The Idea Of Death In The Book Thief

According to Oxford dictionary, the word “death” is the action or fact of dying or being killed. When it’s going to happen is unknown, but when it does, it has a tremendous impact. The narrator, Death in The Book Thief, captures the idea of death which can be brought upon in many different situations, without our control "Of course, an introduction. A beginning. Where are my manners? I could introduce myself properly, but it’s not really necessary. You will know me [narrator, death] well enough and soon enough" (4). Whether it is liked or not, death is inevitable. Even though dying is a normal part of existence, most people still fear it. Death should not cause people to live in trepidation or fright, but rather to live their lives with a …show more content…
The smell of death was constantly in the air at the time of World War Two in Munich, Germany. Liesel was adjusting to her new surroundings, when something peculiar happened. Rosa and Hans Hubermann, Liesel’s new foster parents, secretly hid a young Jewish man, Max, in their basement until the horrors of World War II settled down. Max was a weak, “skinny [boy], with soft hair, and thick murky eyes”, and proved that he was strong enough to survive during the treacherous time of the Holocaust. Max was a good example of how living can come with omnipresent pain, in the novel. He suffered losses in his family, grew a thick skin, and was a teenager with “hard hands, blackened eyes” (188) and ready to fight. After a while, Liesel got used to having a Jew in her house, and “in the act of watching him sleep, she was already noticing the similarities between the stranger and herself” (228). How could this be? A Jew and a german similar? She kept his presence a secret, and helped shelter him from the Fuhrer. Max proved how strong-minded he was, and having Liesel, his new best friend by his side, kept him …show more content…
We will all experience it, and it has always been a natural part of life, as well as it being a greatly feared upon aspect of one's persona. In the novel, the author Markus Zusak, proves that death can happen any time by using Liesel’s life story. Moreover, it can also approach at any time given the circumstance. The story prevails that suffering ultimately makes a person stronger and that pain is an essential characteristic of humanity; as we all go through it. “It’s the story of one of those perpetual survivors” (5) death stated. Each story is one ‘attempt’ to prove that every person's existence is worth it: and Liesel is just one example. Always keep your loved ones close and held dearly, as you never know what is going to happen. Six million innocent people taken, and two repeated words . . . Heil