"I carried [souls] in my fingers, like suitcases. Or I'd throw them over my shoulder. It was only the children I carried in my arms" (336).
Why is Death most interested in the souls of children? Maybe it's because he feels that they haven't had the chance to live their life and he feels sorry for them. Maybe it's because they enjoy the little things in life, like in the chapter "Death's Diary: Cologne" when the children were collecting empty fuel cans.
I thought it was interesting how Death seems to have a soft spot for children. Besides this excerpt, there have been several other examples of this: Death's interest in Liesel, the fact that he didn't think Rudy deserved to die the way he did, and in the chapter "Death's Diary: Cologne" when he talked about the children collecting empty fuel containers.
I think that in a way, Death is childlike, with wide-eyed wonder and attention to detail, like how he pays attention to the color of the sky. I think that Death has learned from his long term job how to appreciate childlike wonder, curiosity, and the little things in life, and he appreciates the children for seeing that too.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
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I agree with you Kiley and I think that Death has a soft spot for children because they don't deserve to die. They have very little life experience unlike adults, who have lived for most of their lives. Because of this, Death is sympathetic for the children.
ReplyDeleteDeath, whose profession can drone on and on without any distraction, finds refuge in the quirkiness and spontaneous actions of children. The innocence and purity associated with the children is in stark contrast to the duties of Death; carry the fallen without distress, for more lie in sleep.
ReplyDelete