How Does Kenan Change In The Cellist Of Sarajevo

How Does Kenan Change In The Cellist Of Sarajevo
In Steven Galloway's The Cellist of Sarajevo, one of the three characters in the book, Kenan, goes
through profound changes after witnessing and experiencing many events that happened during the
siege. Although there aren't really any changes in the way he actually acts, by the end of the book
we see that the way he thinks has changed from how he did in the beginning, specifically in terms of
his neighbour, Mrs. Ristovski. Kenan is a busy man, being a husband and a father of two children.
He feels entirely responsible for his family and is paralyzed with fear every time he must go out of
the house to get water for his family. However, he feels that he has to conceal his fear because his
children "must not see him like this. They must not know ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
If she likes the bottles so much, she should carry them to the brewery, she should watch as the street
fills with blood and then washes itself clean... while the dead are loaded into a van" (Galloway, 171).
After this thought, Kenan leaves Mrs. Ristovski's bottles in a small hole and continues home without
them. On his way home however, Kenan hears the cellist play and he "watches as his city heals itself
around him" (Galloway, 209). He watches people stand up taller, and watches happiness appear in
their features. When the cellist's music stops, Kenan realizes that even people who are still alive are
"dead among the living" (Galloway, 215), and he wonders what killed Mrs. Ristovski because to
him, she is a ghost, and Kenan does not want to be like her. He wants to live and help rebuild his
beloved city and in this moment, he realizes that once people stop helping one another and stop
hoping, that that is when the city will truly be destroyed. He knows that the only way people will
make it through this war is by helping each other, even if the favour is not returned or even
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Albinoni's The Power Of Music: The Cellist Of Sarajevo
The Power of Music: The Cellist of Sarajevo
"Music touches us emotionally, where words alone can't" (Johnny Depp). The novel, The Cellist of
Sarajevo, starts with a description of Albinoni's Adagio and the rejuvenating effects that it has on the
cellist, the Adagios he plays bring hope to him. One day, the cellist witnesses a shell kill 22 people
who were waiting in line to buy bread, he vows to play Albinoni's Adagio for 22 days. This novel is
about three people who are trying to survive in the war–torn city of Sarajevo. The power of music is
shown through the emotional, hopeful and rejuvenating effects that are demonstrated through the
actions of the characters in the novel. Galloway demonstrates some of the effects that the power of
music has in the novel The Cellist of Sarajevo.
Firstly, Galloway demonstrates the emotional power of music in the novel The Cellist of Sarajevo.
An example of this would be when Arrow is assigned to protect the cellist while he is playing in the
street. She is affected by the power of music that she hears. ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
In the novel, music brings the cellist hope, "Most days he's able to feel the music rejuvenate him as
simply as if he were filling a car with gasoline" (2). This hope that the cellist feels also affect those
who gather to listen to his music. The hope that they feel from listening to Albinoni's Adagio is so
precious that the men on the hill send a sniper to kill the cellist, instead of shelling, to make a
statement. While Dragan converses with Emina, she tells him about the cellist and the sad tune that
he plays, however, the tune does not make her sad. After Emina has been shot, Dragon makes a
detour to listen to the cellist, and describe to her what happened during her absence. She hopes
Dragan can feel hope through the power of the music as well. The hope and special sadness that the
music brings to everyone is

Examples Of Sacrifice In The Cellist Of Sarajevo
Courage and self sacrifice is not what everyone thinks of when in a war and their life and there
loved ones are in danger. This is when courage and self sacrifice is challenged the most. There are
only a few people in this world how can preserve this courage and self–sacrifice, this also shows the
kindness in one being. This skill is strengthened and refined when one risks their life for the survival
of others. In the book The Cellist of Sarajevo, author Steven Galloway demonstrates the internal
battle between a humans self sacrifice and protect not only himself but also a neighbor and show a
sense of kindness. The author also explores the idea of how difficult it is to self–sacrifice in a time
of war and also be kind to other people. This is shown through the character of Kenan, a man that is
trying to provide for his family. He must go retrieve water for his family and a neighbor he ... Show
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Kenan is very hard workingman and he is determined to get water for his family and for Mrs.
Ristovski, who is and old lady that is Kenan's neighbor. This is one of the examples that show how
Kenan shows his kindness thorough determination. Kenan can simple get water for him and his
family and still survive but he sacrifices his life to get water for others as well. Determination is a
key factor in shaping Kenan's destiny in an astonishing way because if you have determination you
can do anything and you can live through all the hardship in life and at the end you come out of it
and become a really kind and caring person. A quote that supports this is when he says, "everyone
will help each other". He is so determined that everything will go fine. Even though his neighbor is
very unkind he still decides to help her through this hard time. He is simply nourishing the humanity
that requests he help his neighbor in this time of prerequisite and to not let her die or exploit her
essential

Syntax And Imagery In The Cellist Of Sarajevo Steven Galloway
In The Cellist of Sarajevo Steven Galloway explains life after the city of Sarajevo is besieged. It is
told from four different perspectives to show how different people were affected by the same event.
Throughout the novel Galloway uses rhetorical devices such as syntax and imagery to create mood.
Galloway uses both short and long syntax to create a calm and peaceful mood when Dragon is
imagining he is escaping his horrifying city and meeting his family. Short syntax such as "[b]ut he's
free" and "[t]hey will be happy" makes the sentence more powerful. The only thing that matters is
he's free and they will be happy. This creates peace in Dragon's mind which also calms the reader.
Longer syntax is also used such as "no one will be

The Cellist Of Sarajevo Character Analysis
In a city with a terrorizing war people often lose themselves and become hopeless and depressed
individuals. Ultimately they lack an inspirational source to help revive them from their hopeless
lives. In the novel The Cellist of Sarajevo, Steven Galloway uses the Cellist's music to influence and
motivate the struggling individuals to revive their true selves. In the novel, Steven Galloway shows
the developing character roles of Kenan and Dragan, as they build their determination and optimism
by rediscovering their lively and positive souls with the help of the motivational music played by the
Cellist.
Dragan's pesimistic outlook on Sarajevo changes as he becomes more determined and positive
through the influence of the the Cellists' music. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The beautiful and powerful message from the music causes Kenan to fantasize about a flourishing
Sarajevo which heals itself. The music creates a relaxing atmosphere for the public leading to an
increase in optimism and generates a beautiful cathartic experience. The music motivates Kenan to
become confidant to help his family live a stable life and also help restore Sarajevo ignoring all
cynical thoughts. At last, Kenan is a fearless individual who believes in and will risk his own life for
the betterment of his family. "He doesn't want to have to walk through the streets of his city and
look at the buildings and with every step be afraid that he's about to be killed. He knows that if he
wants to be one of the people who rebuild the city....then he has to go outside and face the men on
the hills"(244). The music plays a prominent role in Kenan's life transforming him into a determined
man who can walk fearlessly to bring home basic neccessities for those who matter most, family. In
all, Keenan's new found determination to keep his family healthy and safe by sacrificing his own life
is an inspiration for the citizens of Sarajevo but most importantly it is the result of listening to the
encouraging Cellists'

