Death-Cast Analysis in They Both Die at the End

Death-Cast is the organization in charge of calling people and informing them that they’re going to die sometime in the next 24 hours. It’s somewhat mysterious, as no one—not even the heralds (employees)—know where Death-Cast gets its information on who’s going to die. Death-Cast does everything it can to create an upbeat and positive office culture; it utilizes an open office plan and strives for informality. It also offers a generous benefits package, including on-site counselors for heralds.

Death-Cast Quotes in They Both Die at the End

The They Both Die at the End quotes below are all either spoken by Death-Cast or refer to Death-Cast. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Fast-forward five years when Death-Cast came into the picture and suddenly everyone was awake at their own funerals. Having the chance to say goodbye before you die is an incredible opportunity, but isn’t that time better spent actually living? Maybe I would feel differently if I could count on people showing up to my funeral. If I had more friends than I do fingers.

Related Characters: Mateo Torrez (speaker), Lidia, Dad

Page Number and Citation: 7

Explanation and Analysis:

Mateo thinks about how funerals have changed since the Death-Cast organization (which gives people 24 hours’ notice of their deaths) came on the scene, allowing people to be alive for their funeral ceremonies. Though Mateo allows that getting to say goodbye to everyone is an amazing chance to say everything one has ever wanted to say, his own situation colors how he feels about things. First, Mateo doesn’t feel like has any friends—the only person at this point who would show up to his funeral, he believes, is Lidia. Maybe his neighbors would come, but Dad wouldn’t be able to Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque

The number one person I’ll miss the most is Future Mateo, who maybe loosened up and lived.

Related Characters: Mateo Torrez (speaker)

Page Number and Citation: 9

Explanation and Analysis:

As Mateo thinks through everything that he’s going to miss after he’s dead, the top person he comes up with is himself—but specifically the Mateo of the future, who stopped being so self-conscious and made an effort to live. Mateo has spent his life so afraid of stepping outside of his own mind that he’s spent most of his time on the internet rather than forming genuine, in-person connections with people. Staying disconnected like that allowed Mateo to feel safe and comfortable—but as he admits, it also kept him from experiencing all that life has to offer. At this point, Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim n

I’m trying to stay shut ‘cause I don’t wanna take my problems out on some guy doing his job, even though I have no idea why the hell anyone applies for this position in the first place. Let’s pretend I got a future for a second, entertain me—in no universe am I ever waking up and saying, “I think I’ll get a twelve-to-three shift where I do nothing but tell people their lives are over.” But Victor and others did.

Related Characters: Rufus Emeterio (speaker), Victor

Page Number and Citation: 17

Explanation and Analysis:

Rufus is understandably upset when he receives his Death-Cast alert from Victor—Rufus believes that everyone who works for Death-Cast is soulless and has no emotions. Though Rufus is correct that the job of informing people of their deaths is difficult and in many ways, undesirable, thinking of all Death-Cast employees as soulless flattens them into a monolithic group—when really, all the employees are individuals with their own reasons for taking this job. Judging them like this keeps Rufus from being able to connect with them on any level, which makes Rufus feel even more alone and unmoored than he already Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perfer

“You want me to get off my throne and get real with you? Okay. An hour ago I got off the phone with a woman who cried over how she won’t be a mother anymore after her four-year-old daughter dies today. [...] And then I had to put in a request to the Youth Department to dispatch a cop just in case the mother is responsible, which believe it or not, is not the most disgusting thing I’ve done for this job.”

Related Characters: Victor (speaker), Rufus Emeterio

Page Number and Citation: 20

Explanation and Analysis:

When Rufus angrily asks Victor to act like a human, Victor complies and completely shocks Rufus in the process. In sharing what his day as a Death-Cast herald is really like, Victor paints a picture of a job that’s draining and crushing every single minute. Whether he’s informing a parent that their young child is going to die or informing someone who’s just 17, like Rufus, that they have less than 24 hours to live, Victor is the bearer of bad news and has to ruin someone’s day—and ultimately, someone’s life. Because Victor seems like he still cares deeply about Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus co

This is Penny’s beginning. And one day she’ll find herself on the terrible end of a Death-Cast call and it sucks how we’re all being raised to die. Yes, we live, or we’re given the chance to, at least, but sometimes living is hard and complicated because of fear.

Related Characters: Mateo Torrez (speaker), Lidia, Penny

Page Number and Citation: 150

Explanation and Analysis:

When Mateo plays with Penny, his best friend Lidia’s one-year-old daughter, he sadly begins to realize that everyone is being raised to die, whether they know it or not. While this is always true—whether one lives in Mateo’s fictional world or the real world—Mateo is only really able to grasp this because he knows for certain that he has less than 24 hours to live. Death, in other words, puts things in perspective in a way that nothing else can. Mateo has no choice but to acknowledge that everyone else is also going to die—and that he he won’t be Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus volupta

“I think we’re already dead, dude. Not everyone, just Deckers. The whole Death-Cast thing seems too fantasy to be true. Knowing when our last day is going down so we can live it right: Straight-up fantasy. The first afterlife kicks off when Death-Cast tells us to live out our day knowing it’s our last; that way we’ll take full advantage of it, thinking we’re still alive. Then we enter the next and final afterlife without any regrets.”

