They Both Die at the End

They Both Die at the End

by

Adam Silvera

Death-Cast Term Analysis

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:
Mortality, Life, and Meaning Theme Icon
).
September 5, 2017: Mateo Torrez, 12:22 a.m. Quotes

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: 7
Explanation and Analysis:

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

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: 17
Explanation and Analysis:

“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:
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:
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:
Mateo, 3:26 p.m. Quotes

“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), Rufus Emeterio, Victor, Deirdre
Page Number: 281
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:
Get the entire They Both Die at the End LitChart as a printable PDF.
They Both Die at the End PDF

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.
September 5, 2017: Mateo Torrez, 12:22 a.m.
Mortality, Life, and Meaning Theme Icon
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)
Mortality, Life, and Meaning Theme Icon
Choices and Consequences Theme Icon
Business, Ethics, and Dehumanization Theme Icon
...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 Emeterio, 1:05 a.m.
Mortality, Life, and Meaning Theme Icon
Friendship and Chosen Family Theme Icon
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)
Business, Ethics, and Dehumanization Theme Icon
...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)
Mortality, Life, and Meaning Theme Icon
Choices and Consequences Theme Icon
Friendship and Chosen Family Theme Icon
...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)
Rufus, 1:18 a.m.
Mortality, Life, and Meaning Theme Icon
Choices and Consequences Theme Icon
Friendship and Chosen Family Theme Icon
...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, 2:59 a.m.
Mortality, Life, and Meaning Theme Icon
Friendship and Chosen Family Theme Icon
Business, Ethics, and Dehumanization Theme Icon
Rufus wishes Death-Cast had called him before he ruined his life earlier—he thinks through all the things he... (full context)
Mateo, 3:14 a.m.
Human Connection and Social Media Theme Icon
Friendship and Chosen Family Theme Icon
Business, Ethics, and Dehumanization 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 Donahue, 3:30 a.m.
Business, Ethics, and Dehumanization Theme Icon
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 Anthony, 3:34 a.m.
Mortality, Life, and Meaning Theme Icon
Choices and Consequences Theme Icon
Friendship and Chosen Family Theme Icon
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)
Rufus, 4:09 a.m.
Mortality, Life, and Meaning Theme Icon
Friendship and Chosen Family Theme Icon
...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 Dubois, 4:17 a.m.
Mortality, Life, and Meaning Theme Icon
Choices and Consequences Theme Icon
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)
Delilah Grey, 5:00 a.m.
Mortality, Life, and Meaning Theme Icon
Death-Cast called Delilah Gray two hours ago with the news that she’s dying today, but Delilah... (full context)
Mateo, 6:14 a.m.
Mortality, Life, and Meaning Theme Icon
Human Connection and Social Media Theme Icon
Choices and Consequences Theme Icon
Friendship and Chosen Family Theme Icon
...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)
Mortality, Life, and Meaning Theme Icon
Friendship and Chosen Family Theme Icon
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)
 Patrick “Peck” Gavin, 7:08 a.m.
Mortality, Life, and Meaning Theme Icon
Choices and Consequences Theme Icon
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)
Mateo, 7:22 a.m.
Mortality, Life, and Meaning Theme Icon
Friendship and Chosen Family Theme Icon
...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)
Rufus, 7:53 a.m.
Human Connection and Social Media Theme Icon
Friendship and Chosen Family Theme Icon
...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 Vargas, 9:14 a.m.
Human Connection and Social Media Theme Icon
Friendship and Chosen Family Theme Icon
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 Hayes, 9:48 a.m.
Human Connection and Social Media Theme Icon
Choices and Consequences Theme Icon
Friendship and Chosen Family Theme Icon
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 O’Connell, 10:03 a.m.
Human Connection and Social Media Theme Icon
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)
Rufus, 12:35 p.m.
Mortality, Life, and Meaning Theme Icon
Choices and Consequences Theme Icon
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 Pearce, 12:55 p.m.
Human Connection and Social Media Theme Icon
Choices and Consequences Theme Icon
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 Clayton, 1:50 p.m.
Mortality, Life, and Meaning Theme Icon
Business, Ethics, and Dehumanization Theme Icon
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)
Mortality, Life, and Meaning Theme Icon
Human Connection and Social Media Theme Icon
...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 Rivas, 2:22 p.m.
Mortality, Life, and Meaning Theme Icon
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 Landon, 2:57 p.m.
Human Connection and Social Media Theme Icon
Choices and Consequences Theme Icon
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, 4:32 p.m.
Mortality, Life, and Meaning Theme Icon
Human Connection and Social Media Theme Icon
Friendship and Chosen Family Theme Icon
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 Maldonado, 5:23 p.m.
Human Connection and Social Media Theme Icon
Friendship and Chosen Family Theme Icon
Business, Ethics, and Dehumanization Theme Icon
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)
The Gang With No Name; 5:36 p.m.
Mortality, Life, and Meaning Theme Icon
Choices and Consequences Theme Icon
Death-Cast didn’t call Peck, Kendrick, and Damien today, so they’re living like their lives can’t end.... (full context)
Dalma Young, 6:20 p.m.
Human Connection and Social Media Theme Icon
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 Plutos, 6:33 p.m.
Mortality, Life, and Meaning Theme Icon
Choices and Consequences Theme Icon
Friendship and Chosen Family Theme Icon
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)
Victor Gallaher, 10:13 p.m.
Mortality, Life, and Meaning Theme Icon
Business, Ethics, and Dehumanization Theme Icon
Death-Cast didn’t call Victor last night because he’s not dying, though employees learn of their impending... (full context)