Cellist Of Sarajevo Character Analysis
Steven Galloway's novel, The Cellist of Sarajevo, is a mesmerizing representation of a city under
siege, the courageous small acts of humanity that come to renew it using liberating grace notes of
one musician. Set during the horrendous siege of Sarajevo in the mid–1990's, Galloway highlights
each characters perspectives in extensive detail and empathizes empathy using quotations.
Galloway's character Arrow emerges the feeling of determination and the willingness to fight on
through the siege of Sarajevo, whilst seeking to find change in herself.
Before the siege of Sarajevo existed, Arrow was an ordinary pedestrian, roaming the cheerful filled
streets of Sarajevo peacefully. As the war began, Arrow roamed the hushed grey streets of ... Show
The siege of Sarajevo changes the perspective of Arrow, allowing the reader to emphasize by Arrow
changing her identity to cope with herself. Arrow changing her name is how she survives, changing
the perspective of herself to what she now is 'I am Arrow because I hate them; the women you knew
hated nobody'. The reader comprehends that the war has changed her personality, has taken
everything she once knew and loved away from her, allowing the feeling of empathy.
During the novel, the Cellist is finally introduced to Arrow. The Cellist sits in utter sadness; he plays
Albonini's Adagio, which symbolizes hopefulness rising from the ashes of the civilians. The Cellist
brought hope when he came to play each day for twenty–two days. 'She leans back into the wall,
she's no longer here', the Cellist provides Arrow to retrieve her memories from her past, 'her mother
lifting her up spinning her around and laughing', these moments Arrow will always remember, even
throw the horrendous battle of Sarajevo. Whilst the cellist was playing, Arrow was keeping an eye
out through a building, she seen another sniper that was going to kill the cellist, she waited 'but he
didn't shoot, he was listening to the cellist play'. This shows the impact the cellist has not only on
civilians, but the enemy as well. It shows that even though they were in war, people were only doing
their role, deep down people are

Analysis Of Steven Galloway's The Cellist Of Sarajevo
"Knowing no one is coming, but not wanting to believe it": How war affects the self concept of
those living in the battlefield in The Cellist of Sarajevo
Steven Galloway's novel The Cellist of Sarajevo follows Sarajevo citizens who are struggling to
survive in their home during the genocide which occurred there in the 1990's. These people become
psychologically affected through living on a battleground, and in a life altering way. The very image
of war is enough for most to feel disappointed in mankind, but watching your home crumble around
you while being able to see the faces of those causing the destruction would likely make one lose
any remaining faith in humanity. This is demonstrated in The Cellist by the agency of the bystanders
... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Just then it starts raining and everything gets washed away: not even a trace of the young guy is left,
nor a trace of the canister. Just water. As if nothing on the street changed, except everyone got just a
bit quieter(11).
This is almost the exact scene from The Cellist(Galloway 159–163) in which afterward Kenan is
quiet, as are the people in the poem, but he also is in such shock from the tragedy that he "pays no
attention to the water that spills"(165) and is careless, likely beginning to show this change in
personality after the gore he has witnesses. This later translates into him feeling "detached [and]
unconcerned about others"(Reactions after trauma), seen when he decides to leave Mrs. Ristovski's
water behind in the war zone. Kenan has full intent of going back over the bridge a second time to
retrieve her water, but spur of the moment "He turns away, and picks up the rope binding his own
bottles"(Galloway 171). The caring and helpful nature observed earlier shies away after living the
crimes being committed against his people, which can be viewed as an effect of the bombing, as
before that had happened or set in he had full intentions to bring water back for his neighbour.
Kenan is of the unlucky who must venture out of their houses and face this reality multiple times a
week, while opposite that is Dragan and Emina, who have personal reasons to subject themselves to
the gore. Starting with Emina, who is

Kenan In Cellist Of Sarajevo
All the characters in the novel (cellist of Sarajevo) are unique in their own way. However, if I'm
going to choose a specific character that I prefer among the other characters that are found in the
novel, it is going to be Kenan.
Kenan is one of the few people who are willing to see and believe the good things in others. Even if
some of them treat him with no respect. For example, Mrs. Reistovski is a neighbor that treats
Kenan rudely, she comes to visit Kenan and his wife Amila without a permission and all she does is
complain. She complains about every possible thing and blame it on others without admitting her
own faults. One day she came to visit and the baby was sleeping. Keenan told Mrs. Reistovski that
the baby is sleeping and if it is possible to lower down her voice while she is speaking. Instead, Mrs.
Reistovski continued to speak louder than before and the baby woke up screaming. Mrs. Reistovski
left the apartment saying, "I hope you're better with children than you are with plants." ... Show
He is a great father and a husband who will give up anything, to see happiness living in his family
life. He is enthusiastic to do that even if it means that he needs to risk his own life in order to
accomplish that. For instance, each four days Kenan will carry his empty plastic containers and will
travel to the brewery to get clean water. Nonetheless, he will cross–dangerous streets and will risk
his possibility of dying because the men on the hills can shoot anyone at any

Summary Of Stephen Galloway's The Cellist Of Sarajevo
It is a sight of a million emotions to see the change in people's lives. The milestones we surpass in
our lifetime doesn't shape the person we are today, but remind us of what we have done to get there.
To our first day of kindergarten to high school graduation, our first job and then marriage are all
reminders of the accomplishments we have made to achieve such feats. But in those years we are
faced with everyday challenges and obstacles that seem to be on a mission to crush our hopes and
dreams of a better, brighter future. Those are the exploits that mold us to the person that we see
today, and overcoming those many adversities will shape the path of our lives and who we are as a
person. Many don't make it through the pain and sorrow the world has awaiting, but those who do
are the one's on top. It is a division between the frail and mighty, those who want it and those who
don't, the living and the dead. We are given everyday examples of this act of nature, but it is most
beautifully depicted in Stephen Galloway's The Cellist of Sarajevo which proves adverse
circumstances have the power to obstruct personal normality and inevitably inspire change of
integrity.
Throughout the novel we are reminded of the everyday disruptions that cause pain and misery in our
lives. In a span of almost almost 4 years the Siege of Sarajevo in the early to mid 1990s was a
conflict of unimaginable horrors with deaths ranging into the thousands and unmerciful killings of
all ages caught the

Comparison Of The Cellist Of Sarajevo And For Whom The...
The Effects of War
Comparison of The Cellist of Sarajevo and For Whom the Bell Tolls The severity of warfare
engrains an everlasting memory into the minds of those whom may experience it. Two novels that
exemplify the effects of war are The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway and For Whom the Bell
Tolls by Ernest Hemmingway. In the first novel, Galloway follows three individuals who live within
the war–torn city of Sarajevo and encounter personal struggles whilst trying to survive the
devastating conditions. In comparison, Robert Jordan, an American explosives expert, be–friends a
squad of guerillas when he is tasked with destroying a bridge in the heart of Spain and must deal
with conflict that his squad faces. Both authors showcase ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
This man has not provoked her and poses no imminent threat therefore Arrow has no means to kill
him. Even after everything the men on the hills have done to Arrow and her city, she refuses to
allow the war to change her into somebody she fears to become, and does what she believes is
morally right. Similarly, Arrow is faced with another predicament whilst she is perched up in
apartment building awaiting the appearance of an enemy sniper. The sniper appears suddenly and
has his scope directed at an active cellist in the streets below, yet the he does not pull the trigger, and
she thinks, "Arrow is about to send a bullet into him, but stops. His finger isn't on the trigger. [...]
She knows what he is doing. It's very clear to her, unmistakable. He's listening to the music" (152–
153). Arrow hesitates to eliminate the sniper as she realizes he is not only an enemy, but also a
human being just like her. She sees this through their common appreciation for the cellists' music,
and causes her to struggle with pulling the trigger. Accordingly, her hesitation illustrates that Arrow
values human life, as she cannot completely commit to killing someone. Likewise to Arrow, in For
Whom the Bell Tolls, Anselmo and Robert Jordan both emphasize their respect for human life. As
Robert is engaging in casual conversation his mind begins to wander off and he begins to reminisce
about the

