Throughout the course of the novel, we are introduced to characters from all walks of life: the rich and poor, the sick and healthy, young and old, good and bad. What does this tell us about the context in which the novel is set and its characters?

This tells us that WW2 affected everybody. There is no escape from the ideology, social, political, and cultural ramifications of war. Death was an "equal opportunity" merchant. He came for everybody regardless of stature. one of the underlying themes of the book speaks to how humans are very similar: we all live and we all die.