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Mateo, 6:24 p.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
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 Peck’s hand. They cheer as the cops drive away with Peck and his gang, hoping that they spend more time in jail than Malcolm and Tagoe did earlier. Aimee regrets her role in everything today, but she’s glad that Peck didn’t kill Rufus. Tomorrow, everything will change for the Plutos. They’re used to starting over, but they know that Rufus’s death will stick with them forever. The narrator says that people are born into families, but they walk into friendships. Some don’t last, but others are worth all the risks.
In Aimee’s case, regret is helpful because it will encourage her to make better choices in the future and to be loyal to her friends whenever possible. While Malcolm and Tagoe’s time in jail could’ve ended much worse, the idea that their friendship with Rufus made that possibility worth it speaks to the power of friendship—friends can honor one another and provide support much like a family would.
Themes
