Godfather Death Exposed

            
             Godfather Death is a short story written by the Grimm brothers. This story contains several literary elements and one major theme. Two of those literary elements are "conflict" and "foreshadowing" and underlying theme of the story is "the greed and ignorance of man.".
             The story begins with one literary element known as "conflict". This conflict draws the readers into the story and sparks their interest immediately. The conflict is the need for a Godfather. A Man is out in the streets desperately searching for someone to be Godfather for his newborn child. This conflict experienced by the father character is resolved when Death becomes Godfather to his son. The conflict that starts the story continues throughout as a way of keeping the readers interest in the story. There is conflict between Death and the Godson, as the Godson cheated Death not once but twice. The first time the Godson cheated Death the conflict was resolved by Death letting him off. Later the Godson cheats Death again which brings us to an even higher level of tension in the story. Until finally, this conflict is resolved by Death killing the Godson. .
             Another literary element that is made use of is the "foreshadowing" throughout the story. From the beginning of the story when the son is named the 13th child the reader gets a hint that things won't turn out right. Later, the father turns his back on God and chooses Death as a Godfather. This event also gives the reader a good idea that "the stage is being set" for disaster. Death also says later " I will forgive you this time because you are my Godson. But if you try such a thing again, it will be your neck, and I will take you away with me", if the other events hadn't tuned the reader into the fact that this character is in trouble this little bit of foreshadowing will. At the end of the story when Death takes the Godson into his lair the Godson's candle is described as "[a] small stub that seemed about to flicker out.