Death as the narrator for Markus Zusak's The Book Thief was an interesting choice, but I think he did it successfully. I actually think it was a key element in making The Book Thief what it was. So many children's books are written in first-person or omniscient, but Zusak uniquely used first-person and omniscient. He expertly incorporates an expert on humankind - Death. This narrator is important because Liesel was, at times, too naive to describe the terrors of the world around her, and because Death could see all people allowing for a more dynamic story.
Liesel’s age make Death a very appropriate narrator. Such a young child could not convey the evils of war – the separation of families, the destruction of a culture, the genocide of innocent people – but Death can.
The strong representations of human feelings of loss make Death an even more appropriate narrator. The author seemingly chose this narrator to give a unique perspective and possibly lighten the shadow of inevitable death; he validates this narrator through using strong and natural emotions. It first appears to the reader that Death will be a harsh and evil narrator, but by allowing death to describe mankind’s emotions and even empathize, the reader becomes more comfortable with the narrator.
Zusak made a risky choice by allowing Death to be the narrator, but I personally think it paid off to make a dynamic and interesting novel.
I believe that the Book Thief was a wonderful and important novel. I feel that your post was very nice and accurate. I really feel that the choice to make the narrator Death was an outstanding thing to do. Death being the narrator enhanced the story for me. I believe that if the narrator had been someone else the story would not have had the same effect on me. I really agree with the decision to have death as the narrator because it is unique. I really enjoy novels that have something interesting in them to keep my attention. This is a novel that is captivating from the beginning to the end and I was very grateful that it was interesting because of the length. When I fist looked at the nook I assumed it would be long and boring. As I started it I realized it was all but so I would agree this was a great novel. Great blog post America M
ReplyDeleteI agree, at first I thought this was going to be weird having death as the narrator, but the author did an excellent job! The perspective is so different than those of most books. I agree that there would not have been the same emotions and feelings if told from Liesel's perspective. The first few pages I was shocked by what death saw and felt, but this story allowed the emotions to come out into the open and give it a new light. I found the story to be interesting and Death to be an excellent choice for the narrator.
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