The Book Thief Analysis

Submitted By caylee5991
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Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief is narrated by Death, who repetitively reminds readers that death is ever-present. This also keeps readers constantly focused on mortality. The temporariness of not only people, but also the relationships that they have is revealed. Characters like Leisel are continually reminded of this, as they lose the ones that are closest to them. Through the losses and many sufferings of the German people, Death reveals how everything eventually comes to an end. As Leisel’s character develops, she continues to lose the people with whom she is closest. Her brother dies when traveling with Leisel and their mother, symbolizing the end of a very important part of her life. Death describes events like this to show how everything is temporary, even the readers themselves, “Here is a small fact, you are going to die.” (3) Leisel is also confronted with the loss of her mother, when the Hubermanns become her foster parents, and in the end she loses Hans and Rosa as well. As she is constantly faced with the mortality of everything around her, Leisel eventually begins to understand that all she knows will come to a closing. During Hans’ time as a soldier, he is confronted with death almost every day. In World War I, he loses his best friend, Erik Vandenburg, and as time goes on her loses many of his other fellow comrades. When Death describes these events, he tells reader, “I’ve seen so many young men over the years who think that they’re running at other young men. They are not. They’re running at me.” (175) He adds this note, to remind readers of the ends of so many lives during wars. Death illustrates the taking of Hans’ soul by saying, “His soul sat up. It met me. Those kinds of souls always do - the best ones. The ones who rise up and say, I know who you are and I am ready. Not that I want to go, of course, but I will come." (532) Hans knew that his life would eventually have to come to an end, and by adding this, readers are yet again faced with the unfailing losses of life. “They left without looking back. It tortured him. If only he’d turned for one last look at his family as he left the apartment…No final goodbye.” (193) Max must lose his family, so that he can survive. This ends a very important part of himself, and as his life is described to readers, they learn of the