Sacrifice occurs throughout A God in Ruins on a scale from massive to miniature. At the end of the novel, Atkinson gives a rough tally of the millions of lives that have been lost during the world’s many wars. Theoretically, each of those lives was sacrificed by someone either fighting for a cause, against one, or by an innocent who was sacrificed on behalf of someone’s idea of the greater good. 

On a smaller scale, Teddy sacrifices his safety, freedom, and options to join the regimented, dangerous life of a military man. He sacrifices some of the solitude of his adult life in order to take in Sunny and Bertie after Viola abandons them. Viola’s unwillingness to sacrifice on behalf of her children illustrates the negative consequences of someone who is too selfish to surrender any of their own time or efforts for someone else. Every parent sacrifices something of themselves when they have children, and every person who marries sacrifices the freedom of not being committed. 

To honor Nancy’s wishes, Teddy literally sacrifices his wife at her moment of greatest distress, pain, and fear, smothering her with a pillow when her brain tumor reaches its excruciating conclusion.