Symbolism In The Cellist Of Sarajevo

In the novel, The Cellist of Sarajevo, the author Steven Galloway explores the power of music and its ability to provide people with an escape from reality during the Siege of Sarajevo. A cellist plays Albinoni’s Adagio for twenty-two consecutive days to commemorate the deaths of twenty-two citizens who were killed by the mortar attacks on the Sarajevo Opera Hall while waiting to buy bread. Albinoni’s Adagio represents that something can be almost obliterated from existence, but be recreated into something beautiful, since it was recreated from four bars of a sonata’s bass line found in the rubble of the firebombed Dresden Music Library in Germany in 1945. The Sarajevans listening to the cellist are given respite from the brutal reality

of war; they are captivated by music’s ability to provide a powerful reminder of their peaceful past, of their courage to remain alive amidst trying present circumstances and of their glimmer of hope for a better future.
The cellist’s music restores humanity in soldiers plagued with the awful circumstances of war by providing them with an escape from reality.

Arrow is instructed to protect the cellist from the enemy sniper who has been sent to kill him. As Arrow watches the enemy sniper through her scope, she sees that “[h]is head [is] lean[ed] back slightly, and she sees that his eyes are closed, that he’s no longer looking through his scope. She knows what he’s doing. It’s very clear to her, unmistakable. He’s listening to the music. And then [she] knows why he didn’t fire yesterday” (153). The enemy sniper does not want to display his emotions as a sign of weakness, so he only leans his head back slightly. The music allows him to experience positive memories with family and friends and reminds him of his hope for a future where his life is peaceful. He is not prepared to shoot the cellist, end the music and consequentially, stop experiencing positive emotions. He is unaware of his present surroundings as he is completely immersed in memories and fantasies as he escapes reality through music. Music allows Arrow to maintain her moral beliefs that shooting an innocent person is wrong when her spotter tells her to shoot a civilian. Arrow says, ““I’m not going to kill an unarmed civilian”,” (224) to which her spotter insists, ““You’ll kill who I tell you to kill”” (224). Arrow says, ““No”” (224). Arrow refuses to succumb to unjust regime instructions and abandon her moral beliefs

in order to stay true to herself. By listening to the cellist’s music for several days, Arrow is able to maintain her morality and humanity, separate herself from the brutal reality of war and escape to peaceful memories and a hopeful future. Music allows soldiers and civilians to escape the brutal reality of war and allows them to courageously escape to a peaceful and joyous place.
Albinoni’s Adagio reminds Sarajevans of their freedom, independence and courage, so they can persevere through their hardships to remain alive. Arrow is a young woman chosen from the university’s target shooting team to be a sniper in the Sarajevo defence army. The cellist’s music reminds her of her determination to remain emotionally alive and her resolve to act independently, “[s]he would not let the men on the hills decide when she went below the ground. If she were to go underground it would be because she decided to or because they killed her. But she wasn’t going to do their work for them. She wasn’t going to live in a grave” (142). Arrow will not let the men on the hills, the enemy armies, oppress her by taking away her freedom. She is determined to remain physically, but most importantly, emotionally alive because life in a grave is worthless. Without emotion, one does not truly live. The cellist allows citizens to remain united with their emotions amidst trying situations. Arrow is determined to keep the cellist, the symbol of hope, alive in Sarajevo. As long as citizens are emotionally alive, the men on the hills will never win the war and they will eventually re-experience Sarajevo as a beautiful, peaceful city. Like Arrow, Dragan realizes that he is determined to remain emotionally alive and be free from oppression after he talks to Emina about the cellist’s music. Dragan decides that “[h]e’s going to cross. He’s not going to let the men on the hills stop him. These are his streets, and he’ll walk them as he sees fit,” (248) because “[i]f he doesn’t run, then he’s alive again” (248). Running across a street displays fear of dying and allows the men on the hills to control the population. However, the cellist’s music inspired Dragan to walk the streets to display confidence and pride in himself and his city, and show the men on the hills that he will remain free and emotionally alive. The cellist’s music allows citizens to find courage to exercise freedom by showing them that peace will return to Sarajevo and that life in the city will be beautiful again.
Music restores hope for a better future in citizens who listen to the cellist play Albinoni’s Adagio. Kenan, a middle aged man who crosses the river to the brewery to collect water for his family and his neighbour, listens to the cellist on the return trip after the brewery was shelled while he was there. He watches as
“[t]he building behind the cellist repairs itself. The scars of bullets and shrapnel are covered by plaster and paint, and windows reassemble, clarify and sparkle as the sun reflects off glass. The cobblestones of the road set themselves straight. Around him people stand up taller, their faces put on weight and colour. Clothes gain lost thread, brighten, smooth out their wrinkles. [He] watches as the city heals itself around him.” (209)
The cellist’s music creates the illusion that Sarajevo is repairing itself before his eyes, which restores Kenan’s hope for a peaceful future.

As the sun reflects of glass, it is restoring life into all facets of Sarajevo, including its citizens, its streets and its wildlife. The beautiful city of Sarajevo is reborn as the small pieces of civilization, symbolized by cobblestones, are aligned. Sarajevans stand up taller as they rediscover their pride in themselves, others and their city. Their health improves and they put on weight and regain colour as a direct result of accessible nourishment. By listening to the cellist, Kenan realizes he is still hopeful for a dramatic change in Sarajevo’s environment. However, Dragan experiences the music differently and sees small improvements in the city. Dragan is a middle aged man who exercises extreme caution when crossing the streets on his way to get bread from the bakery. As he waits to cross a street, he meets Emina, a friend of his wife’s, and they discuss life during the Siege. Dragan notices Emina’s confidence and remarks, “I don’t know how the idea of being shot or blown apart doesn’t scare you,” (125) to which she replies, “There is a man playing the cello in the street” (125). She says, “I don’t know the piece he plays, what its name is. It’s a sad tune. But it doesn’t make me sad” (125). She finds comfort in the unfamiliar melody, which inspires her to rebel against the unfair restrictions inflicted upon her

by the Siege. Instead, she feels confident in herself and experiences hope for a better future where she is free do act independently. Dragan’s discussion with Emina about the cellist restores his hope for a better future, and in the meantime, inspires him to act freely. Kenan and Emina’s hope for a better future is restored directly from the cellists playing, however the music’s message extends beyond its audience to influence others’ actions and restore their hope as well. Albinoni’s Adagio symbolizes that there is always hope, even in the most desperate times, that the beautiful Sarajevo can be recreated after being almost completely destroyed.
The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway demonstrates that music can provide an escape from reality, regardless of present circumstances. The cellist powerfully reminds his audience of their peaceful past, of their courage to remain physically and emotionally alive and of their hope for a better future by playing Albinoni’s Adagio in the midst of the war in Sarajevo.