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Chapter 6
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Broken April, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Revenge and Cycles of Violence
Tradition vs. Modernity
Hospitality
Family and Duty
Summary
Analysis
On the morning of April 17th, Gjorg walks down the road to Brezftoht. He realizes he will probably never again see the black carriage he’s been looking for the past few days. He watches the sun—at noon, his bessa will end, and he’ll have to only travel by nightfall and never on main roads.
The final chapter builds up suspense and dread as the moment of Gjorg’s potential death arrives. Gjorg’s loss of the safety of the bessa could represent a coming-of-age moment—of losing the protections of childhood and having to face the adult world on his own, if he survives long enough to do so.
Active
Themes
As Gjorg walks, he comes to a waterfall unlike any he’s seen before. He finds waterfalls fascinating, having heard recently at an inn that some countries turn waterfalls into electricity.
When Gjorg encounters the waterfall and thinks of how other countries use them for electricity, it forces him to confront how he likely will not live long enough to see many parts of the world.
Active
Themes
Gjorg walks off the main road, looking for a place to take shelter. He wants to get to a road that’s under bessa, but they aren’t clearly marked, so he asks some passing strangers. Gjorg heads in the direction they recommend and fantasizes about running into Diana’s carriage and her inviting him in to ride with them.
Active
Themes
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Gjorg keeps walking and runs into a man whose bessa expired three days ago but who doesn’t want to go into a tower until he sells a bull that he’s leading with him. When the man with the bull mentions a black carriage with the beautiful woman in it, Gjorg suddenly takes interest. Gjorg finds out which direction they headed and takes off toward it.
It’s getting darker as Bessian and Diana ride out of the High Plateau. They come to a small town, and Bessian looks back on the plateau for what might be the last time.
Active
Themes
Just then, as Gjorg is walking in Bessian and Diana’s direction, he hears someone say, “Give my greeting to Zef.” He reaches for his rifle before suddenly falling to the ground on his face. Gjorg is disoriented and can’t tell if his eyes are open or not. He hears footsteps that seem familiar for some reason. Suddenly Gjorg feels that it’s the 17th of March again and that the footsteps he hears are his own. He hears the footsteps again and feels certain that the person he shot on March 17th was himself.
