Masters of Death

“Popularity aside, though I have to confess that humanity’s fixation with me is astonishing. Flattering, to be sure, but alarming, and relentless, and generally diabolical, and if it did not manifest so often in spectacular failure, I would make more of an effort to combat it—but, as it is, people spend the duration of their time on earth trying to skirt me only to end up chasing me instead.”

Death’s opening statements reveal his frustration over humanity’s obsession with him. This quote uses dark humor and cleverness to emphasize humanity’s fixation with dying, as Death points out the irony that the people who try to avoid him most end up meeting him the quickest. This quote highlights The Exploration of Life and Death.

“The funny thing is how simple it all actually is. Do you know what it really takes to make someone immortal? Rid them of fear. If they no longer fear pain, they no longer fear death, and before long, they fear nothing, and in their minds they live eternal—but I’m told my philosophizing does little to ease the mind.”

Second-person narration lightens the tone as Death explores serious topics. Death mocks himself for philosophizing to alleviate the seriousness of the topic of mortality. Since it is impossible for a mortal to truly rid themselves of fear, Death’s comments mock the fact that immortality is always out of reach for mortals.

“‘Balance is king,’ he says, ‘without me, no one would know God was good.’”

Cal’s reiteration of Lucifer’s words introduces the philosophy of balance. In this theory, Lucifer only exists to show the world the goodness in opposition to him. Rather than God or Lucifer existing because they believe in goodness or evil, this concept proposes that they must exist in opposition to each other for there to be any order in the world.