In my haunting tale of artistic ambition and eternal return, we discover how the pursuit of greatness across multiple lifetimes reveals the true cost of creative achievement. This analysis explores the intricate layers of symbolism and meaning woven throughout this narrative about art, sacrifice, and the search for transcendence.
Read the full short story here: Live Die Repeat on Reedsy
Introduction
What price would you pay for immortality through art? In my short story, “Live Die Repeat,” the protagonist has paid this price eight times over, and still hasn’t found peace. Through the story’s use of reincarnation as a literary device, we witness how patterns of ambition and sacrifice can echo across lifetimes, raising profound questions about the true nature of artistic achievement and human connection.
The Literary Tradition of Artistic Ambition
The theme of the artist sacrificing everything for their craft has deep roots in literary tradition, from Goethe’s Faust to Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray.” My story builds upon this foundation while adding a unique twist: instead of a single tragic fall, we witness multiple attempts at transcendence across different lifetimes. This cyclical structure transforms the traditional narrative of artistic ambition into something more complex and nuanced, suggesting that the pattern of sacrificing human connection for artistic achievement is not just a personal failing but a fundamental tension in the creative journey.
The Architecture of Repetition
The story’s structure mirrors its themes through several key elements. The narrative begins in a moment of disorientation (“The room is unfamiliar. I don’t know how I got here.”) and spirals outward to reveal increasingly larger circles of repetition and consequence. This disorientation serves both as a literal description of Gustavo Collier’s current state and as a metaphor for the artistic journey itself.
The story’s curator character, identified only as “M,” serves as both guide and judge, transforming the traditional role of art curator into something more cosmic. Through M’s revelations, we see how each of Gus’s lives followed similar patterns despite their surface differences: the temple architect whose slaves died for his vision, the medieval monk who hoarded knowledge while plague decimated his village, the industrial captain who built fortune on others’ suffering.
Symbols of Success and Sacrifice
I tried to employ a rich tapestry of symbols throughout the narrative. The gallery itself serves as a metaphorical space of judgment, where art and actions are weighed on cosmic scales. The transformation of sounds throughout the story—from applause to screams, from mechanical beeps to heartbeats—represents the duality of artistic achievement, where public acclaim often masks private suffering.
Particularly powerful is the image of Gus’s masterpiece, “Symphony of Borrowed Time,” which literally reveals its cost through each brushstroke. The painting becomes a ledger of sacrifice: a daughter alone at her recital, a sister abandoned in her hospital room, a lover left waiting in the rain. These images suggest that great art is indeed created with “borrowed time”—time stolen from relationships and human connections.
The Question of Transcendence
At its heart, the story poses a fundamental question about the nature of artistic transcendence. Through Gus’s repeated attempts to achieve greatness, we see how success in worldly terms—acclaim, wealth, influence—might still fall short of true spiritual transcendence. The story suggests that perhaps the path to transcendence lies not in what we achieve, but in how we achieve it.
The archive of eight floors, with its meticulous accounting of “lives elevated balanced against lives diminished,” serves as a powerful metaphor for how our actions create ripples far beyond our immediate sphere. This cosmic bookkeeping suggests that true artistic achievement cannot be measured solely by the work produced, but must also account for the manner of its production.
Implications for Contemporary Artists
While set in a supernatural context, the story raises vital questions for contemporary creators. How do we balance the drive for excellence with our human connections? What responsibilities do successful artists have to emerging talents? When does artistic vision become artistic vampirism?
The story’s exploration of these questions through multiple lifetimes suggests that these aren’t just individual challenges but fundamental tensions in the creative process. By showing how patterns repeat across lives, I imply that awareness of these patterns might be the first step toward breaking them.
Conclusion
“Live Die Repeat” uses the device of reincarnation to explore timeless questions about artistic achievement and human connection. Through its structure, symbolism, and exploration of artistic ambition, the story suggests that true transcendence might lie not in what we create, but in maintaining our humanity while creating it.
For contemporary artists and creators, the story serves as both warning and guide. It reminds us that while the drive for artistic excellence is valuable, the cost of achieving it through sacrifice of human connection might be higher than we imagine. Perhaps true artistic transcendence lies in finding ways to create great work while nurturing, rather than severing, our connections to others.
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