Character Connections

I like how Markus Zusak makes connections between the lives and situation of different, albeit related, characters. He mentions that Hans is a “Dead Body collector” which is essentially the job of Death. Death mentions before how he is tired of his job and connects it to Hans’s situation saying that Hans got one of the worst jobs possible in the war. I was able to better understand death’s situation when I had a very real, physical and relatable scenario to analyze. Also it gives the reader a perspective on Hans’s job in the war because we think of death as a horrible occurrence and yet we don’t have to deal with it on a regular basis. Hans is faced with an overwhelming amount of death in his new job and is therefore emotionally restricted. This emotional restriction, in my opinion, is the reason for the extremely short and concise letters to Liesel and Rosa.