They Both Die at the End

They Both Die at the End

by

Adam Silvera

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Mortality, Life, and Meaning Theme Analysis

Themes and Colors
Mortality, Life, and Meaning Theme Icon
Human Connection and Social Media Theme Icon
Choices and Consequences Theme Icon
Friendship and Chosen Family Theme Icon
Business, Ethics, and Dehumanization Theme Icon
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 Theme Icon

They Both Die at the End plunges the reader into a world that, in a variety of ways, doesn’t seem that much different from the reader’s world—except when it comes to dying. In the novel, individuals who are going to die in the next 24 hours (Deckers) receive calls from an organization called Death-Cast between midnight and three in the morning, informing them of this fact so that they can make the most of their last day alive (their End Day). The novel centers on two teenage boys, Mateo and Rufus, who both receive calls on the same September day and who connect with each other on the social media app Last Friend. Through its very premise, They Both Die at the End questions how people can and should deal with their mortality—but the novel overwhelmingly suggests that focusing entirely on death isn’t especially useful. Rather, it’s healthier and more fulfilling to recognize the simple fact that all humans are mortal as a reason to make the most out of one’s life, no matter how short it might be.

Mateo lives much of his life online, playing video games and watching livestream videos on a blog called CountDowners, where Deckers can livestream their End Day for viewers at home. Though Mateo finds CountDowners fulfilling in its own way and impossible not to watch, he begins to change his thinking when he receives his call from Death-Cast. Prior to the call, Mateo feels as though spending time watching CountDowners is normal and even beneficial. But receiving the call forces Mateo to reckon with the fact that, practically speaking, he’s done nothing but hang out on CountDowners for much of his life—and this, he insists, isn’t much of a life at all. Further, CountDowners forces Mateo to think constantly about death rather than encouraging him to focus on the act of living. Rufus is, in many ways, the exact opposite of Mateo: though Rufus tragically lost his parents and older sister a few months before the novel begins, he’s made the best of his foster care situation. He and his fellow housemates and friends, Tagoe, Malcolm, and Aimee—the “Plutos”—spend every waking minute together, soaking up life and time with one another. Rufus has had several romantic relationships, including with Aimee. Though he’s active on Instagram, he’s dismissive of platforms like CountDowners; in his mind, it’s not useful to focus so much on the act of dying.

As Mateo and Rufus meet, get to know each other, and go through their shared End Day together, they discover that this simple dichotomy between focusing on living and focusing on dying isn’t as clear-cut as they’d like to think. Though the goal of their day is to get as much life experience as they can, the possibility of death lurks around every corner—it’s a risk to so much as step out of the shower, as one might slip in a puddle and die. Even as they undergo the life-altering experiences of confronting their pasts, falling in love, and even surviving a suicide bombing, they can never escape the fear of dying that colors every experience.

Alongside this fear, however, arises a thought that the novel implies is far more important: the understanding that life, in all its forms, is beautiful. Mateo becomes acutely aware of this as he spends time with Penny, his best friend Lidia’s one-year-old daughter. Penny, who’s at the very beginning of her life, represents innocence and a hope for the future—and as a baby, she has no concept of death. Mateo recognizes that of all people, Penny is truly living: she demands the things she wants, she snuggles the people she loves, and she has her whole life ahead of her even if she can’t yet conceptualize the future. Though Mateo doesn’t have long to live when he plays with Penny, he nevertheless thinks that she has the right idea: it’s important to live life to the fullest and do all the things he wants to do, even if—and especially if—things could end in an instant. As an aspiring photographer, Rufus comes to the same conclusions but through a slightly different avenue. He vows to document his last day on Instagram, and to do so in color; all his Instagram photos prior to his End Day have been in black and white. The simple act of taking photos forces Rufus to look for beauty and tender moments throughout the day, whether that means taking a photo of someone riding away on his beloved bike (which he won’t need anymore) or taking a picture of Mateo resting on the subway, holding a building he made out of Legos.

Taking these lessons to heart, Mateo and Rufus spend the day crisscrossing New York City, taking emotional (if not physical) risks by asking for forgiveness from their loved ones, falling in love with each other, and ultimately saying goodbye to everyone they can. By drawing on the lessons they learn from Penny and from Rufus’s photography, they make the active choice to focus on creating meaningful memories for the people they love, and on giving each other the experience of being in love, if only for a short time. While Death-Cast, of course, doesn’t exist in the reader’s world, the novel nevertheless asks readers to take what Rufus and Mateo learn to heart. Ultimately, the story suggests that making connections and finding beauty in the world whenever possible are more important pursuits than fearing death.