Related Characters: Rufus Emeterio (speaker), Mateo Torrez, Andrea Donahue

Page Number and Citation: 214

Explanation and Analysis:

In the cemetery, Rufus shares his thoughts on the afterlife: Deckers go through one kind of metaphorical death and transition to the afterlife after getting their call from Death-Cast, and then they proceed to a second afterlife after they literally die. In some ways, Rufus isn’t wrong about the fact that many people think of Deckers as already dead—Andrea said as much when the narrator explained how she gets through her work days as a Death-Cast herald. Essentially, Andrea thinks of Deckers as just a list of numbers and as already dead, which enables her to live with herself as Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et

Deirdre reaches deep within herself, far past the place where lies and hopelessness come easily, and even beneath the very honest truth where she’s okay with the impacting the relief that comes with flying off this roof. She sees two boys living and this makes her feel less dead inside.

Intent may not be enough to cause her to actually die, she knows this from the countless other mornings when she’s woken up to ugliness, but when faced with the chance to prove Death-Cast wrong, Deirdre makes the right decision and lives.

Related Characters: Rufus Emeterio, Deirdre, Mateo Torrez

Page Number and Citation: 248

Explanation and Analysis:

Deirdre, the Make-A-Moment employee who helped Rufus and Mateo earlier, is unfulfilled with her life (and particularly her job) and is ready to jump off of the roof of her apartment building and kill herself. However, seeing Mateo and Rufus riding their bike down below gives her the will and the desire to live another day. Like many other people in the world of the novel, Deirdre is acutely aware of death’s presence—but unlike most people, she believes it’s something that she’d welcome if it were to come to her. For Deirdre, life doesn’t seem like it’s worth living. She Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus po

“Welcome to the World Travel Arena. Sorry to lose you three.”

“I’m not dying,” Lidia corrects.

“Oh. Cost for guests is going to be one hundred dollars,” the teller says. He looks at me and Rufus. “Suggested donation is one dollar for Deckers.”

I pay for all our tickets, donating an extra couple hundred dollars in the hope that the arena remains open for many, many years.

Related Characters: Mateo Torrez (speaker), Lidia (speaker), Victor, Rufus Emeterio, Deirdre

Page Number and Citation: 281

Explanation and Analysis:

When Mateo and Rufus are at the World Travel Arena with Lidia, the teller explains that while Deckers get in for free, their guests must pay to join their dying loved ones. Though Mateo pays the price willingly and adds on the donation, it’s worth questioning the morality of charging people like Lidia. While it’s hard to take issue with what the Travel Arena offers—the chance to take a simulated trip around the country or the world in an hour or so, something that a majority of Deckers will never have the opportunity to do—it does read as opportunistic to Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eu

Death-Cast did not call this gang of boys today, and they’re living as if this means their lives can’t be over while they’re alive. They run through the streets, not caring about traffic, as if they’re invincible against speeding cars and completely untouchable by the law.

Related Characters: Peck/Patrick Gavin, Damien Rivas, Howie Maldonado, Rufus Emeterio, Kendrick O’Connell

Page Number and Citation: 315

Explanation and Analysis:

As gang members Peck, Kendrick, and Damien race through the streets of New York with the goal of killing Rufus, they run as though nothing bad can happen to them. In their minds, because they haven’t receive calls from Death-Cast informing them that they’re going to die within 24 hours, nothing bad can happen to them. They’re not dying, and no other consequences come close to dying. However, the narrator makes it clear that this is shortsighted. The boys haven’t thought about the fact that they could hurt themselves or others—indeed, their reckless behavior causes the car carrying Howie Maldonado Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debi

Death-Cast Term Timeline in They Both Die at the End

The timeline below shows where the term Death-Cast appears in They Both Die at the End. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Business, Ethics, and Dehumanization Theme Icon

Death-Cast is calling Mateo. His phone rings with the distinctive alert, and Mateo feels like a... (full context)

...special funeral requests and enter what he wants on his headstone. Mateo thinks that with Death-Cast, people are awake at their funerals—but isn’t the time better spent living? Andrea thanks Timothy... (full context)

Rufus is in the middle of beating Peck, who stole his girlfriend, when Death-Cast calls. Mateo’s friends, Tagoe and Malcolm, stare with terrified looks. Rufus thinks of his parents... (full context)