Summary: The Cellist Of Sarajevo
Summary
The Cellist of Sarajevo paints a stark picture of war, writes Garcia–Alvarez (2012) and its effects on
four distinct individuals. First, the Cellist is a compelling characters who plays his cello for 22 days
as tribute to the 22 people, including his friends and neighbours, who were killed while in line for
bread. Second, Arrow, a female sniper, finds her independence challenged as the siege continues.
She is tasked with protecting the cellist, whilst battling with her own sense of morality and dual
personas. Third, Kenan is a simple family man who seeks to provide his family with their basic
needs. He struggles to portray a strong character in front of his wife and children, even as he faces a
deadly journey every time he heads out ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
One of the most conflicted character is Arrow, who is constant at war with herself. She faces a moral
challenge and continues to ask herself: is she different from the men on the hills? Though she tried
her best to be an unfeeling weapon, she cares – about Sarajevo, the cellist, her unit commander, her
own sense of ethics. This is what causes her to finally walk away from the army. Despite her hatred
for the men on the hills, she chooses to not sacrifice her own moral compass for the sake of mindless
bloodshed. The last line of the book, "My name is Alisa" (Galloway, 2008, p. 234) is perhaps one of
the most powerful lines not only in this book, but in literature for me. This one line brings light to
the novel just as it ends. Whereas, once Arrow was a weapon with no name, she now becomes real
and relatable. Her fight with her own duality is ended – she knows who she is and she will not un
from it. Thus, I do agree with the review that this novel does not leave you in a hole: it restores hope
and faith in mankind despite its numerous

Fear In The Cellist Of Sarajevo
In times of war, destruction, and hate, humanity seems far gone. That the hope you once held close
to your heart, you now hold onto for dear life. This sense of hope acts as a lifeline separating you
from death and a paralyzing sense of fear. So what is fear? Fear is a feeling induced by perceived
danger. This causes a change in metabolic and organ functions, ultimately a complete change in
behavior as to how you perceive the danger that surrounds you. For some your day to day life
includes the comfort of knowing your next step and hoping it was better than the last. For Sarajevo
the next step you took, you took with constant agony knowing this could be your last day. The
comfort of knowing what comes next goes completely out the window. When your sense of
humanity is constantly diminishing, your sense of hope grows, you hope for better days, and hope
for your faith to return. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The Cellists' hope, that as he played he would be able to bring light to their life one last time. This
has a big impact on all 3 of the characters, it gives them a sense of importance as the world they
know falls apart, for Arrow she makes it her personal mission to protect the cellist against the
outside forces. In the book and in real life music has a big impact on the way we feel. It offers us
nostalgia that brings forward feelings of being carefree and trapped in the moment. Because of this
I've learned that hope is not always something that you are born with but something you gain after
your humanity is put to test, and after you are constantly faced with the desperation of want and

Kenan's Hope In The Cellist Of Sarajevo By Steven Galloway
During war people go through a spectrum of feelings from hope to despair. Hardships make even the
most optimistic people lose hope. In the novel, The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway, Kenan
struggles to hold on to his hope as it diminishes due to the Bosnian war. Before the effects of the
war impacted Kenan, when he was provided with a little window of hope he always makes the most
of it, he goes through daily struggles to continue surviving and he maintains a positive attitude
towards life. Although, Kenan's hope for Sarajevo diminishes as he accepts the war as a part of his
lifestyle, learns that his fate is entirely up to the men on the hills and undervalues the cellist for
commemorating the dead. However, while doing his best to maintain ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
As the days go on and the war deepens the impact it is making on Sarajevo Kenan begins to realize
that the horrendous state Sarajevo is in will never change for the better. When Kenan sees people
walk in a direction that may be unsafe he considers warning them but decides not to because,
"Telling them there might be a sniper watching the bridge is a little like saying the sun has come up
this morning" (113). This displays that the war has been going on for so long that it has just become
a part of everyone's lifestyle, and the citizens of Sarajevo have adapted to it, therefore making it
normal. Moreover, the men on the hills completely decide Sarajevo's fate. This is shown when
Kenan reflects on why they are firing and concludes that "They're firing at the ambulances to tell
him, and everyone else, that help will not arrive if they have anything to say about it" (162). The
men on the hills dictate who will live and who will die within the city, they decide every aspect of
the citizens of Sarajevo's life and what type of lifestyle they will live. Also, when Kenan encounters
the cellist and is told about his act of remembrance for those who have fallen he states "thought it
was a bit silly, a bit maudling. What could the man possible hope to accomplish by playing music in
the

Summary Of Symbolism In The Cellist Of Sarajevo
The Utilization of Symbolism to Manifest a Message In literature, it is common for authors to apply
different stylistic techniques in order to assist in providing the readers with a message. This idea is
prominent in Steven Galloway's The Cellist of Sarajevo, a novel which follows the story of three
characters in the war–torn city of Sarajevo. Despite the fact that the characters never meet, they are
each unified by a cellist and the song he plays for twenty–two days to honour the citizens who lost
their lives while waiting in line for bread. Throughout the book, a recurring idea is that of hope for
the future of Sarajevo, which is shown through the contrast of symbols from the beginning of the
novel to the end, the cellist himself, and the adagio that the cellist plays. It is evident from the
meaning created through objects and people that Galloway is able to use symbolism to enhance the
idea that a city which once was destroyed can still be repaired. The first significant method which
Galloway uses to prove his idea is by elaborating on the idea of finding new hope for Sarajevo. By
utilizing contrasting symbols in the beginning and end of the novel, he is able to demonstrate the
change from having lack of faith for the future, to obtaining an improved ideology for the fate of the
city. At the start of the novel, Dragan, a protagonist of the story, describes the city as "a peculiar
shade of grey. He's not sure where it came from, if it was always there and the war has

Cellist Of Sarajevo Essay
The theme of the cellist of Sarajevo is the psyche. Every character goes through a
mental change due to the war that they witness. It will change them as a person forever.
It shows how much tragedy and hardship can affect the human mind. It also shows how
different people deal with death. Some spend their times mourning and in sadness over
loss of life and feel the need to express themselves. The cellist does that by making a
statement and playing music at the spot that the mortar when if so others are not able to
forget the lives that were given. Others feel the need to stand up and do something
about it even if it will change them more than the events that have transpired already
have. Arrow does that by becoming a sniper ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
He works at a local bakery.The setting of the
story takes places on Bosnia. The war has to due with the Serbs and Croats living in
Bosnia wanting to annex Bosnian territory for Serbia and Croatia. When the city is
attack it is forced to undergo a siege. The book is not written like most other stories you
have read. Usually books have one main character. there are three perspectives in this
story. By showing three different perspectives the reader is able to have a better idea of
everything going on throughout the town. They all also have their own stories. while the
connect they each have different plot lines. The story choose to focus more on the
characters daily lives than the actual war. While their paths are different they all share

the same theme in the end which make I threes times as powerful as it would have
been with just one main character. the point of view is told in first person by each main
character and switches between them during the story. They all have different events
that they have gone through so we are able to know a lot more about what is going on
in the story. It is good choice when dealing with a setting that has so many place and
event all occurring at the same

Cellist Of Sarajevo Analysis
Ahmed Ms.Munro ENG3U1 23 November 2017 The Cellist of Sarajevo Essay The Cellist of
Sarajevo is a book set amid the 1990s Siege of Sarajevo, recounts the tale of three individuals
endeavoring to make due in a city overflowing with the extraordinary dread of edgy circumstances,
and of the grieving cellist who plays unfaltering music in midst of the destruction of the city. This
moving novel by Steven Galloway mainly focuses on how one's humanity can change amid war, the
various genres of the story demonstrates to the reader how the characters deal with political and
mental clashes. The story is mainly based on war and how it can alter or even destroys one's
mankind. The book is based on four main characters and what they face during the war, an artist
who sees his companions killed when he watches out of his window grabs his cello and plays at the
site where they were killed, for twenty–two days, one day for every companion who was killed two
other men the initial, a more established man hunting down nourishment, the second, a more
youthful man putting his own life in threat to discover drinking water for his family. The last is a
very talented sniper. The character's mindset and how they feel changes significantly from the
beginning of the war till the end of the novel.The novel primarily focuses on the statement of
"Conflict diminishes one's humanity". In this case, the conflict is war and the people are greatly
affected by it. Imagine how we would feel if the

