Although most assume Death looks like the Grim Reaper or a scary skeleton thing, in The Book Thief, Death is not. In fact, he even tells us what he looks like when he says, “I do not carry a sickle or a scythe. I only wear a hooded black robe when it’s cold. And I don’t have those skull-like facial features you seem to enjoy pinning on me from a distance… Find yourself a mirror while I continue” (Zusak 307). Essentially Death is saying that because all humans die, we all resemble death. Humans can and will die, and thus he is one of the things that is constant between all humans. Due to this reason I drew a man looking into a mirror to show Death. I just…
1. Elie’s first impression of the camp at Buna was that it looked empty and dead as if an epidemic had hit.…
Death is our guide and narrator to 'The Book Thief,' by Markus Zuzak. In some ways Death seems human as we see that he experiences both sadness and joy in the novel and even gets depressed. To help distract him from his sad, never-ending work, he often fixates on the colour of the sky as a distraction from the anguished survivors of the dead. Death faces suffering with dignity. He does not enjoy his never-ending job of collecting souls but he keeps persevering as he knows he must continue for the sake of the living. Like many humans, Death tries to find ways to give meaning to his…
In Markus Zusak's ‘The Book Thief’, an illiterate naive child, Liesel Meminger steals books. The books stolen by Liesel represent her grievance, defiance, and growth. Zusak uses books as important symbols throughout his story.…
This passage reminds me of the scene where Napoleon steals the milk and apples from the animals without asking in Animal Farm. Similarly, in The Book Thief, Rudy and Liesel are also stealing vegetables from many farms. However, the reason that Napoleon steals the milk and apples is because of his greed, while Rudy and Liesel are stealing to "extend their thieving repertoire" (Zusak 161). Also, from my interpretation of this passage, I feel that the law enforcements are not strong enough to stop thievery at that time in Germany because, if the law enforcements were powerful, then Rudy and Liesel wouldn't take the risk to extend their thieving…
Markus Zusak’s poignant novel The Book Thief chronicles the struggles of a young bibliophile who suffers great losses during the time of the Holocaust. Death trails Liesel Meminger as she slowly develops literacy and a passion for pilfering novels. The theme of death recurs throughout the novel as it presents itself continuously within tragedy and suffering.…
“Death” characterized the year 1942 as occupied. I think the author has Death narrate the tale because Death is meant to be an ironic individual. It is ironic that Death should narrate one of these moments. Death usually becomes chatty and ironic to hide his ideas and sometimes emotions about humanity.…
In cinematic performances, Death is often portrayed as heartless and also often exemplifies the characteristics of a malevolent character. However, contrary to this popular concept, the character of death in The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, has a very humane personality, with his ability to feel pain, sympathy, and humor causing him to defy most stereotypes set by other portrayals. In the novel, he narrates the life of a girl named Liesel, a German citizen who lost her parents and her brother at an early age and has been adopted by two foster parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermman. It is within this narration that Death reveals is compassion for humanity.…
The first lady, Michelle Obama says this, “You may not always have a comfortable life and you will not be able to solve all of life’s problems, but don’t ever underestimate the importance you can have because history has shown us courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own.” Many people wonder what importance life has and this quote answers it all. Everyone is so important because everybody has the potential to do incredible things. Markus Zusak’s novel, The Book Thief shows us this. It is told from the perspective of Death and set during the time of the Holocaust. The story follows a German girl, Liesel, who moves to live with her foster parents, Hans and Rosa Huberman. It tells her story while she lived in Germany during…
War is a foul and nauseating occurrence throughout history. Nevertheless, it is something that has happened more than once. There are numerous amount of people who have experienced the events of a war. Each person can have a different perspective and experiences. However, those people can be categorized as victims, perpetrators, or bystanders.…
Abandoned. This one word is enough to describe the central emotion of Liesel Meminger throughout the course of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, as she tries her best to move on from her dark past. The novel portrays Liesel Meminger as the protagonist of the story and describes the many challenges she faces, settling into her new foster family. After putting her best effort into recover from the treacherous time when her brother dies and her mother abandons her, as she cannot afford to take care of Liesel anymore. Advancing in life, Liesel is still constantly abandoned, by her foster family members, friends and all those who are important to her, but still, she stands back up again, ready to fight. In The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Liesel Meminger is constantly deserted by all of whom she cares for through circumstances and not by heart, as she struggles to keep herself motivated in order to fight her fears.…
Red. Book. Family. Coward. Jew. Death. One may say that they are just words, but is that really all they are? Throughout The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, words bring joy and comfort as well as rage and heartbreak. Liesel Meminger is devastated by the loss of her brother and feels that nothing will relieve her of her agony, until she picks up a book that was left in the graveyard by a gravedigger. This is just the beginning of words playing a major part in Liesel’s life. Words have more power than one could ever imagine.…
The power of words…it is shown in this book, it shows how people are destroyed and how people are saved from words. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak shows his audience that words have the power to heal or destroy. Liesel, the main character and the book thief, Max the jew, and Hitler the fuhrer are the ones who show how they have used words to affect others in both positive and negative ways . Throughout the story it shows Liesel's great passion for books as well as her dedication to learn how to read.…
“Courage is simply the willingness to be afraid and act anyway, “ says Dr. Robert Anthony. What is the definition of courage? It doesn’t exactly mean to be fearless about something, but to not let fear stop you from doing it. Courage can have a positive effect because it helps people to achieve their dreams and creates the opportunity for amazing things to happen. Everyone has different opinions, though, and some people think of courage in a negative way. For example, some people who have gained the courage to do very dangerous things have gotten themselves killed, or seriously injured. However, something positive came out from that result, and things happen for a reason. The fact that those people were brave enough to even attempt something…
“Here is a small fact: You are going to die.” Death said this quote. He the narrator of Markus Zuka’s The Book Thief. Although this quote from Death is scary, he says later, “I urge you - don’t be afraid.” Everyone will die eventually, Death himself even said that. Whether that be intentional or accidental, the effects of death can change the direction of someone’s life, for the better or for the worse.…