Figurative Language In The Book Thief Death Essay

Shrouded in a black cloak and a razor sharp scythe gripped in its callous hands. Feared by the bravest of men. It is the inescapable end met by all. This tends to be the common notion when it comes to death. In Markus Zusak’s extraordinary novel, The Book Thief, death is personified as the narrator. In contrast to the average perception, Death is an intricate and internally conflicted character with a lot to offer. Death’s perspective softens the harshness of the overall subject of the book and contributes a poetic view of the world. Death provides a complex knowledge of the characters and the human psyche, as well as future events and the outside world.

Death frequently uses figurative language to intensify the most mundane or tragic situations. For example, Death describes the large pile of books deemed propaganda at the book

True to his character, Death seems to be able to look right into the souls of the individuals in The Book Thief. After Hans examines The Shoulder Shrug, Death generalizes and predicts Hans reaction: “Like most humans in the grip of revelation, Hans Hubermann stood with a certain numbness. The next words would either be shouted or would not make it past his teeth” (126). This statement implies that Death is quite attuned to human nature. He has clearly witnessed this pattern in people before. In a similar way, as the group of thieves disperse after finishing off the contents of the stolen basket, Death uses human analysis and foreshadowing: “In years to come, [Rudy] would be a giver of bread, not a stealer- proof again of the contradictory human being. So much good, so much evil. Just add water” (164). Using Rudy’s situational irony, Death emphasizes the unpredictability and broad range of human behavior. It is the perplexing concept that people can go from one extreme to the other, altering their personalities and mindsets even just for one moment: the precarious balance of light and