Themes In The Cellist Of Sarajevo
People are like globs of clay, waiting to be carved, sculpted and changed by their experiences. The
novel The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway follows three people with different stories, who
are trying to survive in a war–torn city during the siege of Sarajevo. There are snipers on the hills
killing innocent civilians and the people are trapped in Sarajevo with very little food, water, and
money. One day, when twenty–two people were killed while lining up to get bread, a cellist decided
to play Albinoni's Adagio once a day for each of the twenty–two victims. The quote from the story
"You don't choose to believe, belief chooses you" is an important key for understanding the novel
because one of the main themes in this novel is that beliefs ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Ristovski's water bottles across the bridge. At the beginning of the story, Kenan was very obedient,
and would do whatever Mrs.Ristovski asked of him, even though she was never nice to him and
refused to switch to bottles with handles. Despite knowing this, Kenan knew what it was like to be
low on resources, and wanted to help out in any way he could. Kenan's treacherous journey to get
water is illustrated throughout the story. He witnessed many deaths and narrowly escaped death
himself. After all he had to endure, while he was returning home, he was faced with a difficult
decision as he arrived at the bridge. Kenan knew the men on the hills were searching in that area,
and he only wanted to make one trip across. He had his bottles carefully balanced on him, and had
no room for Mrs. Ristovski's. He was then faced with the decision to either take his bottles across
first, then come back to retrieve Mrs. Ristovski's, or to just make one trip carrying his own, leaving
her bottles behind. As quoted from the book, "He's tired of getting water, and he's tired from the
world he lives in. He's tired of carrying water for a woman who has never had a kind word to say to
him, who acts as if she's doing him a favour, whose bottles don't have handles and who refuses to
switch. If she likes the bottles

War is a difficult time for everyone part of it, as a result of people losing hope. The hopelessness
causes individuals to face challenges producing loss of hope, in the novel, The Cellist of Sarajevo by
Steven Galloway, Kenan loses all hope because of the horrific war in Sarajevo. Dragan also loses all
hope as a result of the war. Kenan and Dragan are characters who feel as though life in Sarajevo has
become very dull and are deprived of hope due to the atrocities of war.
Kenan loses all hope because of the horrific war in Sarajevo. To begin, Kenan does not want his
children to know what is happening to him. To illustrate, when Kenan is leaving to get water, he
thinks about taking his son with him, "They must not know how afraid he is, how ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
Initially, Dragan feels as though the hospitals in Sarajevo cannot do much for the injured people. To
demonstrate, Dragan criticizes Emina on her opinion of the hospital, "There's not a whole lot the
hospitals can do for you. They're low on supplies, low on people" (124). Dragan is so hopeless that
he gets enraged at one of his close friends, Emina. He believes that the medical care and swap team
that Sarajevo relies on is absolutely useless because in his opinion risking your own life to save
others is not worth it. Furthermore, Dragan believes that nobody will be able to leave Sarajevo. For
instance, when he wants to get out of Sarajevo, he does not have a tunnel pass, "No one is getting
out of town now. Certainly not him" (184). Dragan is so wretched that he believes no one can escape
the deadly war. He even assumes that he will be stuck in Sarajevo without his family, and will end
up dying before he sees them again. This impacts Dragan in a negative way because he feels that his
wife will believe that he is dead and marry someone else. Finally, Dragan loses hope because he
believes that nobody will come to help rescue the people of Sarajevo. To illustrate, Dragan harshly
demolishes Emina's hope, "'No one is coming'. 'His voice is harsher than he means it to be'. 'We're
here on our own and no one is coming to help us. Don't you know that?'" (86). Dragan loses his
hope because he believes that the rest of Europe will not come to help the innocent people of
Sarajevo. This is significant because Dragan knows that so far in the war the neighbouring countries
have not come to help, resulting in him believing that they will not come at all. Emina feels as
though they will be saved, but Dragan tries to diminish Emina's hope of anyone actually coming to
help. This is because all Dragan sees around him is his beloved city crumbling. Dragan is a character
who is resigned of

Cellist of Sarajevo
Rosie Calogero Ms. Lazzara ENG–1D1–08 May 28th, 2012 Self Sacrifice One's humanity is not
measured by what they have but what they are willing to do. If an individual shows that they will be
overpowered by an opposing threat, they have already lost. In Steven Galloway's novel The Cellist
of Sarajevo, the attacking Serbians have surrounded Sarajevo and have taken away the safety of the
civilians. In order to protect themselves and their fellow civilians, one must be willing to sacrifice
their own safety to help others who are struggling in these times of war. By fighting back, the
civilians of Sarajevo show that the men on the hills cannot control their lives. These people will not
intimidate them. As a result of the main ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Kenan will most likely do anything to protect his family, friends and those he cares about. Every
four days Kenan goes across the dangerous war stricken city to get water for his family and his
neighbor Mrs. Ristovski: "So every four days Kenan gathers his collection of plastic containers and
travels downhill, through the old towns across the Miljacka River and up the hills into Stari Grad, to
the brewery, one of the few places in the city that a person can get clean drinking water" (22). Kenan
risks his life as a daily routine and he sacrifices himself to go get water for the people he cares
about. He knows that his family and Mrs. Ristovski are counting on him to get the water because if
he does not, there will be no chance of survival for them. When Kenan leaves Mrs. Ristovski's water
bottles behind, he realizes the humanity of Mrs. Ristovski and goes back: "He begins to work his
way towards the Cumurija Bridge where two bottles of water without handles wait for him in a
small hole" (216). Kenan has a change of heart and realizes that Mrs. Ristovski entrusted Kenan to
get her water and knows that leaving her bottles would be breaking a promise during a time when
she needs him. He decided to go back the way he came, where it was dangerous and may still be
under attack to go retrieve Mrs. Ristovski's water bottles. Kenan also shows his selflessness by not
letting his son come with him to get water

Duality In Steven Galloway's The Cellist Of Sarajevo
Courage or cowardice, which option would be your choice? Since the dawn of civilization there has
been a never ending fanaticism with dualities. Good or bad, right or wrong, and the hero versus the
villain. Is it because we cannot bear what is past black and white, or just subconsciously color blind
to the fact. Yet a middle ground still remains, there will always be an existing common ground
between any two halves; we only need to perceive it. Steven Galloway's The Cellist of Sarajevo
forces our imaginations to surpass those concepts of duality. In the novel a war is taking place in
Sarajevo, but there is an even greater war within the individuals caught in the crosshairs of
imminent danger. We know courage is a preferred trait over cowardice, ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
He is an elderly fellow who truly loves Sarajevo and its beauty. The narrator states, "the city he grew
up in and was proud of and happy with," (23). Dragan tried to fight for his city, but it didn't help
much (25). His wife (Raza) and son have gone to Italy, while Dragan is alone living with his sister.
He works at a bakery and still travels on his days off to obtain bread to eat (26). This is what leads
him out and about walking the streets of this now dangerous city. Just as fearful mouse would he
moves swift, when the time is right and avoids anyone, especially people he's familiar with. He is
ashamed to know how they are now and for them to witness how he is now. This is until he comes
across Emina; his wife's friend (66). Emina is traveling to bring medication (blood thinners) to
another person who needs them. She helps Dragan overcome his fears of the war. They were stuck
on a path trying to cross, but a sniper was on the hill watching. After Dragan's first attempt to cross
failed he tried again with Emina. At the same moment two other guys trying crossing. Emina
receives a shot in the arm, while another gentlemen receives a shot to the head that knocks off his
cap, and Dragan struggles on his way to Emina. Even though the guy who was shot in the head
reached for Dragan, he took the man's hat and left him behind. Later Emina is taking to the hospital
and Dragan stays behind. After Dragan's act of cowardice, he comes to a realization that losing the
war means the city is in control and is acting on what the men on the hill desires them to do; run in
fear and die. Dragan faces his fears on camera (a camera man was watching in amusement), runs to
the hatless man grabs him and tries to drag him away to keep his city beautiful. The narrator speaks
for Dragan, "if this city is to die, it won't be because of the men on the hills, it will be because of the
people in the valley" (213). Lastly, Dragan courageously

