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
Rufus thinks that Mateo is too good, and he vows to take what he did to Peck to the grave. Mateo explains that they have to see his dad. Rufus considers biking instead of taking the subway, but then he decides to follow Mateo into the station. He assures Mateo that they’re fine, since Mateo seems afraid. Out loud, Mateo wonders how many Deckers are with strangers, how many are already dead, and how many tried to say goodbye to loved ones but died alone anyway. Rufus says it’s not fair, but being with someone doesn’t keep people alive. Both boys buy regular subway passes—they don’t want to wait in line for the free Decker passes—and they step onto the platform. The train comes immediately as Mateo notes that soon, robots will take over all the tellers’ jobs.
For Rufus and Mateo, life seems both more meaningful than ever and less meaningful than ever. They could die at any moment, so either their choices matter a lot, or they don’t matter at all—after all, they’re going to die anyway. Though this reality is something people live with every day, to some degree, the knowledge that Mateo and Rufus are definitely going to die today makes it seem more pressing. The novel makes the case that while anxiety like the boys experience might be unhelpful, it’s still important to remember that people are mortal and to act accordingly.
Themes
Rufus is relieved the train came because this means they won’t die on the tracks. He notices a party of college kids celebrating that they didn’t get the Death-Cast call. Rufus tries to drag Mateo onto the car, but Mateo darts into the empty car ahead. Rufus decides to not let Mateo ruin his vibe, since this isn’t dangerous like skydiving. Rufus steps over a sleeping man so he can peek into Mateo’s car, and he gestures for Mateo to come over. A girl taps Rufus on the shoulder, offers him a beer, and asks him to go home with her. Rufus refuses; he can’t abandon Mateo. The next guy the girl talks to follows her off the train, and Rufus takes a photo of the party car. Then, he moves to Mateo’s car. Rufus is ready to guilt trip Mateo, but seeing how guilty Mateo already looks, he asks about the robots instead.
Choosing not to guilt-trip Mateo shows again that Rufus is a good friend; he doesn’t feel the need to make Mateo’s day even worse. That these kids are partying because they didn’t get the call suggests that in the world of the novel, people do think about death differently. They celebrate the fact that they’re not going to die today, possibly on a daily basis—something that may be extreme, but that the novel suggests is nevertheless a positive, life-affirming thing.
Themes
Once Mateo understands that Rufus is genuinely curious, he talks quickly and excitedly about robots that can do household chores and answer phones—and robots are cheaper to employ than people. Rufus points out that people will never be fired for a robot, and he asks why Mateo didn’t get in the party car. Mateo insists they have no business celebrating on that car, especially when it’s possible that they won’t live long enough for Mateo to say goodbye to Dad and Lidia. Rufus insists it’s just a party and thinks that Mateo might keep them alive longer, but that today will be boring.
Rufus underestimates Mateo’s ability to change when he insists to the reader that today is going to be boring. He also implies that if he didn’t already feel invested in hanging out with Mateo, he’d be making different choices about how to spend his last day. Friendship—even relationships that somewhat contrived, like this one—can fundamentally change people’s behavior.
Themes
