The Book Thief By Mark Zusak

The best element of narrative tension in Mark Zusak’s The Book Thief is uncertainty. The author carries out the element of uncertainty throughout the whole story. For instance in the first part of the story, “Death and Chocolate”, the author introduces the first character into the plot. Zusak states, “ I could introduce myself properly, but it’s not necessary. You will know me well enough and soon enough, depending on a diverse range of variables” (Zusak 4). This shows uncertainty because the reader is not told who “I” is. Being the reader, I was unsure who “I” was until later in the reading. The plot continues like this until “Beside the Railway Line”.
The element of uncertainty is carried through the first part of the book to the middle.