Liesel Symbolism In Death

Markus Zusak utilizes Death as the omniscient narrator of the novel because Death is an unbiased character that all readers can relate to and to showcase that “even death has a heart” by personifying Death to make him appear less evil (Zusak 242). Zusak gives the reader a more approachable idea of Death, in this novel Death intentionally searches for the beauty that lay within humanity. Death symbolizes something that all humans are afraid of, yet are forced to face. In order for Liesel’s story to make sense to the reader, Death needs to be the omniscient narrator to inform the reader of the events that are happening throughout World War II, the time period that Liesel is telling her story. Since the story occurs when there is an increase

Liesel’s beauty is expressed through her vulnerability and courage in her life. Throughout her life, she loses a majority of the people she loves at a young age, she is cursed with nightmares that leave her “swimming in her bed, screaming, and drowning” in the late hours of the night (Zusak 36). Her courage is seen in her willingness to endure life throughout tragedies and in her bold act of reading to her neighbors to comfort them during a time of crisis. Liesel’s loyalty and love for her friends and family are an act of true beauty that causes readers to love her. Liesel’s ugliness is found in the stealing of books from Frau Hermann and her temper that caused her to “come close” to killing Ludwig Schmeikl (Zusak 79). Rosa Hubermann’s ugliness is far more apparent than Liesel’s, Rosa’s use of vulgarity and “ability to aggravate anyone she ever met,” are just a few examples (Zusak 35). Rosa’s beauty is portrayed in her willingness to risk everything to foster a Jew, in her long nights sitting “with her husband’s accordion tied to her chest” in hopes for him to come home, and in her efforts to feed and protect those she loved (Zusak 429). Hans kindness, patience, and love toward Liesel are his acts of beauty. The ugliness within Hans are seen through his impulsiveness and inability to think through his actions, such as feeding the Jew bread, making promises he cannot keep, and by putting

Death witnesses all the terrors of humankind, from Stalingrad in Russia where Joseph Stalin conducted the “murder of his own people,” (Zusak 309) to the Holocaust where the sky was painted “the color of Jews,” due to the millions of Jews who were murdered (Zusak 349). In 1942, Death’s job was focused on Stalingrad, the Holocaust, and the blood “soaked bodies of” Normandy’s beaches (Zusak 308). At the same time that these events are occurring, Death notices both elements in Liesel’s story. He sees the beauty in humans through Rudy’s innocent love for Liesel, Hans and Liesel’s late night conversations, the Hubermann’s “gamble on” hiding a Jew (Zusak 215), and the deep friendship between Liesel and Max. Death is tormented by his inability to predict the actions of humankind, and is therefore haunted by the living as they are haunted by