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Damascene is Immaculée’s second oldest brother, and the person to whom she is the closest—she describe him as her “soul mate.” Intelligent, funny, charming, and righteous, Damascene earns a master’s degree at a young age and works as a history teacher. During the genocide, he seeks refuge with his Hutu friend Bonn and attempts to flee to Zaire, but he is eventually betrayed by members of Bonn’s family. He is murdered by killers who taunt him about his intelligence, but he remains defiant and dignified in his final moments.
Damascene Quotes in Left to Tell
The Left to Tell quotes below are all either spoken by Damascene or refer to Damascene. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 18
Quotes
Damascene managed to get to his feet one more time, and then he smiled at the killers. His fearlessness confused them—they'd murdered many Tutsis and always enjoyed listening to their victims plead for their lives. Damascene's composure robbed them of that pleasure. Instead of negotiating or begging for mercy, he challenged them to kill him. “Go ahead,” he said. “What are you waiting for? Today is my day to go to God. I can feel Him all around us. He is watching, waiting to take me home. Go ahead—finish your work and send me
to paradise. I pity you for killing people like it's some kind of child's game. Murder is no game: If you offend God, you will pay for your fun. The blood of the innocent people you cut down will follow you to your reckoning. But I am praying for you . . . I pray that you see the evil you're doing and ask for Cod's forgiveness before it's too late."
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Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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Damascene Quotes in Left to Tell
The Left to Tell quotes below are all either spoken by Damascene or refer to Damascene. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 18
Quotes
Damascene managed to get to his feet one more time, and then he smiled at the killers. His fearlessness confused them—they'd murdered many Tutsis and always enjoyed listening to their victims plead for their lives. Damascene's composure robbed them of that pleasure. Instead of negotiating or begging for mercy, he challenged them to kill him. “Go ahead,” he said. “What are you waiting for? Today is my day to go to God. I can feel Him all around us. He is watching, waiting to take me home. Go ahead—finish your work and send me
to paradise. I pity you for killing people like it's some kind of child's game. Murder is no game: If you offend God, you will pay for your fun. The blood of the innocent people you cut down will follow you to your reckoning. But I am praying for you . . . I pray that you see the evil you're doing and ask for Cod's forgiveness before it's too late."
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
