“My name is David Charleston.
I kill people with super powers.”
In Steelheart, David had a thirst to revenge for the death of his parent which he achieves by the end of the novel by killing the eponymous High Epic. Initially, he had to prove himself that he could actually kill an Epic since he is simply a human in comparison. However, after killing him he gets a new moniker as ‘Steelslayer’ for achieving a feat the Reckoners are always trying to accomplish. Therefore now more confident the agenda even resonates more as he seeks to kill those with superpowers who are oppressing humans. As the narrative progresses David sharpens his insight while harnessing the power of water in his arsenal for fighting.
“I hadn’t been a nerd, mind you. I’d just been the type of guy who spent a lot of time by himself, focused entirely on a single consuming interest.”
Initially, David was an orphaned kid who was seeking revenge by learning the weaknesses of the Epics. Now he has quenched his thirst by using his insight and the Reckoners as the team to kill the High Epic Steelheart Therefore he learns to not fight alone but as a group, family, and a team in order to attain their set goals. Furthermore, the team works best together as each possesses an ability that the other does not have. Thus, David is transforming into a leader and has to consider the welfare of many and not just his own.
“The two great constants of life. Food and death.”
In this post-apocalyptic world, the traditional structures and civilization have been lost in the chaos brought on by the Epics. The supernatural Epics with powers oppress the humans therefore surviving is getting harder by the day. Even though the Reckoners are fighting back resources are scarce and everyone’s survival is at risk. The rule is survival of the fittest as the only thing that matters is living and sustenance with the other option being death. Thus, the statement expresses that the thin line between life and death gets thinner by the day though hope is on the horizon.
