The Book Thief is a novel written by Markus Zusak which strongly conveys how words can powerfully influence a young girl’s actions, hurt or heal depending on the voice who speaks them, and how they bring out the kindness and cruelty in humans. The genre of this novel, magical realism brings unique perspectives and ideas to the second world war. Narrated by a personified death, who took a German girl’s words and read them to us. The author’s use of metaphor and other language devices helps us as the reader understand the world and ideas in this book.

Liesel Meminger the novels main protagonist is a young girl in the middle of Nazi Germany who discovers the value and power of words for herself. Liesel learns how to read, write words with Hans Hubermann, her new papa. This helps to develop their deep bond with each other, and starts with the reading of the grave diggers hand book and will eventually be Liesel’s fuel for the fire inside her. This book represents her brother’s passing and her mother’s departure, for it to be the remedy for her nightmares is quite ironic. ” She was the book thief without the words. Trust me, though, the words were on their way, and when they arrived, Liesel would hold them in her hands like the clouds, and wring them out, like the rain.” This quote from death uses similes to convey the visual message of Liesels soon to be power. To compare a persons words with a force of nature, accurately demonstrates how the author values the idea of words holding a great deal of power over people, and for a being such as death to tell us this adds to the magical realism aspect of the novel. Liesel will demonstrate her new found power when she spitefully lashes out at Ilsa Herman the mayor’s wife, telling her she is pathetic because she cant handle her son’s death. This is the one of the moments when this young German girl realizes the true ” brutality of words” and the author emphasizes this by adding emotive language and metaphors to describe the wounds she had caused Ilsa with her words. “Cuts had opened, and a series of wounds were rising to the surface of her skin.” This metaphor gives the reader the visual representation of Liesel’s verbal attacks and demonstrates how magical realism helps to give a clear understanding how words can reach inside us and pull out all the hurt and nastiness. Not only the language but the image of Liesels brother has a strong impact in this part of the book.

The Book Thief shows us how words have the ability to hurt or heal a person. Liesel’s “damming and brilliant” book that the character death carries for a long while, sustains him in a way, by distracting him from his work. Markus Zusak effectively uses magical realism to explore this world where words are able to save person, and an example of this would be when Himmel street was bombed. Liesel was asleep in the basement after reading the book she had written about her life. Hans Hubermann had told her to continue writing that night, and if he had not Liesel would have died. The words had literally saved her life. Liesel believes words could heal a person is when Max becomes ill. ” She gave The Dream Carrier to Max as if the words alone could nourish him.” This quote shows how Liesel puts value to the words, as if they could be compared to food or water when a person is sick. Hitler, another name in this book and in life that has a strong connection with words. Markus Zusak was able to show Hitler’s authority and dictatorship in his book without actually implementing him into the story. When Liesel outwardly spoke out about her hatred for the fuhrer her own papa had to discipline her, due to the fear of what would happen to her if she did not learn to keep those thoughts to herself. Her words had caused her literal pain when she spoke them, and is an example of how the author showed Hitler’s influence without him actually being there. This also shows how Hitler had made the silence of his people a sign of submission and safety and therefore felt he had no one who could challenge him if they could not use their words. Max wrote the book “The word Shaker” for Liesel and within this book he talks about how Hitler “would rule the world with words”. This quote is an example of the control words can have on people, and is backed up by the quote “I will never fire a gun, I will not have to”. The use of repetition with the words “I will” followed by “never” and “not have to.” solidifies the power Hitler had with his words and how he chose to control people with his words, not needing to use force. The idea that words were able to accomplish so much within this novel gives the reader a different perspective on what they should value most in life, and the fact that death is the one narrating, speaking, talking to us also challenges our ideas of what could be possible the power of words. They Brought this being to life in our minds and created a connection with him.

