First, a few of Pratchett's inimitable descriptions.
pg 60
Broadman looked around quickly. It began to dawn on him just what he had said, and to whom. A whimper escaped from his lips, glad to be free.
pg 62
Death, insofar as it was possible in a face with no movable features, looked surprised.
pg 62
The Character of Death
Death, in the Ingmar Bergman film The Seventh Seal, follows the knight around waiting for him to die. But he alsoo takes a personal hand in the death of another character, knocking him out of a tree.
Death does something similar in this first book in the Discworld series. He is talking with Rincewind, a fish salesman laughs at Rincewind's reactions (since Death is invisible at this point to all but wizards.
"With a snarl Death reached out a bony finger and stopped the man's heart, but he didn't take much pride in it."
He also takes one of the nine lives of a cat and kills a mayfly.
This is out of character for the Death of the future books - to whom all life is precious - especially those of cats. He will take lives as they end naturally (or unnaturally!) but he himself does not kill!
One could say that this is Death's character as it was, but as the years go on he mellows...
No comments:
Post a Comment