The Cellist of Sarajevo is a poignant novel recounting the experiences of three individuals amidst a besieged hometown. Survival, hope, hate, and coping with war are among the numerous themes explored; however, sacrifice emerges as the central motif. Arrow, Kenan, and Dragan all exhibited selflessness by jeopardizing their own well-being to aid others. Serving as a sniper, Arrow risked her own safety for the sake of protecting the city she held dear. Seleecting her targets and working independently, she embraced her role as a sniper as a means of contributing to her community.
Instead of randomly shooting the first man she saw on the hill, she carefully chose her target based on the belief that he would cause the most casualties in the streets. Later, she was assigned to protect the cellist from snipers sent by those on the hills. Arrow was willing to sacrifice her life to safeguard the city from these men.
In contrast, Kenan is a husband and father who risked his life to gather water for his family and elderly neighbor. Every few days, Kenan would tie together six containers belonging to his family and two containers belonging to Mrs.
Ristovski has to transport his containers to the brewery to collect water, which involves crossing bridges and putting himself at risk of being targeted by snipers. He also faces the danger of shelling and mortar attacks at both the brewery and throughout the city. When returning from the brewery, he must find ways to carry all the water and navigate the streets and bridges quickly to avoid getting shot by snipers. Although he realizes that bringing his young son along would mean fewer trips to the brewery, he chooses to go alone in order to ensure his son’s safety.
Kenan embarks on a perilous solo journey to gather fresh water for his family and neighbor, putting both himself and the possibility of being targeted by a sniper in harm’s way. Meanwhile, Dragan, employed as a baker, skillfully evades bullets while traversing the streets en route to his bakery. Prior to the outbreak of war, Dragan successfully sent his wife Raza and their eighteen-year-old son to Italy. However, he has not received any communication from them in three months, leading him to daydream about reuniting with them in Italy. Despite the inherent dangers involved, Dragan takes a momentary pause during his commute to work in order to remove a lifeless body from the road so as not to be captured on camera.
Despite being aware of the sniper’s presence and the danger it posed, Dragan fearlessly proceeded to remove the body from the street, ensuring its safety. Following the relocation, he demonstrated his empathy by placing a coat over the deceased’s feet and returning his own hat onto the man’s head. In addition to enduring the challenges of remaining in Sarajevo while his wife and son sought shelter in Italy, Dragan took on further risk by making himself a target for the sniper during this body-moving endeavor.
The passage from the Cellist of Sarajevo centers around the theme of sacrifice, as it showcases how Arrow, Kenan, and Dragan selflessly endangered themselves to aid others. Kenan’s resourcefulness is evident in his decision to expertly determine the amount of water he can carry in the city. Carrying too little exposes one to multiple risks each time they venture outside, while carrying too much hampers mobility and the ability to escape danger. Kenan ultimately opts for eight canisters, with six from his house allowing him to transport approximately 24 liters of water.
Two more will come from Mrs. Ristovski, the elderly neighbor downstairs. Dragan managed to evacuate his wife, Raza, and their eighteen year old son before the war began. He believes they are currently in Italy but hasn’t received any communication from them for three months. Despite the uncertainty, he hopes they are happy wherever they are.
Amidst the chaos, something forcefully collides with the person in front of Dragan. A rifle shot is heard, narrowly missing its target by less than half a meter. Determined, Dragan grasps the other hand of the hatless man and attempts to stand up but fails due to the weight of the body. So instead, he crouches down and uses an awkward crabwalk motion to drag the body towards the boxcar. Even though he knows another sniper shot may come, fear is absent in this very moment.
Offering a compassionate gesture, Dragan takes Emina’s coat and covers the man lying at his feet, then returns his hat to him.
