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Mateo, 4:26 a.m.
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 he’s going to have to knock Mateo out to get him out of the hospital; that’s what someone would’ve had to do to get Rufus away from his own dad. After 10 minutes, Rufus cracks the door and hears Mateo singing. Mateo jumps, bright red, and starts to tidy up the room. Rufus assures Mateo that it’s clean and that the nurses will take care of Dad. He grabs Mateo by the shoulders and says that Dad doesn’t want Mateo here—Mateo got his chance to say goodbye, which Rufus didn’t get with his family, and now Rufus needs a friend. Mateo kisses Dad’s forehead and says goodbye. It’s hard for Rufus to watch. Mateo says he hopes Dad will wake up today, but he follows Rufus and closes the door.
Even though Mateo has openly voiced that he wants to be the kind of person who sings like this, it’s still uncomfortable to be caught singing. Mateo may want to change and become a different person, but he’s not yet willing to trust Rufus enough to be vulnerable in front of him. However, Rufus’s pep talk does give Mateo the strength to leave Dad’s bedside and go out into the world. Their budding friendship helps Mateo move away from his blood family and toward his new chosen family.
Themes
