Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in They Both Die at the End, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Mortality, Life, and Meaning
Human Connection and Social Media
Choices and Consequences
Friendship and Chosen Family
Business, Ethics, and Dehumanization
Summary
Analysis
As Rufus bikes to Mateo’s apartment, he hopes that Mateo isn’t a serial killer. He thinks that this thought is silly—it’s obvious that Mateo is too caught up in his own head and spends too much time alone. The fact that Rufus has to pick him up is proof of this. Once the awkwardness is out of the way, Rufus thinks they’ll be friends. At the very least, Rufus having a Last Friend should make his real friends feel better about him running around. It makes Rufus feel better.
Rufus essentially implies that on his last day, he doesn’t want to be alone. This speaks to the necessity of human connection, and not just over the internet. What Rufus craves is someone to actually be there with him, no matter what kind of a person that is.
Themes
