The Cellist of Sarajevo Novel by Steven Galloway - Critical Paper

What Happens at the End of the Novel, the Cellist of Sarajevo?

At the end of the novel, a few significant occurrences take place. The Cellist plays the cello for the last day commemorating the twenty-two victims who were killed by a mortar shell while queuing for bread. Arrow the female sniper who has been assigned to keep him safe is still doing her job. On this particular day, the Cellist changes his usual variation and routine. After finishing his Adagio, he leans forward and in a piteous gesture hug the body of his cello and tears stream down his face. The Cellist then proceeds to a heap of flowers which were piling since the first mortar fell and lay his cello there. Then as quiet as he had been, makes his retreat into his apartment, without uttering a single word. He was done, he had said enough through his music and therefore his work there was finished (Galloway, 2008).

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In a different paradigm, the novel paints an entirely astonishing and otherwise sad but heroic ending for Arrow, the female sniper. Arrow who has had quite an experience with the military forces of Sarajevo is now facing her destruction. After the death of her handler Nermin Filipovic, Arrow finds herself assigned to a murderous, bloodthirsty unit that engages in the wanton killing of civilians. Since she would not conform to killing anyone but a soldier and would not follow Colonel Karaman's orders, Arrow becomes a target.

With a mind made up and her resolve strengthened, Arrow decides not to fight back and allow Edin Karaman's men to kill her. She does this despite having her father's gun lying beside her bed. In the same fashion, she allowed herself to be found by sleeping in her apartment on a fateful day. Arrow chooses clemency and leniency over hatred. She dies hate-free and would allow the men to know that she had the chance to defend herself but chose not to.

Understanding the Final Statement: “My Name Is Alisa.”

The final statement, "My name is Alisa", was Arrow's way of reasserting her identity and her humanity after what the fighting took from her. Before the war, Arrow was a normal child turned teenager and later adult in the Sarajevo city. She is seen kicking and playing the ball with other children within the neighborhood as innocent as kids can be (Galloway, 2008). She is also seen with her grandmother passing by the shop which sold the best ice-creams and pleading with her granny to purchase one for her. Arrow also points out at a time when the streets of Sarajevo would be full of cheer and laughter unlike what they had transformed to during the war.

The fighting, however, changes Arrow's demeanor and outlook towards life. As a young adult, Arrow trained how to be a sharp-shooter and being extremely talented at it, didn't know that at some point she would have to shoot at real people and not a canvas. The aspect of killing a human being was in itself tasking as it took so much from Arrow. She became a killing machine and would kill the soldiers who had put her city under siege. With time, she grew to hate the men taking her city hostage with a raging passion that she even surprised herself. At one point when attending Slavko's funeral, her neighbor, Arrow gets infuriated when she sees people mourn for him. Her disposition at the time was such that she had attended so many funerals and they had made her numb. Her fury and anger became directed at those family members who appeared most bereaved. Arrow questions the source of their pain and ponders as to why people had not yet been used to death already (Galloway, 2008).

The statement above therefore serves to ascertain that Arrow was no longer willing to go on with the war. The Cellist's Adagio had changed her mind. She now was seeking to take back control of her life which was taken away from her by the sniper's rifle. Arrow had dreams of getting married, siring children, maybe going to college and getting an education. She did not want to be remembered as a murder, a killer or a heartless brute with no conscience. All these vile and negative statements, Arrow was not willing to be a part of. She wanted a new life, a fresh beginning, and a grand ending. My name is Alisa identifies her as such and not Arrow the female sniper who killed scores of the enemies soldiers.

Character Sketch of Arrow, the Woman Sniper

Arrow, the only female sniper recorded in the novel was born and raised in Sarajevo. Her late father after seeing the wanton destruction with which the war brought upon the city wished his daughter not to enlist. This was however not to be as Arrow was eagerly waiting to be summoned and join the army in protecting her city. In terms of her traits, Arrow can be said to possess the ones below.

Accurate and Articulate

Arrow had a skill that no one could rival as she could make a bullet do things that others couldn't. For most snipers, long-range shooting required accurate calculation and proper observation before releasing the bullet. Arrow, however, had a different approach to all this. All she did was send a bullet where she intended it to go and it did just that. Arrow also rarely missed a target as is evidenced by the sniper she kills during her protective assignment to the Cellist. A sniper hiding and being in a totally camouflaged position of taking out another sniper is not articulate but precise. Besides, Arrow had the knack of knowing where her escape route would be as most snipers would fail to have an elaborate exit plan. She worked her angles perfectly and at one point made out alive as the enemy's side dropped mortar shells on her after figuring out her position. Also, the fact that she had managed to last long, was proof of her efficiency as most snipers would have died within the shortest time possible especially after discovery.

