The Gravedigger's Roots is told by the gravedigger himself, a man who is at the lowest point of the social totem pole. He is, however, also a man with spiritual (but not religious) leanings. He tries to understand the work he does and why things happen (or don't happen). He is undeniably a cynic, yet he suspects that life goes on beyond the grave, that after death he may be reborn to a life he'd rather not live, finally to succeed or to fail once again. The gravedigger could be described as a pessimist who is not bereft of hope.