Cellist Of Sarajevo Book Review Sample

War and the effects of war are usually narrated differently basing on the experiences that people have heard. War is the worst that could happen to a community especially looking at the length of time it takes before the wounds are healed. A war that takes as little as one week could cost an entire generation to recover from its effects. Despite the experiences that people have had to go through because of war, it has never served as a good lesson to many, who still take it to be the best way to resolve conflict. Its effects are in fact used to weaken the targeted community and give those who oppose them long standing victory. The book, Cellist of Sarajevo, highlights one of the most recent wars and the reaction of some of the people who witnessed. The book is written basing on the personal views of the characters to reflect on the action taken by many people to come to terms with the events and move on with life. Despite the emotions that engulf a person reading the novel, it can never be compared to the trauma faced by those who witnessed and directly affected by the war.
The most outstanding character in the novel was the cellist, symbolizing the courageous war veterans. It must have been most traumatizing for him to watch the people he knew and were out to their normal business being killed in cold blood. He watched helplessly from the window as the strong energetic men and woman of his community are killed. In his position, he knew there was something he could do, however small, to honor the departed souls. The only treasure he had, which acted as a big reminder of the tragedy that happen to the people he knew well was his cell. At the event, he was playing the cell and thought that playing the song to each soul, a day at a time will not only help him heal from the trauma but also pay his last respect. The selfless nature of the cellist depicts the rare courage that people obtain amidst war. It is clear from the description that the man was not afraid of dying, considering the dead bodies that lay besides him. He picked up himself, knowing that the killers were still at large, and for twenty two days, played the music in their memory.
Arrow, the sniper represents those who are compelled by circumstances to do what they had probably never imagined of doing. Before she assumed her responsibility, Arrow was a university student with a lot of prospects. All her dreams were shuttered with the onset of the war and the best she could do was to protect the civilians from the armed attackers. She knows that the real enemies of the war are not the armless civilians but the soldiers. They were the ones responsible for the killings and if they are killed, then there will be peace in the land. Hers is a story of the hopelessness that people face, and how war changes the character and even dreams of a person.
Another interesting character is Kenan, who feels the burden of taking care of his family on his shoulders. He is courageous enough to go out, amidst the raging battle to get water for his family. He is a representation of the attitude that people have to adopt. Despite the war, there is a realization that life has to move on, he could not just sit there and watch his family starve, but rather took a risk on their behalf just to ensure they are well. His fear of loosing them makes him not dare go with all of them. He would rather they stay in the house or even be killed there rather than having them all scattered on the streets dead. He is a man who loves his family and willing to die rather than them, as he finds food for them.
The last character, Dragan, who represents the position I would be in, appears confused and in awe of what is happening. He is held in between the present happenings and the past memories. The real war situation as it is happening appears like a dream he would one day wake up from. He has earlier transferred his family from the war zone and was all alone. He definitely wishes that things were different, yet he has to live and accept the reality of the situation. He is living in constant fear of being attacked but decides to confront them anyhow knowing that he is no different from those who were killed. Dragon is a representation of those who become so much overwhelmed by the war environment that it becomes difficult for them to trust. With killings all over, he des not even feel secure with his co-workers and avoids them, mistaking them to be his enemies. A war environment changes how people feel towards one another by changing their friendly attitude to possible enemies.
The display of the four characters is a clear view of the attitudes and characters displayed by people, experiencing similar tragedies. There is a sense of unity especially in protecting the cellist, as he pays homage to the departed souls. The actions that are taken after such experiences act as a constant reminder of the love that people found amidst the tragedy. The music of the cellist was like a sweet smelling perfume that diluted the pain of death in the minds of the people. As he played his cell for twenty two days, there were snipers up and down to protect him from being attacked. They have not known him in person, but recognizing the act of kindness he displayed, they were also committed to the responsibility of recuing their lives just to protect him.
There are many counts of war witnesses that are never highlighted in literature, yet they tell stories of despair and pain. In most cases, the best we can do as we read such stories is to sympathize wit the victims and pray that we are never caught up in the mix. However, there is much more we can do, nit only during and after war, but before it happens. Such stories of inspiration are meant to bring our hearts closer to the situation and inspire us to do what we can to ensure that our environment is safe for us and those around us. The stories also helps know that as long us we are a live, we are vulnerable to such issues and hence knowing the positions to take. The greatest lesson is for us to remember the unsung heroes, who did the little they could to bring change to the environment. The cellist did not look at himself as an armless vulnerable man but took his most treasured weapon to sing in honor of his people.