Unit 3 Fiction- An Interview With an Angel

Novel: The Afterlife of Stars by Joseph Kertes

Although Attila dies in the novel, there were many unanswered
questions. Today, we are able to get a one on one interview with the
character himself, straight from heaven. He will answer some
questions and give us insight on what was really going on in the novel!
1. First of all, youre in heaven! Tell us what its like, because
we love your philosophic perspective. Your brother always
mentioned how he could feel his baby philosopher kick in,
but we all know you were the adult philosopher!!
I enjoy being here. Although I miss my family, I like being able to see
the world and see them in a new perspective. They sure are far away,
but I feel closer to them now than I have ever felt before. One thing I
realize is that heaven is not as fascinating as we all think. I always
wondered, if heaven is so great, why do God and the angels always
spend their time looking down on earth at us? We, the earthlings must
be the interesting ones. So because of this, I can conclude I will never
be bored up here because there will always be things for me to look at
down on earth. I can continue to discover new things and understand
the world even if I am not there physically experiencing it.
2. So, we all want to know, what happened in the sewers? Who
were that group of young men? What did they do to you?
The group of men were not just random thugs like we had originally
thought. They were youth of the Russian army and they knew we were
trying to escape Europe and get to Canada. However, they thought at
that moment we were escaping, when really we were looking for Paul
Beck who would be able to answer all of my questions. I could not
communicate with them because they were Russian and did not
understand Hungarian, and so we started to quarrel and that was all. I
got beat up quite good, but I did get some strong hits in, but I was
pushed into the stream of brown, thick sewage water and drowned. It
was a sad but honorable death. I can say that I sacrificed myself for my
brother, but I am not noble. I was in a situation where I had to fight to
survive and that is what I tried my best to do.
3. How did your brother get back home? We remember he
blacked out, as he was getting beat up.
Actually, he would have been so happy seeing who saved him if he
didnt end up passing out! Turns out, that sewer girl we saw earlier who

was being chased by the man, came back as she heard our fight. She
saw Robert being beaten up and whacked his attacker right across the
head with a lead pipe! What a savior she was. At that time, I had the
upper hand in my fight, so I yelled for her to bring him back up out of
the sewers so the police could find him and help him. And she did just
that! If only he knew he told me he loved her! After seeing her just
once very briefly! Would you believe that? My brother is an emotionally
attached kid. He reads into everything and it is all a big deal to him. He
probably would have tried to propose to the poor girl after he woke up
and found out she saved him from potentially dying!
4. Why do you always refer to your younger brother as your
sweetheart and call him such endearing terms? What does he
mean to you?
Ive always called my brother names like my love, my sweetheart and
my little honeysuckle. He doesnt mind it and it shows him that I love
him. Im not one to easily throw around the L word, so thats my way of
showing him I care a lot. Plus it is fun to tease him! He is such a
gullible boy. Robert and I have a brotherly relationship where we rarely
have physical fights. I would never hurt him because I find him to be so
small and innocent. One punch and I would most certainly see tears
streaming from his eyes. I imagine him as so delicate and emotional,
that I feel like I have to treat him that way.
What does he mean to me? He means the world. We shared so many
memories and fun times together. Our last time together was an
adventure of a lifetime. Getting to escape Hungary, travel through
Paris and then go on the sewer quest to find our Uncle Paul Beck, was
extraordinary and I must tell you it was a pleasure to die knowing that
we were fulfilling an important duty together. Our family needed to find
Paul Beck so that he could help us escape to Canada and tell us why he
went missing! Robert and I pretended we were soldiers, and I died a
soldier with my army helmet on. I died on the conquest to freedom,
and so I am happy. Even happier that my little Robert was able to get
home safe, but he knows I am watching down on him and making sure
he takes over my role in the family!
5. In the book, your brother talks a lot about your character
and the person you are. He mentions that you are one, single
person. What do you think that means?
I think my brother has been able to become a deep thinker! Thats for
sure. His baby philosopher and baby psychologist have grown up
inside. What I think he means is that I am one person and I have one
side. I act a certain way depending on the circumstances and situation

I am in. I do not lie or act based on how I should or am supposed to act,

instead I will just naturally be who I am in that moment. I do not plan
or coordinate my actions or try to impress, I just do what I know and be
who my mother raised me to be. Being up here in heaven, I have had
lots of time to think and reminisce about the past. Robert has really hit
the nail on the head with this one. I am even happier now knowing that
he has discovered who I am and how I function. This means he can
eventually figure out who he is and embrace that in the best way
possible.
6. What do you think about Canada? We know your family
made it there, but what are your thoughts after seeing how it
all is from above?
Canada seems like a good fit for my family. Everyone is very accepting
and there are lots of opportunities for them. My brother is having an
easy time making friends and that is of course because he is honest
and kind and people see that. My mother and grandmother are doing
well at home in the quaint little brown brick house they have. They are
tending to the gardens now that it is summertime and are making the
place very homey and like how it was back in Hungary. My father has
gotten a job working as a bookkeeper for a medical office. I am
saddened that I cannot join them and experience Canada and the
snowy winters for myself. I would very much like to be going to school
and meeting pretty Canadian girls and having interesting
conversations about literature with English teachers. However, that
was not Gods plan for me and I have learned to accept that and stop
asking questions. Yes, you are hearing me right. I have decided this is
the one thing I will accept and not be stubborn about. My life has come
to an end and I made peace with it and stopped asking why me?
Now, I can focus all my time on figuring out the cycle of life and what
my next part of life might be. Will I be a rabbit, content with hopping
around in long green grass and nibbling on clover? Will I be a sailor,
living on a ship and become accustomed to dangerous storms at sea?
Or will I be a woman, who bears three children and becomes a whiz in
the kitchen being able to make anything for my family? Or maybe I will
just remain in heaven, as a soul who has not yet been allowed to enter
the world again. I will see my familys passing and perhaps they will be
able to join me in this afterlife I have found.
7. What does the title the Afterlife of Stars mean to you?
What do you think Joseph Kertes message was behind that?
Well when I hear the phrase, afterlife of stars, I think of stars like
politicians, leaders, and public figures that have helped people
immensely. My mind goes straight to the statue graveyard that I

encountered twice in Austria, first with my father and a second time

with my brother. I deem it to be quite fitting that I experienced it with
the two most important men in my life. I envision the graveyard of
statues as the afterlife for them. Yet, they are not stuck there forever
because whoever may come into power again can retrieve one of the
statues and put it back up in the town square. The legacies of the
statues will continue to live on. They are stone statues that are the
stars of our world. Much like the stars in the sky, they may be there
forever. It is sad thinking that once someone good in power is
removed, we are forced to idolize someone else and follow his or her
ways. But a good person will forever keep the values and memories
from a truly great leader in their soul and instill them in their daily lives
and those whom they come into contact with.
I think the authors message was to remind us that even stars have an
afterlife. Maybe he wants us to think there is no forever but the only
forever that can exist is the afterlife. Not everything will exist in one
form; it may end up existing in another one and perhaps come to life
again and continue that never-ending cycle. I have spent lots of time
thinking about life and how everything goes through the same cycle. It
may not be 100% identical, but it is still the same idea. There is the
part before we are born, the part while we are alive and the part where
we are dead. This is a cycle that seems to keep continuing and I think
that may be what Joseph Kertes is hinting at with his title.
Thank you very much for your interview Attila. We have
learned a lot from you and you have a great perspective on
your family and on life in general.