumanizes people, although they are enemies. But more importantly, this thought of killing people doesn’t frighten her; it seems to reinforce that Arrow is also being dehumanized and morally died.
On the bright side, Arrow somehow expresses moments of understanding moral justice when she has a moment of hesitation whether to kill the sniper that is hunting the cellist or not because “she can see that he doesn’t want to pull his (trigger)” (135) and ironically, “he’s listening to the music” (135) the cellist is playing in honor of the twenty-two people who were killed by the men on the hills. Here, Galloway suggests a parallel connection between music and killing while music connotes civilization that is against killing each other. Music brings back humanity within the sniper since “he doesn’t want to pull his (trigger)” (135), in the same way, it also brings back a moment of conscience within Arrow; her death in moral is being diminished. Finally, and perhaps most significantly, Galloway develops Arrow’s characterization at the story’s resolution. Arrow is presented with an epiphany in the end when she says “[her] name is Alisa” (231) with a “strong and quiet” (231) voice. The diction “strong and quiet” (231) changes the mood of story into hopeful and relieved. But, more importantly, Arrow’s reassertion of her identity demonstrates Arrow has physically died, but Alisa is morally and spiritually born again.