Another Way To Die

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Technique Evaluation/Critical Thinking Essay The excerpt, Another Way to Die, by Haruki Murakami from the novel The Wind-Up Bird emphasized the various ways that one could meet their maker. The author writes this excerpt from the point of view of one of the main characters, the veterinarian of the Hsinching zoo. The narration allows the reader to almost place themselves into the setting and better grasp what the experience must have been like for him. It depicts the familiar sounds and smells of the day to day life that the veterinarian experienced prior to the attack that had ensued upon the area around the zoo. This portion of the novel takes place in August of 1945, over a period of approximately one day. It begins with the awakening of the veterinarian and his realization of what had taken place in the previous days. It is during his realization that the reader learns that his family has been sent to Japan for safety reasons and that some of the animals were “eliminated” due to the risks involved if they were to be inadvertently set free. Essentially, the place that was once a home to the veterinarian, his family and all of the animals has been completely altered without any choice in the matter. Moving forward the reader learns of a young lieutenant that stood out from the stereotypical officers that one would expect to deal with. In the view of the veterinarian, this lieutenant behaved more reasonable and that of a normal human than that of other officers. It is almost as if the veterinarian feels a respect of sorts toward the way in which the lieutenant handles the orders that he is given. The decision to spare the elephants from elimination appears to be the act that made the veterinarian view the lieutenant differently. This same lieutenant has returned to the zoo on this day to commandeer the one mule and wagon. It is then, that the veterinarian

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