the book theif

All writers are ‘book thieves’ for they discover secretive tactics for undermining the reader’s capacity to interpret a narrative, and steal into their hearts with their expression and style. Zusak’s way with words is singularly inventive, since he uses figures of speech in a totally original, cryptic and poetic manner. The narrator is so extraordinary because he is Death. Death is not a person but throughout the story, Zusak portrays him to have human-like emotions towards characters like Liesel. He is an omniscient narrator. This means that Death knows all that is occurring, people’s thoughts, the past, the future, and much more. During the book Death transports you back in time to recognize people’s stances and how everything is linked. For example, Death brings the reader back to World War 1 to clarify why Hans felt obligated to aid Max. During the opening of the book, Death describes colors that he sees when he gathers souls. The color of the sky symbolizes the person’s life and sets the atmosphere in which the death is occurring. This shows that death is more complex than we think. For example, white is a very pure, clean color, which shows that the person was unadulterated and benevolent. “A billion or so flavors, none of them quite the same, and a sky to slowly suck on.” pg 4. This portrays how Death sees these colors. He says no two colors are the same, which states how there are no two people exactly alike. Each soul is unique and has a matchless color.
"I have hated the words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right."pg 528. These words from Liesel Meminger make up the theme of this book. She’s saying that throughout her life the words have influenced her. They have made her happy but at other times they have irritated her. In the end she hopes that she did them justice. This fits into the theme because it shows what affect the words can have on people and their lives. Words, especially during wartime, can be very persuasive.