Music In Dragan's The Cellist Of Sarajevo
Music is known to leave its mark on people helping them to overcome challenges in their lives or to
give them courage to defy the odds. In one's daily life, music is normally taken for granted or is seen
as nothing special. As ordinary as it may seem, music can convey emotion in times when the body is
numb or all hope is lost. Similarly, in The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway, the cello's music
gave people hope and determination to live their lives in spite of the rampant siege around them.
Therefore, music very much impacts the lives of the principal characters Dragan, Kenan, and Arrow.
The cellist's music affects Dragan who in the beginning of the book is an empty shell devoid of any
emotion or bravery. Dragan explains, "He can ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
After the shell hits the brewery, Kenan is so irritated and worn–out from getting water every day,
that he decides to leave cantankerous Mrs. Ristovski's water bottles in a hole. The worn–out Kenan
has a change of heart when he listens to the cellist's music later on. He goes back to retrieve the
water because he decides he does not want to become "a ghost" like Mrs. Ristovski and the other
people while he is still living. The cellist's music gives Kenan faith and the optimism to live. As the
cellist's notes seep into Kenan, he is filled with visions of him spending time with his family.
Kenan's resolve strengthens and he realizes that he must continue to survive, so that when the time
comes, "they will be the ones who will rebuild Sarajevo." In recovering the bottles for Mrs.
Ristovski, Kenan regains his humanity. The music also has a transforming effect on Kenan as he
watches the "the building behind the cellist repair itself, the scars of bullets and shrapnel [become]
covered [with] plaster. Kenan watches as his city heals itself around him." This shows the
transcendent power of music as it puts Kenan into a state of bliss and helps him to develop hope that
his city will heal. The music is so powerful that the happiness is "all taken away" when the music
stops and Kenan "is back on the street where twenty–two people were killed." Usually, Kenan is a
person that everyone trusts and the music helps Kenan preserve his trustworthy

The Theme Of Identity In The Cellist Of Sarajevo
If you could revisit any moment in your life and change the decision you made, would your identity
be any different? Could your identity, the values and beliefs you hold, be altered or erased by one
drastic event? One novel, which explores the development one's identity is Steven Galloway's The
Cellist of Sarajevo. Galloway clearly explores identity through the three main characters of the
novel; Alisa, Kenan, and Dragan, conveying a clear lesson about hope through the experiences of
the three characters. Though the conflicts from the siege cause them all to deviate from their
personalities before the siege, they eventually all revert to their original personalities, regaining their
identities.
In the novel during the Siege of Sarajevo, Alisa ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The answer is a resounding no. The choices people make over the span of their life, the values,
morals, and beliefs they hold shape their identity. Though an event like the siege may temporarily
disrupt an individual, causing them to stray from their path and for a period of time, make decisions
they would not usually make, there will always be hope. Despite the conflicts that the siege brings,
the characters all maintain a shred of hope and with it a shred their personality before the siege, and
after they fully regain hope, symbolized by the music of the Cellist, they all revert back to the
people they once were. The deviations in behavior, beliefs, and values all occur due to the initial
shock of the siege, however even such a tragedy is not enough to uproot Alisa, Kenan, and Dragan's
identities. When one strays from their path, whether it be from fear, anger, or anguish, they will
always be hope in the back of their mind. People will always adapt, at some point they will come to
terms with reality, and their quietly whispering hope will scream. Eventually, like the main
characters in the novel, people will regain hope and with it their identity. Conflicts which lack a
persona; the nameless and faceless men on the hills, do not have the ability to rob or destroy
anyone's

Summary: The Cellist Of Sarajevo
Humankind is more capable of cruelty than any other species on Earth, as being cruel is a choice
only a human can make. In 'The Cellist of Sarajevo', "the men on the hills" chose to attack the
civilians of Sarajevo. They made the decision to take away the childhoods of children, to rip apart
families, to massacre a city. However, the citizens of Sarajevo did not merely lie down and allow
themselves to be slaughtered. Despite the threat of death looming over them, the civilians of
Sarajevo survived by gripping onto life, to hope, stronger than they ever had before. They had faith
in a day they wouldn't have to live a game of roulette every time they wanted to simply cross the
road. They believed the world would save them from their tormenters. ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
For Dragan, it was friendship that he turned away from. When the siege began, he began to avoid his
friends as he believed it would hurt too much to maintain those friendships. It reaches a point where
he is almost "willing to risk his life to avoid a social exchange" [78]. However, once he begins to
talk to Emina, he starts to lose some of an old man's bitterness. He remembers who he used to be,
and how he enjoys her company. He sees how this siege has not ruined all he used to know. He may
barely recognize his city, but he recognizes the opportunity to enjoy a conversation with an "old
friend" [78]. This is when Dragan recovers his hope, and starts to see Sarajevo in a fresh light. It is
due to this new found perspective that he reacts the way he does to the journalist attempting to film
the body of the hatless man. When he moves the man out of site he is not thinking of his abandoned
faith in humanity, but rather he is thinking of the world and the future of Sarajevo. A future he can
now see thanks to a conversation with Emina. Though the future may seem grim at times, a few
words exchanged with an old friend recovered a man's hope, as it was never far out of

Examples Of The Cellist Of Sarajevo
The Cellist of Sarajevo The presence of hope affects Arrow and Dragan. In the story "The Cellist of
Sarajevo", by Steven Galloway, the presence of hope affects Arrow and Dragan by it making them
regain their humanity and makes them believe that the city of Sarajevo will be restored. Humanity is
a quality of being human; the peculiar nature of man, by which he is distinguished from other
beings. The presence of hope affects Arrow by making and makes her regain her humanity and
makes her believe that the city of Sarajevo will be restored. The first example of the presence of
when hope is affecting Arrow by making her regain her humanity and makes her believe that the city
will be restored occurs when she talks to Nermin ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The first example of when the absence of hope affects Kenan by it making him not have faith that
the war won't be restored occurs when he says he isn't afraid. "He knows the sniper will fire again,
but he isn't afraid. At this moment fear doesn't exist." (236). Dragan isn't scared to get hit by the
sniper because he has hope that the war will end and that it will be back at its original state. The
second example of when the presence of hope affects Dragan by it making and makes him regain his
humanity and makes him believe that the city of Sarajevo will be restored occurs when he says the
war will end. "The war will end, and when its looked back upon it will be with regret, not fond
memories of faded glory." (248). Dragan has hope and confidence that the war will end and is also
thinking about good memories in the past. The final example of when the presence of hope affects
Dragan by it by making and makes him regain his humanity and makes him believe that the city of
Sarajevo will be restored occurs when he talks about Sarajevo at the end of the book. "The Sarajevo
he wants to live in again is alive again"(249). Dragan talks about how the city isn't dead despite the
amount of people dying because it was the city he has been living in all his life. In conclusion, the
presence of hope inspires Dragan to have faith in the people of the city and makes him believe that
the city of Sarajevo will be

