XIII
Death

DEATH Closure. Parting. Transformation. Abrupt change. Endings. New beginnings. Transition. The unknown. Being at the mercy of relentless forces.

ASHITAKA At the beginning of his story, Ashitaka is cursed and must symbolically die, cutting his hair as he leaves his village never to return. The curse forces him to undergo a transformation, acquiring preternatural strength and hatred, but he comprehends the nature of it and is able to control it. Ashitaka reflects the transition in his world; a new technological order is replacing the old ways and gods. He manages to bridge the gap between the old world and the new, and although the old world is irreplaceably gone, there is some hope for the new.