Why did Mark Zusak choose Death as the narrator, when a lot of the time you forget that he in-fact is the one narrating? This confuses me because a lot of the time. For me it doesn't feel like Death is the one narrating, just that some other person is telling the story. However, i think that maybe the biggest reason for having Death as the narrator could be for setting the tone of the book. We know from the time period that it is a sad topic and Death fits perfectly with everything that is going on.
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I completely agree that the narration of Death is a "tone-setter". There are for sure many other, probably deeper explanations for this choice, but to me, the tone setting is the most important. Death gives the story another layer of darkness and fear. This, I think is why Zusak chose Death as the narrator.
ReplyDeleteI feel completely the same way about how it doesn't really feel like death is the narrator, more just like someone on theoutside is telling the story.
ReplyDeleteI agree also that most of the time, it doesn't feel like Death is narrating. I think this was done to show that Death isn't overpowering Liesel's life, but still plays a significant role. With Death showing up only every now and then to add a sudden dramatic moment to the story, his role is more significant.
ReplyDeleteI think having Death as the narrator just adds to the tone of the book. I agree, sometimes I do forget that he is the narrator because the mood and tone of the book is already dark, it seems just to fit just perfectly.
ReplyDeleteI also agree and don't feel like death is the narrator, because for me, he seems to nice for what I think death is. I think that he chooses death because it takes place a couple of times and he wanted a different view to read from than the normal.
ReplyDeleteI asked the same question! I at first thought it was the tone and also the setting. But something you said about forgetting Death as the narrator made me think that maybe Zusak wants us to realize that in our busy lives, we often forget how tragic deaths are. That may be analyzing it too much, but its just a thought.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you that you can forget that it is Death who is narrating. I'm not exactly sure why Death was chosen to narrate, but you made a good point that by having Death narrate, it sets the tone of the book.
ReplyDeleteI also often forget that Death is narrating the story, but then there will be random chapters where "Death" will start talking about his job. I think that using Death as a narrator for this novel sometimes seems pointless, but then again it does set a dreary tone for the book.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting you ask this because sometimes I find myself forgetting that Death is the one narrating the story. I agree that think Death helps set the tone of the book but I also think the reason why Zusak made Death the narrator is because he wanted a more unique take on the book and to be different from other authors who wrote about this time period.
ReplyDeleteI agree that he sets the tone of the book very well. In such a horrific time in history, it kinda difficult to portray the despair, and I think that adding Death helps Zusak accomplish this. I also think that Death provides a unique point of view, but he is also able to remain invisible, and not be an obvious narrator.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Alex. Death has witnessed the atrocities of the Holocaust, and is the best narrator to set a gloomy tone. Death is unable to communicate with people, and all he can do is watch people live their lives. Death naturally doesn't give much input, because he can't affect people's lives. Death is able to see everything that has, is, or will happen. This is a very unique point of view, and gives explanations by describing the past and foreshadows the future.
ReplyDeleteUsing Death as a narrator gave Zusak the ability to stun the reader from time to time. There was one moment where Death said something in bold like, 'Plenty of young men think they're running at other young me... they're not. They're running at me' (I don't remember the exact wording and I can't find it in the book.)This makes the reader stop and think about what was just said and it wouldn't have the same effect if he talked about Death as an impersonal character.
ReplyDeleteI think that Death as a narrator was chosen because Death is often thought of as a heartless thing who does nothing more than collect the dead. But Zusak chose to have Death as the narrator to show a more sensitive side of Death. He gave Death a humanity that shows how real and how much a single death affects everyone.
ReplyDeleteI really don't like death as the narrator, it doesn'T add anything and the book portrays death, in my opinion, as a little ADD almost. I just think it's weird.
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