Death within The Book Thief gives us a unique perspective, through his own powerful words, on the cruelty and kindness of humans. Some of deaths comments through the book show his confusion toward our ability to be both ugly and beautiful on the inside. He sees this a consequence of his circular heart and “…endless ability to be in the right place at the right time.” This quote uses the repetition of the word “right” t solidify in the readers mind that the thing we fear in the real world, is a crucial part in this novel who does good or “right”. Death often talks about how he has rules to follow and a boss of some sorts, and how his job is trying due to the horrible things he sees. “Sometimes I imagined how everything looked above those clouds, knowing without question that the sun was blond, and the endless atmosphere was a giant blue eye.” This quote from Death as he carries souls from the gas chamber in Auschwitz, shows how his way of thinking and perceiving our world is very strange. His unquestionable optimistic attitude that behind the darkness there is light, and that the sky was watching shows how he too needs something to sustain him. The metaphor “..The endless atmosphere was a giant blue eye.” could refer to a higher being who could possibly help, but their sight had been obscured by the clouds. Markus Zusak uses foreshadowing to show how deaths words don’t only have effect on the characters within the novel but us as readers too. An example of this would be when he tells us Rudy dies well before his actual passing. This foreshadowing brought out the readers feeling for the boy and created anticipation, tension and dramatic irony within the text. The fact that the boy dies from the bombing of Himmel street shows the aspect of peoples cruelty, and some would say that the boy dying before he gets the kiss he so desperately wanted is another cruel and sad aspect of Deaths foreshadowing. If only Death could speak out and tell the people about the danger to come, his words could literally have the power to save lives. It is ironic that in a way Death is very similar to Liesel, in that he is unable to speak out of line due to unspoken rules, and people with more power and authority control them. At the end of the book, Death says he is “haunted by humans. He wanted to try and understand how humans could be both cruel and kind, Liesel’s book showed him aspects of both but in the end he was still incapable of comprehending it, therefore he was haunted by us, just as we are haunted by him.

The Book Thief, a novel which strongly conveys how words can powerfully influence a young girl’s actions, hurt or heal depending on the voice who speaks them, and how they bring out the kindness and cruelty in humans. Magical realism and Death gives unique perspectives and ideas on how a young girl creates connections during the second world war. The author’s cleverly wove a text that challenges our perceptions of words and how to use them.

“Yes the fuhrer decided that he would rule the world with words. “I will never fire a gun, I will not have to””

This quote from the book The Book Thief talks about how words can be used to control and rule people. The alteration “He would rule the world with words” helps the reader to create a clear picture using the sounds of the series of words. The fuhrer in this quote is powerful in nature. “the fuhrer decided” shows this power, the facts that he could decide to “rule the world with words” or with force tells the reader he had a great confidence and sway of his subjects. The use of the personal pronouns “I” and repetition of “I will” in this quote forces the reader to think that he truly believed that he could control such a large number of people with just words alone, or that he “would not have to” fire a gun because he could get someone else to do his dirty work. This quote shows how one persons words can have such a powerful impact on a persons beliefs and morals. Words can be a weapon and the fuhrer took advantage of this idea.

“The injury of words. Yes the brutality of words. Cuts had opened, and a series of wounds were rising to the surface of her skin.”

The Book Thief, a novel written by Markus Zusak accurately conveys the power and impact words have on us as humans. Liesel Meminger the novels main protagonist writes a story that is told by the character “death”. The story is told with emotive language And strong imagery in the form of metaphors which sir the readers emotions. “Cuts had opened, and a series of wounds were raising to the surface of her skin.” this metaphor gives a physical representation of how words can hurt a person, in this case its the mayor’s wife. Her previous emotional wounds that are being brought back to the “surface” because of Liesels verbal spill. The the idea that words could cause physical harm or “injury” is typical of the genre of magical realism, due to the impossible manifestation of seemingly physical wounds from words. The authors construction of this passage teaches and makes the reader think of the hurtful nature words can have on a persons life.

Prologue

pg. 14 “You will be caked in your own body.” – Death

This quote describes deaths view on the human body. The it is not us in his eyes, rather a thick capsule that holds our soul. This being caked in our own body challenges the our idea of what living really is, and what it means. The word caked in my mind makes me wonder if he thinks there’s too much of the flesh and bone, its not so important to him. This relates to today society. As humans we are very concerned about our appearance on the outside rather than the inside.

pg. 15 “Its the left over humans. The survivors. they’re the ones I cant stand to look at…” – Death

This quote gives the reader a different perspective on death. Instead of the horrible and cruel idea we have in our heads this Death is humanized to a point. He shows genuine emotion towards the humans that have suffered loss. This creates interest for the rest of the book, because the reader wants to know more about how and why Death feels these things. For a character that has such power and experience with the dead, I would expect some level of numbness towards “The survivors”.

