Death/Endings

Death, finalities, and endings are a continual theme of the book and is used overtly as in the discussion of Thomas Browne's works or subtly by his intimations of loss and creeping decay. The Theme of death is first fully made known by the author telling us of the event that sparked off the entire book; the death of a close friend. Afterwards we are led into a study inspired in part by the eighteenth century doctor, philosopher, and theologian Thomas Browne who believed that everything diminished and finally died. This study makes up the backbone of the entire book as the author takes on this research as he studies the legacies of empires, individuals and objects.

Everywhere he goes he sees the ghosts of things that came before and vestiges of the past. The author marvels at grand structures such as the Chinese Empire, or the...