...Victor is just doing his job, though he can’t fathom why anyone would work for Death-Cast. Victor runs through the forecast, classes and festivals, and restaurants with Decker discounts. Rufus interrupts... (full context)

...that Peck is the “gang reject” and can’t contact anyone anyway. Tagoe points out that Death-Cast can’t call Peck either. Rufus can’t stop shaking. He knows he could’ve killed Peck and... (full context)

...mom. Aimee doesn’t pick up, but she calls Rufus when he texts her about his Death-Cast call. She’s curious why Rufus is out so late on a Monday night, but Rufus... (full context)

Rufus wishes Death-Cast had called him before he ruined his life earlier—he thinks through all the things he... (full context)

Human Connection and Social Media Theme Icon

...to be. They discuss the fact that Mateo hasn’t left the house since receiving his Death-Cast call. Mateo explains that it seems stupid to leave when someone or something will kill... (full context)

Andrea isn’t dying today. She’s one of Death-Cast’s top reps. Tonight, she made 67 calls between midnight and 3:00 a.m.—it’s been hard to... (full context)

Malcolm knows he isn’t dying today because he didn’t receive a call from Death-Cast, but his future is still at risk. Malcolm and Tagoe informed the police that Rufus... (full context)

...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... (full context)

Aimee didn’t receive a call from Death-Cast and isn’t dying, but she feels as though she already lost Rufus. She storms home... (full context)

Death-Cast called Delilah Gray two hours ago with the news that she’s dying today, but Delilah... (full context)

...says that Christian went to Pennsylvania to sell stuff, and that’s when he got his Death-Cast alert. Lidia slept through all his attempts to reach her, and he died with a... (full context)

Mateo sits with Penny and thinks that this is Penny’s beginning, but one day, Death-Cast will call her. He tells Penny that he hopes she becomes immortal so that she... (full context)

Peck didn’t receive a call from Death-Cast today, so he’s not dying. He expected the call before Rufus got his, though. Peck... (full context)

...the same way that people were when his history teacher would talk about how beneficial Death-Cast is. He asks if Rufus killed someone. Rufus says that he jumped Aimee’s new boyfriend... (full context)

...keep his family alive this way. He says that his mom woke up to the Death-Cast alert on May 10, while Rufus and Olivia were playing cards. Then, the herald asked... (full context)

Lidia isn’t dying today because she didn’t get a call from Death-Cast. If she were, though, she’d tell everyone, unlike Mateo. Lidia figured it out and called... (full context)

Tagoe didn’t receive a call from Death-Cast today because he’s not dying, but he’ll never forget the look on Rufus’s face when... (full context)

Kendrick didn’t receive a call from Death-Cast and isn’t dying today, but he just lost his job. He’s never been lucky; his... (full context)

Mateo reminds Rufus that Death-Cast is never wrong, but Rufus continues to list what he could’ve done. He says that... (full context)

Vin received his Death-Cast call just after midnight. It wasn’t surprising. He’s upset that the woman with the colorful... (full context)

Deirdre didn’t receive a call from Death-Cast today telling her she’s going to die, but she wants to prove them wrong. She’s... (full context)

...further, but now, she knows that Life-Cast doesn’t exist and it’s useless to wait for Death-Cast. She wants no part in this world. Deirdre is ready to jump when she sees... (full context)

Damien isn’t dying today because he didn’t receive a call from Death-Cast, but he thinks that this is a shame. He’s not impressed with his life lately—it’s... (full context)

Zoe received her call from Death-Cast at 12:34 a.m. last night. She just moved to New York to start at NYU... (full context)

Officer Andrade didn’t receive his Death-Cast call and isn’t dying today, but as a police officer, he fears dying every night.... (full context)

Howie received a call from Death-Cast just before three a.m. telling him that he’s going to die. His Twitter followers are... (full context)

Death-Cast didn’t call Peck, Kendrick, and Damien today, so they’re living like their lives can’t end.... (full context)

Dalma isn’t dying today because she didn’t receive a call from Death-Cast. If she was going to die, she’d spend the day with her half-sister and maybe... (full context)

The three Plutos aren’t dying today, but their fourth member got the Death-Cast call. They know that Rufus won’t survive, but they’re relieved that Rufus didn’t die at... (full context)

Death-Cast didn’t call Victor last night because he’s not dying, though employees learn of their impending... (full context)

Death-Cast Term Analysis

Death-Cast Quotes in They Both Die at the End

September 5, 2017: Mateo Torrez, 12:22 a.m. Quotes

Rufus Emeterio, 1:05 a.m. Quotes

Mateo, 6:14 a.m. Quotes

Mateo, 11:32 a.m. Quotes

Deirdre Clayton, 1:50 p.m. Quotes

Mateo, 3:26 p.m. Quotes

The Gang With No Name; 5:36 p.m. Quotes

Death-Cast Term Timeline in They Both Die at the End