The message or “symbolism” within the story is about the harsh reality of death and that it has many different ways of finding you or you finding death. In this tale Death is personified as a woman who is very matter-of-fact about her work, which, more specifically, involves keeping an appointment with a certain servant. In the first sentence we read that the servant was terrified as a result of being “jostled” by death. The author does such a great job of illustrates the fear of dying that is such a natural thing to do that is within our nature by stating that the servant was “white and trembling” as a result of this encounter. In an attempt to take destiny into his own hands, the servant borrows a horse from his master in order to get away “as fast as the horse could gallop” to a place called Samarra, for it is there that the servant believes that “Death will not find me”. To the servant it was evident that Death was there for him because he believed she had “made a threatening gesture towards him when in fact she claimed“ That was not a threatening gesture,it was only a start of surprise.I was astonished to see him in Baghdad, for I had an appointment with him tonight in Samarra.”.