Explore the Ways in Which Obreht Constructs the Character of the Grandfather and the Deathless Man and the Extent to Which She Draws Connections Between Them

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In The Tiger’s Wife the characters of the Deathless Man and the Grandfather are constructed through the form of stories or flashbacks. Initially, they appear to be two very different characters. In particular, their ideals regarding life and death, uncertainty and certainty, and superstition and science, all of which are almost opposites. As well as their discussion on them, Obreht uses parallel stories to delve deeper into the subjects while revealing the similarities they share. To make it more effective, she uses parallel stories at times allowing the reader to easily compare the two characters and find the similarities between them added to the first apparent obvious differences, particularly in their ideals over life and death, uncertainty and certainty and superstition and science. Through the use of stories and the general structure of the book, Obreht highlights the effect of war that, “The war had altered everything. Once separate, the pieces that made up our old country no longer carried the same characteristics that had formerly represented their respective parts of the whole.” Foreshadowing that even with of the separate stories put together, the ending is still never completely given and we do not understand precisely the story of the Deathless man; the character of the Deathless Man does not mean the same to Natalia as it did to the Grandfather. This is also similar to Darisa’s death which created a myth and so preserved his existence meaning that in retelling, real stories become a myth, like taxidermy. His profession, similarly to that of the object he is handling, will never be the same, no matter how expertly sewn or stuffed. Just as in the story of the Deathless Man when retold by the Grandfather to Natalia the Deathless Man could have been different, for example, been metaphorical. Perhaps symbolising a deathless war that could only bring
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