Producing fantastic or incongruous imagery or effects in art, literature, film, or theater by means of unnatural or irrational juxtapositions and combinations

A Special Place by the Shore Teen – Adult

Crystal clear water laps at the shore, glistening as light from the sun catches their peaks one after the other, like morse code. The water trying to speak to me. A gentle breeze pushes the waves towards land. The gradient of light blue through to dark is mesmerizing, like a trance that taunts me to jump in. A giant, the lake slumbers in the bottom of the valley, keeping its secrets hidden in its belly. Toes dip, daring to test the water. Never really knowing if it will be cold, or extremely cold.

Stones smooth and flat cover the shore. Ranging from tiny and almost non existent, to boulders unable to be moved. Giants. Smaller ones lay there patiently: waiting for me to pick them up, waiting to show me their skimming capability, waiting for a purpose in life. Pitter patter, screams of triumph, and the never ending contest of who can skim the best. Ever watchful parents fuss and worry over us, their children. Slip, slop, slap and wrap, a phrase I have outgrown but still I can not escape. laughing at the younger kids that have to suffer their mothers cold hands; they are smothered in sunblock. Friends call me over to hidden places among the trees that line the beach, as the overwhelming chirp of the cicadas causes me to strain my ears. Quiet conversations about crushes, and boys barely audible. There is a gentle rustle of leaves as they collide in the wind, dancing along the ground and calling for attention. Wanting to join in on the conversation. Staring up in awe at two giant gum trees, their trunks are like a couple of snakes, twisted together. strong.

A magical filter blankets this valley, fueled by young wonder and passion. Surrounding mountains baked by the sun. Golden Brown, like pastry on a pie. My eyes are drawn to all the bright and interesting bits, emerald grass waving hello, tended to and looked after, while the old tents, new tens, big, small and wise old camper vans sit there, watching over everything. With sharpened stones my friends and I leave our mark on the trunk of a small willow tree. Palm sized hearts with our initials inside along with our crushes, carved into the wood like a scar. A little voice in the back of my head asks me a question. Will i remember this place?

The water is still, the rocks clearly visible under the surface. Cast by the sun light still reaches the lake, but he reflection is dull. The water no longer speaks to me. It has grown silent and bored in my absence, and the deep blue colour now looks menacing, dark, and almost haunting. No trance or magical feeling, no desire to suffer the frigid lake. A body of water, nothing more. The once familiar murmur of waves, now only created by wading feet, owned by those brave enough to face the cold.

Weathered stones, shrunken over time coat the ground. Boulders I used to see as giants now look small. Insignificant. No longer a competition, but a relaxing activity, I pick and choose my stone carefully. Piter patter, then sound of silence and a sigh of relief. I am forever watching. Energetic bundles of joy frolic without a care in the world. My overwhelming need to protect them from everything takes over, as I try to withhold myself from smothering their delicate skin in another layer of sunblock. Friends call me over to the BBQ talking business, and children. The chirp of Cicadas still consumes all other noise, an argument were everyone is talking at once. Leaves now litter the ground, having lost their passion for dance, and no longer interested in the conversation. The two gum trees taller now, still twisted together. Intertwined lovers. Broken and bent by the strong winds that have tormented them over the years. old.

There is no longer a filter covering this valley. Now seeing it was once fulled by my innocence. The ancient beauty now lacking its usual flair. The pastry has slowly crumbled over time, cooked to long in this unforgiving oven. It is still beautiful, just not the same. Grass, once emerald green, Now matured into the evergreen colour of pine, as tents still sit there propped up on their legs, colourful and bold. Camper vans no longer watch, they just lay there, some new, some old and in every shape and size. Awkward. Holding a small fragile hand, we look up at the once small willow tree, now grown tall, with warped shapes scared into the bark. Once hearts with teenage girls hopes and dreams inside. A small voice beside me asking me a question. What are we doing here? Remembering.