Humanity is very delicate during wartime, and takes a lot courage to retain it. The novel, “The Cellist of Sarajevo” by Steven Galloway, is based on a real historic event. This novel is based on the Siege of Sarajevo (1992-1996). Galloway created fictional characters that could very well be real to demonstrate the damage and suffering of Sarajevo and its people within. One of main themes of this novel is that it is possible to retain one’s humanity during wartime, provided that hope of returning to the ‘beautiful past’ is present. The author illustrates this theme by introducing four different characters (with no particular order) who try to survive in their city through the terror of random shooting and shelling by the snipers up on the hill,
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Arrow is not her real name, it is explained in the novel when she first picks up her rifle, “I am Arrow because I hate them. The woman you knew hated nobody.” (Galloway, pg.13) Arrow in the past was afraid of killing, but eventually she becomes comfortable and does not hesitate to kill. She does not kill because she wants the soldiers dead, but because they robbed her and the city of a peaceful life. Soon, she is assigned to protect the cellist by killing anyone who attempts to kill him, because the cellist has a great amount of influence to the people of Sarajevo. Arrow accepts. However, on one occasion she spots a sniper who puts his gun down to listen to the cellist play. Arrow knows that he has no intention to kill the cellist, but she shoots him anyways. It is quoted in the book that, “She knows she no longer kills them because they are killing her fellow citizens. That’s just part of it. She kills them because she hates them.” (Galloway, pg.137) Knowing this, she refused to obey the Second Commander who orders her to kill citizens instead of soldiers. By that, she is hunted down by the Second Commander to be executed. She can defend herself, but she remembers the cellist’s last performance, which influences her. Arrow puts down her rifle as the snipers break into her room, and regains herself as Alisa. The war had transformed Alisa into the killer, Arrow. However, the cellist has transformed Arrow back into her old innocent self, Alisa, and give her back her
Arrow is not her real name, it is explained in the novel when she first picks up her rifle, “I am Arrow because I hate them. The woman you knew hated nobody.” (Galloway, pg.13) Arrow in the past was afraid of killing, but eventually she becomes comfortable and does not hesitate to kill. She does not kill because she wants the soldiers dead, but because they robbed her and the city of a peaceful life. Soon, she is assigned to protect the cellist by killing anyone who attempts to kill him, because the cellist has a great amount of influence to the people of Sarajevo. Arrow accepts. However, on one occasion she spots a sniper who puts his gun down to listen to the cellist play. Arrow knows that he has no intention to kill the cellist, but she shoots him anyways. It is quoted in the book that, “She knows she no longer kills them because they are killing her fellow citizens. That’s just part of it. She kills them because she hates them.” (Galloway, pg.137) Knowing this, she refused to obey the Second Commander who orders her to kill citizens instead of soldiers. By that, she is hunted down by the Second Commander to be executed. She can defend herself, but she remembers the cellist’s last performance, which influences her. Arrow puts down her rifle as the snipers break into her room, and regains herself as Alisa. The war had transformed Alisa into the killer, Arrow. However, the cellist has transformed Arrow back into her old innocent self, Alisa, and give her back her