Arrow In The Cellist Of Sarajevo

In Steven Galloway’s The Cellist of Sarajevo, the environment of war is associated with trauma and torment while its counterpart the environment of normal life is thought of as joyous and harmonious. However different these two realities are, they can both be united by one aspect – humanity. The three main characters, Arrow, Kenan and Dragan, all “stumble into the core of what it is to be human” (12) by performing routine tasks in extraordinary conditions.
Arrow comes to the realization that to be human means to fully enjoy all aspects of life before it comes to an end. In Arrow’s mindset, life is “a series of tiny decisions leading to consequence” (95). Arrow realizes that life is all about making decisions and waiting for outcomes. Many of

Belief chooses you” (14). Arrow understands that she has no control over what she believes. Arrow might feel like a different person throughout the siege however the true Arrow and the beliefs that she had before the siege never go away. Even though the true Arrow was hidden to the reader throughout the novel, near the brink of death, Arrow realizes that she has control over who she is and how she will live her: “My name is Alisa” (258). By acknowledging the person that she was before the war, Arrow realizes that Alisa was hidden inside her all along. She comes to the understanding that the beliefs that she had about life and what it means to be human will always stay with her because part of what is means to be human is that she has no control over what she believes. Near the end of her life, Arrow decides to end the life with a decision that she would not regret and thus finally realizes what it means to be human again. Arrow get a few moments to enjoy that fact before her life

Kenan realizes that part of being human is the ability to adapt and be normal: “they all find a way to continue with life. They’re not cowards, and they’re not heroes” (244). Kenan comes to the understanding that when faced with difficult circumstances, the core of being human is not based on actions that define whether someone is glorious or weak; rather the core of being human is about the ability to sustain life. Kenan realizes that there is only one life and when faced with though situations, being humans means resisting danger and proceeding with life as normal as possible. The people in the siege know that their life could end any day, however instead of panicking or hiding in fear, they just continue living their lives. As well, it does not matter what others think because the core of being human is just to live life in a way that suits and satisfies each individual person. Just because there is a siege does not mean that all people should stick it out together and torment those who left. Sometimes leaving tough situations can be the right