The Cellist Of Sarajevo: The Albinoni's Adagio And Hope
The Cellist of Sarajevo Analysis
Yimei Qin
Entry 1: The Albinoni’s Adagio and Hope The Albinoni’s Adagio serves as an instrument through which hope in the future of Sarajevo is restored. A burnt fragment of the composition is found in the remnants of a burned library, and over the course of twelve years, it is meticulously reconstructed. This is the source of the cellist’s faith, because it is proof “that something could be almost erased from existence in the landscape of a ruined city, and then rebuilt until it is new and worthwhile” (2). The cellist hopes that like the Adagio, Sarajevo can be recreated; even if it won't be exactly like the city before the siege. This hope is significant, because the other inhabitants have lost that vision …show more content…
Once one starts imagining the opposition as less than human, or as the “other”, it becomes easy to kill and hate even those not involved in the war. This includes many of the Sarajevan militia, as well as one of Arrow’s superiors: “Some in this city like to think that this war is more complicated than it really is. In case you are one of those people, I will tell you the reality of Sarajevo. There is us, and there is them.” (202). Although Arrow refuses to attack civilians of the men on the hills, she still falls into this mindset of viewing the war as a simplified “us versus them” situation, and also sees the men on the hills as less deserving of life. Arrow feels no sympathy when she kills members of the enemy army, and shows only cool interest in the fact that “He’ll never know that an arbitrary fraction of a millimetre in her aim one way or another will make the difference…” (15). This method of distancing herself by seeing the men on the hills as mere targets also aid her in coping with the consequences of her …show more content…
As previously noted, the Sarajevans have all but lost hope for their peaceful lives to return, and live on in a state of despondency.. After listening to the cellist play, Kenan notes, “There are dead among the living, and they will be here long after the madness ends, if it ever does.” (215). He realises that he is one of them; those who are caught up in the past, but still fear death, and he deliberately avoiding being drafted into the
Yimei Qin
Entry 1: The Albinoni’s Adagio and Hope The Albinoni’s Adagio serves as an instrument through which hope in the future of Sarajevo is restored. A burnt fragment of the composition is found in the remnants of a burned library, and over the course of twelve years, it is meticulously reconstructed. This is the source of the cellist’s faith, because it is proof “that something could be almost erased from existence in the landscape of a ruined city, and then rebuilt until it is new and worthwhile” (2). The cellist hopes that like the Adagio, Sarajevo can be recreated; even if it won't be exactly like the city before the siege. This hope is significant, because the other inhabitants have lost that vision …show more content…
Once one starts imagining the opposition as less than human, or as the “other”, it becomes easy to kill and hate even those not involved in the war. This includes many of the Sarajevan militia, as well as one of Arrow’s superiors: “Some in this city like to think that this war is more complicated than it really is. In case you are one of those people, I will tell you the reality of Sarajevo. There is us, and there is them.” (202). Although Arrow refuses to attack civilians of the men on the hills, she still falls into this mindset of viewing the war as a simplified “us versus them” situation, and also sees the men on the hills as less deserving of life. Arrow feels no sympathy when she kills members of the enemy army, and shows only cool interest in the fact that “He’ll never know that an arbitrary fraction of a millimetre in her aim one way or another will make the difference…” (15). This method of distancing herself by seeing the men on the hills as mere targets also aid her in coping with the consequences of her …show more content…
As previously noted, the Sarajevans have all but lost hope for their peaceful lives to return, and live on in a state of despondency.. After listening to the cellist play, Kenan notes, “There are dead among the living, and they will be here long after the madness ends, if it ever does.” (215). He realises that he is one of them; those who are caught up in the past, but still fear death, and he deliberately avoiding being drafted into the