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Description:
In Markus Zusak's The Book Thief , Death narrates the story of one girl who lived during the Holocaust. Not surprisingly, it's kind of a downer—but Death itself is surprisingly snarky. Why did Zusak use death as the narrator? And why would he make it sarcastic? Shmoop amongst yourselves; we'll just be over in the corner, sobbing into a box of Kleenex.
Transcript
- 00:04
The Book Thief, a la Shmoop. For fairly obvious reasons. . .
- 00:10
. . . Death isn't a real popular guy
- 00:12
In fact, most people avoid him like... well, like the plague.
- 00:19
So, if he's such an outcast. . .
- 00:22
. . .how did he end up narrating The Book Thief?
Full Transcript
- 00:25
Well, one thing he's got going for him. . .
- 00:27
. . .is his ability to hang out aaaanywhere he wants to.
- 00:30
And that allows him to listen in on conversations. . .
- 00:33
. . .or observe multiple locations without a problem.
- 00:37
No way a mere mortal could do that. Since the book is about the darkest time in
- 00:43
human history. . .
- 00:44
. . .maybe letting Death tell the story. . .
- 00:45
. . .is a way of reminding us of all that suffering.
- 00:49
With his presence on every page. . .
- 00:50
. . .it's pretty tough to forget.
- 00:52
And even though he seems to have no control over the outcome. . .
- 00:55
. . .his constant presence is, at the very least, unnerving.
- 01:00
And while we're on the subject of unnerving. . .
- 01:03
Death is surprisingly humorous and sarcastic . .
- 01:05
. . .while observing the horror of the Holocaust. So, how does he get away with trying to be
- 01:10
funny? Could be that's the very reason he's doing
- 01:15
the talking.
- 01:16
He's good at injecting a little "black" humor. . .
- 01:18
. . . into an unrelentingly sad situation. . .
- 01:21
. . which gives readers a chance to come up for air.
- 01:24
Plus, even though he feels bad about the pain war inflicts on people. . .
- 01:28
. . .and his part in it. . .
- 01:30
. . .he's not human. He's simply an impartial bystander. . .
- 01:33
. . .watching and commentating on all the ugliness around him.
- 01:36
Since he doesn't have a horse in the race. . .
- 01:38
. . . he can afford to be less emotional about what's going down.
- 01:41
Human characters would have a tough time doing that.
- 01:45
So, why is Death narrating The Book Thief? Is it because he can be everywhere and see
- 01:51
every-thing? Is he on every page to remind us of all the
- 01:54
pain and suffering of the Holocaust? Is he there to inject dark humor and caustic
- 01:58
observations? Or is he just an impartial onlooker making
- 02:02
us take a hard look at ourselves? Shmoop amongst yourselves.
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