Often individuals face challenges in their lives and overcome the struggle, which later affects an
individual's methods of viewing life as a whole. Restoring honor for an individual is simply defined
as restoring their state of integrity, which becomes a struggle when a catastrophe has happened that
has a long time effect on their moral upbringings, which needs to be restored. The situation
provokes an individual to start building a struggle of feelings between their believes and their
reality. The novel "The cellist of Sarajevo" by Steven Galloway uses the characters to show that an
individual must struggle emotionally and mentally to restore honor and certainty in life as it
questions the validity of an individual's morals in front of indisputable circumstances which proves
as an ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
He is an average citizen in the novel who is impacted by the war. Being the head of the family, he
has to go outside and get water in order to survive. However, at one point in the novel, he is
emotionally weak and he despises the idea of leaving the safety of his home and going outside. His
fear of going outside and never returning back home scares him and it causes him to have a nervous
breakdown. Despite of the fact that this is his responsibility, he thinks that his pride is in staying
strong for his children as well as provide them with the hope that they will be able to survive this
siege. This pressure causes a lot of tension to build in his mind; leading him to think emotionally
and ignoring the logical side of the situation as he choose to step outside in danger and not staying
home. This is the struggle that he has to face in which he has to choose a side between his pride,
which is related to his morals, or the validity of the

The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
The majority of characters from war–time novels often resort to substance abuse as a way to cope
with the horrors of war. In Joseph Boyden's Three Day Road, the young Cree soldier, Xavier, uses
excessive amounts of morphine to forget the bloodshed he witnessed on the battlefield. Similarly,
Mrs. Ross, the mother of the young Canadian soldier Robert from The Wars becomes an alcoholic as
a way to deal with the departure of her son to war. However, in Steven Galloway's "The Cellist of
Sarajevo," the primary characters, although affected by war, employ a different strategy to come to
terms with and survive the war, and to regain their moral values and identity. In this novel, music is
employed as a tool of healing and rebirth. Specifically, Arrow, Kenan, and Dragan use the music of
the anonymous cellist to reclaim their sense of humanity, compassion, and self–identity and move
forward despite the ongoing war, much like the mythical Phoenix rises from the ashes in rebirth. In
Steven Galloway's The Cellist of Sarajevo, a young female sniper, Arrow, nearly loses sight of her
own true self–identity as a consequence of being forced to assume the role of killer under the
pressure of the ruling forces. However, through the restorative powers of the cellist's music, which
acts as a tool for her inner healing, she is finally able to regain her former moral values, prior to her
eventual death. This young female character, previously a skilled member of her university's target
shooting

Revitalization Through Beauty The world refuses to do anything other than overlook the disruption
of beauty in our life. In that, the importance of beauty would be much lesser without tragedy for
comparison, for that beauty is only used to distract the world from what truly is happening beyond
the safety for our home. In the novel The Cellist Of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway the idea of beauty
is given to us through the melody played by the cellist in an area where a mortar fell and killed 22
innocent people. With that in sight, he brought sentience and tranquility through music all while
surrounded by death and destruction. In the midst of tragedy, the author used the music played by
the cellist to show how the character Arrow is affected and how the ruins of life and broken dreams
can be again be restored by a sense of hope and revitalization. ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
For Arrow, this also happened but in a different fashion. She locked her old self away to protect
herself from the barbarity war. The comforting sound of the cellist playing Albinoni's Adagio brings
Arrow back to a simpler time, a time when she didn't have to live with a rifle slung over her
shoulder. "Her mother is lifting her up, spinning her around and laughing. The warm tongue of a dog
licks her arm." (p.75) In this excerpt, it shows how the music sent her back, deep into her
subconscious to the girl she once was. The music from the cellist reminded her of who she really is
underneath the rigid exterior – a happy, careless young

The Cellist Of Sarajevo Analysis
A life lesson that I learned from The Cellist of Sarajevo is that it is better to live, even in a dark,
war–torn, seemingly hopeless world, than to be dead. While sometimes death may appear preferable
because it seems to promise freedom from pain and suffering, the truth is that being alive means still
having a chance, still having the possibility to turn things around and have a good life, even if it is
darkened with difficult times. There is never a time when life, as miserable as it may be, does not
have something positive going for it that can be seen if only we look hard enough for it. Even in the
midst of our darkest moments, if we just open our eyes, it is possible to find something, if not many
things, that make our lives worthwhile,

The Cellist Of Sarajevo Essay
The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway was an intensely gripping book. The opening line, "It
screamed downward, splitting the air and sky without effort," made the book come to life almost
instantaneously. I really like this novel because it shows the hardship of war on an extremely
emotional level, which I believe is what makes us humans more understanding and empathetic of
these circumstances. It also made me sickened by the ignorance some people have during wartime.
While we sleep soundly in our beds, there are people being blown to pieces and watching every
aspect of their livelihood crumble. The siege of Sarajevo ended the year before I was born, so I
myself was very ignorant of it upon reading this book. Not only did it inform me of such a terrible
event, but it made me want to understand it more. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Arrow exemplifies honor in the sense that despite her moral values, she's knows that she'll do
whatever it takes to protect the cellist and fulfill her job as a skilled sniper. Both Kenan and the
cellist are examples of nobility. Kenan risks his life to provide for his family and his demanding
neighbor whom he only helps out of pity and commitment to a promise he made her. The cellist
realizes that he can't provide much other than peaceful music, but it's one of the only things that the
people of Sarajevo get enjoyment out of. Both the cellist and Kenan risk their lives daily to provide
something that is necessary to survive during hardship. Dragan's character in the book also provides
for his family, and he appreciates the job he is lucky to have. It's not money he wants, because he
knows that it has no value. All he wants is food to feed his family. I believe that each of the
characters in the book embodies multiple valuable characteristics that more people in society should
adapt as

Change Of Perspective In The Cellist Of Sarajevo By Steven...
There are millions of different ways to see something; there are millions of perspectives. As the old
saying goes, "If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change," a change of
perspective towards any object, person or event can alter an individual's understanding towards the
whole world. In the novel, the Cellist of Sarajevo, by Steven Galloway, Galloway demonstrates the
idea that when individuals develop a new perspective, they often change their interpretation of the
world, which results in new attitudes and actions. In the text, characters, Kenan, Dragan and
Arrow's, view of the world is drastically changed when they are placed in the war–torn streets of
Sarajevo. A change of perspective in Arrow is what developed ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
However, Kenan's interpretation of the world is truly altered when he witnesses the corruption and
violence of the war. He is one of the collective few Sarajevo citizens who were naive to such chaos
and bloodshed. Kenan, when he witnesses the corruption in the city, is shocked and disturbed that
the wealthy leech on the backs of the poor, "At first he just stands there, shocked./And now he is
angry. All he sees is the man/and all he wants to do is put his hands around his throat (206)." Kenan,
who was once naive to such explicit violence, has gained a new perspective and this perspective has
changed his view of the world. Also, similarly to Dragan, Kenan begins to understand the
significance of his life. His new perspective developed from the war, has helped Kenan understand
the importance of living and that he will not allow himself to be subjected to such terror. "Kenan
will not be a ghost. Enough has been done to the city in the name of ghosts (215)," Kenan realizes
that that there is so much more to life and that he will not lose himself to violence nor corruption.
This change in perspective changes Kenan's interpretation of life and the

