Use Of Death As A Narrator In 'The Book Thief'

Hannah Reed
November 6, 2013

Exploring Markus Zusak’s use of Death as a Narrator in The Book Thief

Word Count: 3,496
Abstract
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is narrated by Death who tells the story of Liesel Meminger. The reader can learn a lot about Death through his narration. Consequently this essay focuses on the question: what effect may Death’s narration in The Book Thief have on the reader and what does the reader learn about Death? Death is a metafictional and omniscient narrator who sometimes speaks in first person. The different styles make up a freestyle narration, which is unique. The metafictional narrative catches the reader’s attention since it directly addresses the reader. The omniscience of
It is unique because, unlike other stories around the Holocaust, The Book Thief is narrated by Death. The way Markus Zusak uses Death to tell the story in a personal way, gives a different perspective for the reader. The story is about Liesel Meminger’s new life with a foster family; and how she grows to love words and writing. Death’s narration is personal because it gives a detailed account of Liesel’s life and he talks about himself. The narration style is overall freestyle – a mix of first person, second person, omniscient, and metafictional. Markus Zusak portrays Death differently from other portrayals of death, like the Grim Reaper, through these styles of narration. Also, the use of Death as a narrator makes Liesel’s story more special because she impacts Death, and wants the reader to be impacted as well. The metafictional narration style is what interests me most because it enables me to understand Death’s character and reveals his humanness. In accordance this essay focuses on the following question: what effect may Death’s narration in The Book Thief have on the reader and what does the reader learn about