Kyle Hobschaidt
Mrs. Mummau
English 3
August 18, 2017
Death and Benevolence?
The orthodox perception of Death is of a malevolent slayer who wields a scythe and a black robe. Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief, however, delivers a new interpretation of Death. Rather than presenting Death with the typical macabre feeling associated with him, Zusak embodies Death with slightly human qualities. Having Death as the narrator of The Book Thief seizes the attention of the reader—a critical thing to do when writing a story. However, it is also plausible that Zusak utilized Death as the narrator simply because it is an anomaly. Even so, Death plays an essential part in the story.
Zusak uses Death to convey details in a figurative manner. As he retrieves