A Beautiful Life In Sarajevo Throughout history, many people have sought out several ways to
withstand the many enormities of warfare. The works of Steven Galloway's The Cellist of Sarajevo
capturing the battles of Sarajevo, Bosnia in the 1990s and Roberto Benigni's Life is Beautiful
focusing on life in Italy during World War 2 represent these ways of which humanity copes with
such tragedy in society. In both the Cellist of Sarajevo and Life is Beautiful characters continue their
faith in the human spirit through music, bravery, and sacrifice. To begin, music exhibits serenity to
the most timid of people in times of distraught. In The Cellist of Sarajevo Arrow faced the task of
protecting the Cellist from an enemy sniper. Arrow hesitated ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Arrow's bravery throughout her mission of protecting the Cellist was something that was meant
living for. Hence, it served a purpose as a source of her strength and hope that she has humanity
throughout the war. Bravery is an invaluable element to keeping our humanity through warfare. It
displays our courage and ultimately keeps people strong in the effortless struggle In Roberto
Begnigni's Life is Beautiful Dora is seen as an epitome of bravery by leaving her fiancé whom she
does not love to follow her heart in Guido. Dora, shows incredible bravery to be able to leave her
fiancé behind and follow the love of her life in Guido. Dora's bravery came at a cost of embarrassing
her mother and fiancé. Nonetheless, her bravery in following her heart in a situation where she
bravely leaves the safety of her surroundings to be with the love of her life, and she becomes far
more smitten for having done so. Dora's inertia with her fiancé is symbolic of how many Italians felt
when the Facists took them over in World War 2. Dora's tool to fight her inertia was her bravery to
carve out her own unique path in her life by pursuing her true love in Guido. In

Humanity In The Cellist Of Sarajevo By Steven Galloway
From time to time humans lose and regain their humanity during various situations. In the novel The
Cellist Of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway, humanity is demonstrated through the characters behavior.
Although the humanity in many character is diminishing, Arrow and Dragan express the presence of
humanity. Steven Galloway shows this throughout the unveiling of Arrows and Dragons thoughts
and actions. Although Arrow is a sniper, she portrays humanity during the war. Firstly, Arrow does
not want to be Alisa when she is a sniper. Arrow changes her name, "so the person who fought and
killed could someday be put away" (Galloway 13). The separation of identities shows humanity
because she does not want her real self to face corruption ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
To begin with, he puts his family's safety before his own. Just before the war is about to begin,
"Dragan managed to get his wife, Raza, and their eighteen–year–old son out of the city"(37). Dragan
knows as soon as his son becomes nineteen he will be conscripted for war and he does not want his
son to see the face of war. Therefore Dragan finds it better to send his family to Italy and for him to
stay in Sarajevo to protect his home. Protecting his family home means that when the war is over,
his family can live life as if the war never happened. Secondly, Dragan demonstrates his human
attributes. Dragan feels that "if people are going to be taken away from him,...then he's better off
without them"(43). Dragan has humanity because unlike everyone else in Sarajevo who is neutral to
death, he is scared to lose anyone he knows. In human nature an individual feels grief when they
lose someone, but the war makes the citizens of Sarajevo loss that human attribute. Dragan controls
human characteristic by not socializing with others. In order to not have grief if anything were to
happen to someone he knows and cares about. Thirdly, he respects the fallen civilians. Dragan does
not want to "live in a city where dead bodies lie abandoned on the streets"(236). Unlike the other
individuals who ignore the dead civilians, Dragan does not. He remembers that the people of
Sarajevo before the

Symbolism In The Cellist Of Sarajevo
Ossie Davis once said, "Any form of art is a form of power; it has an impact, it can affect change, it
can not only move us, it makes us move". Similarly, The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
tells the story of how three individuals Arrow, Dragan and Kenan suffering from the unrelenting and
ruthlessness of war are impacted by one musician's art. All three characters suffer from the war in
different ways, but the art in the form of music finds a way to connect them all. Galloway's novel
illustrates that art helps lessen the suffering of those facing the brutality of war as the cellist's music
provides healing of the spirit, mind, and body. The cellist's music provides hope and inspiration to
the people of Sarajevo that they will be able ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Arrow's supervisor Nermin takes her to listen to the cellist as her latest assignment will be to protect
him. Listening to the cellist's music elicits a powerful response, "She leans back into the wall. She's
no longer there. Her mother is lifting her up, spinning her around and laughing" (75). The cellist's
music allows her to be taken away from her daily battle with the men on the hills to a time when she
didn't have to kill people and live with constant death and destruction. Arrow gets emotional
comfort as she is able to remember a moment of her childhood when she was happy and the war had
not taken her family away. Arrow's reminiscing about life before the war gives her emotional
endurance as she gets a piece of a time of happiness to cling on to during her daily battles. The
memory of a time before the war aids in reducing Arrow's suffering as she is taken away from the
torture of the battlefield. Additionally, it also helps to heal her mind as she reminded of a time when
she was happy and consumed with hatred. Moreover, the cellist's music transports the people of
Sarajevo to a future of comfort and happiness. While listening to the cellist play his music, Kenan is
transported to a dream sequence, "Kenan will look at his wife, and then his and younger daughter
and he will know how happy he is and none of this will

Symbolism In The Cellist Of Sarajevo
The Cellist Of Sarajevo The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway forced the ideas of identity and
humanity to completely consume my thoughts. Keeping your wits about you in the midst of a
hornets nest with no way out would be hardly possible. Sacrificing your life to be who you truly are
and want to be seems slightly irrational. These scenarios may seem deranged, but when
accompanied by compelling circumstances this is the most sane, sensible thinking that could be
accomplished. To keep yourself level headed and keep achieving rational thinking while sitting in
the seat of war with a seat belt that will not unbuckle, may seem almost impossible. But for the
characters in this book they manage to keep their humanity and remain connected with ... Show
She tries to fathom which direction the enemy sniper will come from. Having the precisely skilled
and pure talent that accompanies her, Arrow determines where the opposition's bullets will emerge
from. After she decides that she sets up her location where she can see everything take place, and
protect the cellist. Later that day the cellist comes out, and starts to play. She knows the enemy is
ready, but nothing happens. Day two, and she is accurately aware of the oppositions presence. She
waits in silence until she sees the cellist pick up his cello and play. Arrow notices that she can now
anticipate most of the notes of the adagio. Moments pass and she is now mystified as to why the
sniper has not yet taken his shot. Suddenly, Arrow senses insecurity as she dives on to the floor and
a bullet passes atop her head. She realizes she had been outwitted. Arrow listens for the next kill
shot toward the cellist but it never comes. The next day was the day it all went down. Arrow went
out to her location that morning and waited all day for the cellist to emerge from the chipped
building and to fill the echoing street with the lovely melody of the adagio. She has a clear line of
sight on the enemy sniper this time as he has a clear shot of the cellist. But once again he isn't taking
it. As she studies him from her scope she begins to realizing that he is listening to the music. She
does not want to kill someone that is not

