Pulling out guns, getting attacked, killing others, and having to run away from the police, events that occur in Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell. This novel is exciting and keeps readers on their toes. The thrilling aspect does entice the reader, but literacy elements are why the audience keeps flipping pages. Beat the Reaper manages to get the job done with the use of literary elements. The main attraction to a novel is the characters. Dr. Peter Brown, also known by his criminal alias Pietro Brown, is the protagonist in the story. Dr. Brown works at the rundown Manhattan Catholic Hospital. Pietro Brown, was part of a mafia, where he took part in the crimes. This one man has led two different lives within the space of the novel; …show more content…
Point of view is important in storytelling. In Beat the Reaper, there is first-person point of view. The narrator is Peter Brown. Peter Brown informs the reader on what Dr. Brown was thinking in the current day and in the past. This view point was good for the novel because there are in a sense, two characters. By learning how Brown feels it is easier to understand his decisions. With knowing that Pietro was part of the mafia for quite some time, the reader can assume he was never fond of the life. He felt guilt, especially when killing others. When Magdalena came into the picture, then his guilt grows even more. Not only was it important for this novel to have a first-point of view because of Pietro Brown, but it had a huge impact on the way that Dr. Brown was interpreted and his story. Dr. Brown describes his patients, and with this, information about the patients and even the narrator himself are acquired. When Dr. Brown first sees Osteosarcoma girl, he shares that she is beautiful, but that she does not have the same eyes his deceased wife had. By reading such, it can be known how much Dr. Brown misses his wife, yet he does not seem to share such information with no one. The first point of view also allows to understand why the main character feels the way he does. Osteosarcoma girl is an important factor in Dr. Brown’s career. As he was walking out of the hospital, sick and tired of being a doctor and ready to quit, he turns around to save her. Dr. Brown saw Osteosarcoma girl one last time before she must go into surgery. When they communicate, the girl tells him that she is worried boys will not want to take her dancing then they kiss. This interaction does show why he cares, he feels sorry for her leading to him doing as much as possible to save her. Dr. Brown’s point of view affected the way the story was received by the reader. Manhattan Catholic Hospital, a key factor in this