Immortality means living forever, but that's not strictly what's going down in Midwinterblood. Eric and Merle don't live one life for a really long time—they are reincarnated or reborn into new lives seven different times. But that doesn't mean there aren't immortals walking around Blessed Island. Tor and the islanders are clearly flirting with living forever by making that elixir of life from the dragon orchid—they can still die, but it probably won't from natural causes. Just think of all the birthday cards they'll have saved up after all those years.
Questions About Immortality
- Which would be better: living forever, or being reborn into a new life every so often?
- Would you want to live seven lifetimes like Eric and Merle do?
- Is it wrong to try to cheat death like Eirikr, Melle, and the folks on Blessed Island are doing? Does the book argue one way or the other?
- Which character is least comfortable with death? How can you tell?
Chew on This
Even after the seventh lifetime, Eric and Merle will keep on being reincarnated and finding each other in different lives.
Ultimately, rebirth and reincarnation in this book show the power of connection to other human beings.