Summary Of The Cellist Of Sarajevo
Symbolism is used very effectively throughout The Cellist of Sarajevo to convey the different
scenes and is used to create imagery. The Central Library is a significant symbol used to symbolize
Sarajevo before it was attacked by the Bosnian Serb Army. As described by Dragan: "...Sarajevo he
remembers, the city he grew up in and was proud of and happy with..." (Galloway 33). The library
was one of the first places the army destroyed, seemingly symbolizing the destruction of citizens'
old lives and their culture. The destruction of the Parliament Tower is also similar to that of the
Central Library. "The tower is a target not only because it is a symbol of a government they have
vowed to destroy, but also because all of Grbavica is visible from ... Show more content on
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The main theme of this book is how everyone in the city works hard in order to survive every day of
the siege. The men on the hills and the ongoing war have thrown everyone's lives into utter chaos. In
the first chapter, the following quotation is repeated three times: "It screamed downward, splitting
air and sky without effort. A target expanded in size, brought into focus by time and velocity. There
was a moment before impact that was the last instant of things as they were. Then the visible world
exploded" (Galloway 1, 3, 6). These two quotations serve as a connection to the beginning of the
war and how a single mortar shell transforms the lives of tens of thousands of people. Everyone in
Sarajevo shares a common goal: to survive until the end of the day. This rigorous and dangerous
mission is repeated every single day. The men on the hill force the citizens of Sarajevo to always be
cautious. The threat of a sniper aiming when one crosses a road and the fear of being one of the
victims in the many mortar bombings are always lingering in the citizens' minds. This fear of death
and will to survive creates a tense mood throughout the story. The reader is often able to imagine the
scene and the tense moments as Arrow, Kenan, Dragan and the citizens of Sarajevo fight to survive.
One wrong move, even one as frivolous as walking across the street, may signify the death of

Influence Of Fear In Steven Marloway's The Cellist Of...
In times of conflict, the possession of power and control is often heavily influenced by the infliction
of fear upon a subordinate group. In Steven Galloway's The Cellist of Sarajevo, this ideology enters
a fictional world, where the Serbs ruthlessly terrorize Sarajevo from the hills in an attempt to
capture the city during the Yugoslav war. Through the experiences of the three main characters and
other citizens of Sarajevo within the novel, it becomes apparent to the reader that terror and
manipulation have become the tools of choice used to gain power and ultimate supremacy. Within
Galloway's work, Arrow, Dragan, and Kenan experience a loss of control through the powerful
influence of fear by the invading forces. Arrow expresses a loss ... Show more content on
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According to Arrow, "A weapon does not decide whether or not to kill. A weapon is a manifestation
of a decision that has already been made" (Galloway 96). This quote puts into perspective the
motivation of the enemy forces, specifically through the line "A weapon is a manifestation of a
decision that has already been made". These words communicate the reader that the Serbs' decision
is to take Sarajevo for themselves, using weapons and shells to instill fear in the city's citizens and
efficiently achieve their goal. Furthermore, it also reveals that Arrow is slowly losing control. She
realizes that one can make all the right choices and still find their fate in the hands of another. A
second event in which Arrow experiences a loss of control is when she realizes that the enemy
sniper is watching her (143). Fear strikes Arrow in this situation, as she realizes that the enemy
sniper is much more adept than she originally thought, gaining the upper hand swiftly without her
realizing. Arrow knows that the enemy sniper is using fear to challenge her and let her know that he
is in control, able to end her life with a single shot whenever he pleases. This is significant to
Arrow's character because she is used to having full power herself, however she is

In "The Cellist of Sarajevo," the cellist, Arrow, Kenan, and Dragan are subjected to living a life
others have determined for them: one filled with mortars, blood, and a lost civilization. In spite of all
the inhumanity surrounding them, when the cellist plays the "Adagio," the four characters ultimately
refuse to surrender their humanity. As they listen to the Cellist play Albinoni's Adagio, they are filled
with hope, and the optimism to survive. In "The Cellist of Sarajevo," music represents hope. Music
is able to transcend, heal, and possess the spirit of the war–torn Sarajevo. Music is the emotional
endurance that links all the characters who are otherwise unrelated. Music also gave me hope when I
went through a tough time in my life. It was able to assure me that things will be okay after all, and
to not give up hope. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Through his playing, the cellist resolves to inspire his listeners and remind them to never give up.
And it clearly works: "Music fills the empty air. And for an evanescent moment, anger and violence
are no longer heard." (Page#). Music is hope. The cellist brings many people back to the realization
that music, beauty, and liveliness were once abundant in their city; this same music will someday
return to bring joy and happiness so long as the people dream and hope for things to be better. The
music gives these people the confidence that one day, they will be able to be human again: to feel
beauty and life rather than death and fear. As music is played inside concealed streets, the respect
shown to those that passed away becomes a life force in a city in need of support. Despite the risk of
death, the cellist continues to play to respect the dead, as a symbolic message that their deaths will
not be in vain. For the cellist, a vision of hope grows in his mind that he must continue to inspire
hope by all

Decisions on Survival in The Cellist of Sarajevo Run and hide or stay and fight. The fight or flight
response is the first thing the human brain activates when there are threats to its survival. Steven
Galloway's novel, The Cellist of Sarajevo, puts the main characters in many situations that require
quick decisions to ensure survival. This instantaneous response is central to the one of the characters
in the novel named Dragan. He is an elderly man whose family has escaped Sarajevo while he stays
behind. Though he has the support of his sister, he depends almost entirely on himself for survival.
The choices he makes to ensure he lives reflect the response he has to the effects of the war. At the
beginning, Dragan isolates himself from everyone including friends because he is afraid of losing
them. He is afraid to cross an intersection and waits for hours out of fear of death by the snipers of
the men on the hills. A transition begins in his mind when he witnesses the consequences every
choice carries when his friend Emina is shot by a sniper. By the end of the novel he decides that he
will live in the battle–torn Sarajevo however he chooses and not be intimidated by the men on the
hills. Dragan uses the power of choice to hide and be fearful, although by the end of the novel, he
chooses to be brave and have hope for the return of the Sarajevo of his memories..
At the beginning of the novel, Dragan, gripped by fear, makes decisions that seclude himself and
make him feel trapped by the men on the hills. Dragan chooses to stay in Sarajevo yet he does not
want to talk to former friends and acquaintances out of fear of losing them," He's stopped talking to
his friends, visits no one, avoids those who come to visit him" (Galloway 43). His fear of death
controls his choices so much so that he decides to become a recluse. Another example of his fear
controlling his fate in the war is when he refuses to cross an intersection because of the possibility of
a sniper working there that day. He also does not move as his friend Emina is shot as she attempts to
walk across the street, "Still he didn't move when the shots were fired. Not because he thought
anything through, but because he was afraid" (Galloway 181). Dragan

Arrow In The Cellist Of Sarajevo By Steven Galloway
In The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway, Arrow's character is developed and shown
throughout the story. Arrow is not her real name. Arrow is a sniper who works alone and tries to stop
the men on the hills destroying the city. It's a name she took when she felt hatred and anger for the
men on the hills. "I am Arrow, because I hate them. The woman you knew hated nobody.", the
women who she was before didn't feel any hatred nor anger. Throughout the chapters, Arrow comes
to circumstances that will cause her to make the right decision Before the war, Arrow was just like
any other normal girl. She didn't feel hatred or anger. The ice cream stand she walks past evokes the
memories of her childhood, "She passes the remnants of a shop that ... Show more content on
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She now knows people are coming for her and returns to her base. At the Cellist's final day in
playing Albinoni's Adagio, Arrow knows her days as a weapon is now over. Arrow leaves her rifle
beside the cellist's bow meaning that she is done killing people and wants to go back to her old life.
She realizes that who she has been throughout the war is not who she truly is. The nightstand in her
room, where her father's rifle is, chooses to leave it because it represents her journey back towards
who she once was. Rather than to fight back, she embraces the killing machine mentality and she
chooses to die as the girl who she was before the war. "But she isn't going to pick up the gun. It sits
on her right table partly out of habit, and partly because she wants them to know that she was armed
and could have fought back." Arrow does not move to use her father's rifle because when her father
was still alive, he did not want her to feel and experience hatred. Instead of saving herself with her
dad's rifle at her bedside, Arrow chooses to reconnect with "[I am] Alisa." her true self and dies as

How Does Kenan Change In The Cellist Of Sarajevo

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