Discussion #3- literary element/ figurative language

The most obvious elements of writing style in The Book Thief would be figurative language and personification. The narrator, Death, is a personification because it is being given human characteristics and traits that in reality it doesn't have. Death uses similes, such as, "To their left, flames and burning books were cheered like heroes."(pg.113). The language us also very descriptive, and makes you feel like you are watching everything happen. An example of this is on page 111 when Death says, "Just before Liesel Meminger pivoted with nausea to exit the crowd, the shiny, brown-shirted creature walked from the podium." The language is beautiful and intriguing and adds to the story a lot. The use of personification adds to the affect of the action by making it kind of creepy and uncomfortable at times since the person talking about the events is Death. This is shown on page 106 when Death explains, "1.In 1942 and early '43, in that city, the sky was bleached bedsheet-white each morning. 2. All day long, as I carried the souls across it, that sheet was splashed with blood, until it was full and bulging to the earth." This is kind of eerie, and I picture a kind of underworld setting. Figurative language affects the story in the same way, by making it more interesting and entertaining to read.