The Cellist Of Sarajevo Analysis

The siege of Sarajevo, the longest in the history of modern warfare, began on April 5th 1992 and ended on February 29th 1996. During the four years, the politically motivated Army of Republika Srpska, under the command of Radovan Karadžić and Ratko Mladić, dropped an average of 377 shells every single day causing damage to over 64% of the buildings and over 100,000 apartments. The Bosnian Serb army also used the hills surrounding Sarajevo to its advantage by placing snipers there who targeted innocent civilians including children, elderly and women. The siege ended in 1996 after the intervention of the United Nations and The NATO, which forced the Bosnian Serb Army to declare ceasefire. However, the once beautifully diverse city of Sarajevo …show more content…
Steven Galloway’s novel The Cellist of Sarajevo follows the lives of three fictional characters during the war. In the novel The Cellist of Sarajevo, the loss of the city, along with its values and people, leads the three main characters on an internal journey to “find meaning, grace and humanity” in the war- torn city of Sarajevo that allows them to explore themselves, come across philosophical realizations, and learn truths about the city itself. Along with these factors, the music of the cellist acts as a catalyst that determines the resolution of each character’s journey.
Arrow’s struggle to maintain her identity and her wish to go back to her normal life allow her to truly explore her personality and comprehend her limitations. Arrow’s journey, similar to the other characters, is prompted by the loss of the city she once loved and was proud of. Before the war began, Arrow led a normal and happy life. However, several months into the war, she was recruited by the army as a sniper to kill the men on the hills because of her exquisite skill with the rifle. Initially reluctant, she, nonetheless, accepted the post. Although Arrow has allowed herself to kill the men on the