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Mortality, Life, and Meaning ThemeTracker

The ThemeTracker below shows where, and to what degree, the theme of Mortality, Life, and Meaning appears in each chapter of They Both Die at the End. Click or tap on any chapter to read its Summary & Analysis.
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Mortality, Life, and Meaning Quotes in They Both Die at the End

Below you will find the important quotes in They Both Die at the End related to the theme of Mortality, Life, and Meaning.
September 5, 2017: Mateo Torrez, 12:22 a.m. Quotes

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: 9
Explanation and Analysis:
Rufus Emeterio, 1:05 a.m. Quotes

“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: 20
Explanation and Analysis:
Rufus, 1:18 a.m. Quotes

I don’t wanna think about any of that, I just wanna get to Aimee and say goodbye to the Plutos as the friend they know I am, not the monster I was tonight.

Related Characters: Rufus Emeterio (speaker), Aimee Dubois, Malcolm Anthony, Peck/Patrick Gavin, Tagoe Hayes
Page Number: 32
Explanation and Analysis:
Mateo, 1:52 a.m. Quotes

But I was wrong, go figure. This is exactly the person I always wanted to be—loose, fun, carefree. No one will look at this photo and think it was out of character, because none of these people know me, and their only expectations of me are to be the person I’m presenting myself as in my profile.

Related Characters: Mateo Torrez (speaker), Rufus Emeterio
Related Symbols: Photos
Page Number: 46
Explanation and Analysis:
Mateo, 4:26 a.m. Quotes

But I wasn’t honest with Rufus because, on a deep level, I do believe partying on the train is my kind of scene. It’s just that the fear of disappointing others or making a fool of myself always wins.

Related Characters: Mateo Torrez (speaker), Rufus Emeterio, Lidia
Page Number: 109
Explanation and Analysis:
Mateo, 6:14 a.m. Quotes

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: 150
Explanation and Analysis:
Mateo, 11:32 a.m. Quotes

“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: 214
Explanation and Analysis:
Mateo, 12:22 p.m. Quotes

Twelve hours ago I received the phone call telling me I’m going to die today. In my own Mateo way, I’ve said tons of goodbyes already [...] but the most important goodbye is the one I said to Past Mateo, who I left behind at home when my Last Friend accompanied me into a world that has it out for us. Rufus has done so much for me and I’m here to help him confront any demons following him [...]

Related Characters: Mateo Torrez (speaker), Rufus Emeterio, Lidia, Dad, Mateo’s Mom
Page Number: 227
Explanation and Analysis:
Mateo, 12:58 p.m. Quotes

I buy the mystery book and the postcards, thank Joel for his help, and we leave. Rufus said the key to his relationships was speaking up. I can do this with the postcards, but I have to use my voice, too.

Related Characters: Mateo Torrez (speaker), Rufus Emeterio, Joel
Page Number: 239
Explanation and Analysis:
Deirdre Clayton, 1:50 p.m. Quotes

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: Mateo Torrez, Rufus Emeterio, Deirdre
Page Number: 248
Explanation and Analysis:
Officer Andrade, 4:32 p.m. Quotes

Graham is always on Andrade’s mind, and today is no exception, with these foster kids in the holding cell who are acting out because their brother is a Decker. You don’t need matching DNA for someone to be your brother, Andrade knows this. And you definitely don’t need the same blood to lose a part of yourself when someone dies.

Related Characters: Rufus Emeterio, Malcolm Anthony, Tagoe Hayes, Officer Andrade, Graham
Page Number: 291
Explanation and Analysis:

Andrade is doing his damn best to get that snuff channel terminated by the end of the year. No way in hell he can share a beer with Graham in heaven without getting this job done. Andrade wants to focus on his real work, not babysitting. That’s why he has their foster parents signing release forms this very second. Let them go home with firm warnings so they can sleep.

And grieve.

Maybe even find their friend if he’s still alive.

Related Characters: Rufus Emeterio, Malcolm Anthony, Tagoe Hayes, Officer Andrade, Graham, Jenn Lori, Francis
Page Number: 292
Explanation and Analysis:
The Gang With No Name; 5:36 p.m. Quotes

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: Rufus Emeterio, Howie Maldonado, Peck/Patrick Gavin, Kendrick O’Connell, Damien Rivas
Page Number: 315
Explanation and Analysis:
Mateo, 5:48 p.m. Quotes

“What am I going to do without you?”

This loaded question is the reason I didn’t want anyone to know I was dying. There are questions I can’t answer. I cannot tell you how you will survive without me. I cannot tell you how to mourn me. I cannot convince you to not feel guilty if you forget the anniversary of my death, or if you realize days or weeks or months have gone by without thinking about me.

I just want you to live.

Related Characters: Mateo Torrez (speaker), Lidia (speaker)
Page Number: 322-23
Explanation and Analysis:
Mateo, 7:34 p.m. Quotes

“I always wanted to stumble into someone like you and it sucks that I had to find you through a stupid app.”

“I like the Last Friend app. [...] I think the app puts you out there more than anything else. For me, it meant admitting I was lonely and wanted to connect with someone.”

Related Characters: Mateo Torrez (speaker), Rufus Emeterio (speaker)
Page Number: 340
Explanation and Analysis: