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The Theme Of Death In Markus Zusak´s The Book Thief

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The novel, The Book Thief Written by Markus Zusak is set in 1939 Nazi Germany and is narrated by a personified version of Death, who describes both the beauty and devastation of life in this era. The main character Liesel Meminger (aged 9 years old – at the beginning of the book) is sent with her brother, Werner to foster parents in Munich. On the way there Werner (aged 6) dies. At his burial Liesel finds a book buried partially in snow, belonging to one of the grave diggers. With this book Liesel starts a long fascination for books and words, which she comes to understand and they become a soucre of comfort for her, escaping from her losses and sometimes her life. Her life changes when Max Vandenburg is hidden in her basement, he is a Jew. …show more content…

In the novel we see Death experience both joy and sadness, "he" tries to find meaning in his "work" and does this by distracting himself with the colors of the sky when each human being he takes dies. The fact that Death is the narrator confuses me, I think this is because I don’t understand his role in the book and what the purpose of him being the narrator is. One conclusion I have come to is that he is an impartial onlooker watching and reporting on all the ugliness of the Holocaust and Germany at this time period. Maybe to remind us of the pain and suffering that was involved. Death is mainly associated with negativity but, in the book he seems as though he has feelings, this is shown in a quote from The Book Thief spoken by Death - "it kills me sometimes, how people die." And also - "he does something to me, that boy. Every time. It's his only detriment. He steps on my heart. He makes me cry." The quote I found most intriguing though was,- "on many counts, taking a boy like Rudy Steiner was robbery – so much life, so much to live for – yet somehow, I'm certain he would have loved to see the frightening rubble and the swelling of the sky on the night he passed away. He'd have cried and turned and smiled if only her could have seen the book thief on her hands and knees, next to his decimated body. He'd have been glad to witness her kissing his dusty, bomb – hit lips. Yes, I know it. In the darkness of my dark – beating heart, I know. He'd have loved it all right. You see? Even death has a heart." This made me think that purpose of Death narrating The Book Thief reinstates the perception of care in Death and in Dying, the novel shows us another way to perceive the idea of

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