ABSTRACT
This chapter explores three aspects of Death Stranding’s complex symbolic language: relics, artifacts, and songs. Sam’s necklace, a dreamcatcher given to him by Amelie, signifies his ties to her, a bond that has the potential to save all of humanity. Amelie, an Extinction Entity who is supposed to bring about the final destruction of the world, hesitates to do so, and her ties to Sam, going back into Sam’s childhood, remind her of why humanity might deserve to exist. Amelie’s necklace, a quipu, symbolizes the strands connecting people and also symbolizes her hesitance to destroy humanity. Finally, the use of specific songs, especially Clifford Unger’s lullaby to his son, add the narrative’s symbolic power and provide insight into the game’s main characters.
