Student Question
What aspect of the world fascinates the narrator in The Book Thief?
Quick answer:
The narrator, Death, in The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is fascinated by the dual nature of humanity, describing it as both "ugly and glorious." Death is particularly intrigued by Liesel, whose resilience and ability to continue living positively despite significant loss captivates him. He admires her courage and the human capacity to endure and persist in the face of overwhelming grief, as exemplified by her reaction to the deaths of loved ones.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is a novel in which the narrator is Death (a personification of death). Death portrays himself as an exhausted being who is overworked. He has a hard time understanding human beings and wonders how they "could be so ugly and so glorious" with "words and stories so damning and brilliant.” The human he is most fascinated by, though, is Liesel. Death is fascinated by the fact that despite the immense amount of death and loss in Liesel's life, Liesel seems to courageously carry on living, continuing to be a good person who is full of life. Throughout her life, almost everyone Liesel loves, including her parents and best friends, suffer untimely deaths. Death expresses his admiration of Liesel's response after her best friend Rudy dies by saying, "It amazes me what humans can do, even when streams are flowing down their faces and they stagger on.”
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