Humane and Caring

Arrow understood what it meant to be a humanist even in the middle of warfare. When signing up under Nermin Filipovic, Arrow clearly states her reasons for joining in the fight. In so doing, she asserts that her targets were the soldiers and not the men, children or the women of the opposite side (Galloway, 2008). Arrow also prided herself on being a humanist as she understood the wondrous gift of being alive yet at the same time knew that it wouldn't last forever.

When Arrow was eighteen years old, and her name was not Arrow, she borrowed her father's car and drove to the countryside to visit some friends. As she was rounding a corner, one of her favorite songs played over the radio. For some reason, Arrow remembered her grandmother and tears welled in her eyes. This shows she was soft and warm on the inside and not the violent, murderous, killing machine that the war had turned her to.

In her protective assignment towards the Cellist, Arrow takes time in choosing whether to shoot the sniper who had been watching the Cellist or not. This incidence exposes her humane side as Arrow waits for the sniper to put his finger on the trigger button and pull before she shoots him dead. She eventually shoots the sniper in the full knowledge that he would eventually kill the Cellist.

Another incidence showing her humane side is when Arrow was asked by Hassan, a rogue officer and under the instructions of Colonel Karaman to shoot at a harmless, unarmed old man. Arrow declined and chose to shoot at a soldier instead. It was after this that Karaman's men started hunting and looking for Arrow in a bid of eliminating her. Her refusal is evidence of her humanity that she would not destroy those who cannot defend themselves.

Additionally, Arrow's consenting to keep the Cellist alive and ward off any would-be sniper is itself an act of leniency and exposes her humane side. She knew that the Cellist kept the hope of the city alive. By listening to him, one was forced to ponder and examine their role and participation in the war altogether. His music made Arrow question the validity of war and its continual progress. The music and the message were what eventually turned Arrow back to Alisa, her maiden name and her true self.

Believer and Hopeful

Despite the situation in Sarajevo, Arrow was hopeful that someday soon, it would be reversed and life would take its normal course. During her first meeting with Nermin, Arrow is seen reiterating the above statement of wishing to return back to normalcy once the war was over. Nermin, however, retorts his doubts as to whether one would actually remain untouched by the events of that warfare whether directly or indirectly.

By stating her real name Alisa as she is being gunned down, Arrow shows the hope she had of reclaiming her innocent life before being devastated by the conflict. She shows that she has died a changed person and her hopes of the war coming to an end had begun with her. Arrow knew that she had to take the first initiative of laying down her rifle. In a gesture of surrender even up to death, Arrow indicates that change is needed. She ushers in an era of peace and tranquility even when her own side does not seem to share in her dreams and ambitions.

The Extent to Which This Ending Represents an Idea of What an Effective Ending to a Novel Should Be.

The Cellist of Sarajevo has a sad ending in my opinion with so many untold incidences and unfinished stories. For instance, the reader is left to decipher for themselves whether or not the war ended and to what extent was the damage caused. Secondly, uncertainties as to what happened to the other characters such as Kenan in search for water are full of suspense. The last we see of Kenan is when he is knocking at Mrs.Ristovski's door in a last attempt to pick her water bottles. It is a confusing scene since Kenan points out that power had temporarily returned and his switch was back on. He says of Mrs. Ristovski that such times, especially when the lights came back on, she would be the first to know. Kenan knocks on Mrs. Ristovki's door again, hears shuffling but no one answers it. At this point, one wonders whether, Mrs. Ristovki's was dead, to which the shuffling may have been caused by cats. Further speculation is on whether Kenan proceeded with the journey, cut it short on account of Mrs. Ristovski's. If Kenan did indeed proceed with the journey, did he make past the bridges alive or was he shot down?

The same can be said about Arrow whose fate seemed sealed. As she heard the men prepare to break down her door and kill her, was it symbolic that the war had finally come to an end? What did her death signify, or was it a part of the plot? With Arrow dead, what did Sarajevo do in terms of finding a replacement to such a valiant soldier? Was Arrow honored for her bravery? Were songs composed by the Cellist in her memory? All these are questions that surround the ending of the novel, the Cellist of Sarajevo.

When it comes to the character Dragan however, a flicker of hope, bravery, and courage can be gained from him. Being an old man, Dragan, walked and did not run across the intersection as his fellow citizens had done. He amazes many by this simple act. He manages to safely get across to where the bakery is but changes course and decides to carry out Emina's wishes. These were ferrying of thinners, a type of medication to an invalid with a heart condition. Such an act of kindness changes his earlier perspective and he recognizes the need for change and of embracing his fellow countrymen. We are however not told whether he went to the bakery or whether he managed to make it alive across the intersection on his journey back.

Such ending in my view is full of suspense and does not address the questions concerning the onset of the warfare, the reasons for its lengthened duration and its culmination. It is true according to the text that many buildings were destroyed, many lives lost, and the economic situation in Sarajevo piti...