As I was reading TBT, I had a question on why Zusak put in the chapter "Death's Diary" into the story. All this chapter does is give the reader a little more information on Death and on the war. I don't think that this chapter is of much importance, and also at this point of the story the plot is developing much quicker and the novel is becoming more interesting. This reminds me of Romeo and Juliet; when Shakespeare puts in the scene with the musicians just to relieve the tension for the reader. But at this point in The Book Thief, there isn't very much tension so I am curious about this chapter.
Also, I am interested in something else that happened earlier in the novel, on pages 279 and 280, when Liesel finds Max's book. Death said that Max produced, "a collection of random thoughts" and that "they felt true to him" (277). One of the drawings had Hitler talking to a crowd of Germans and the other had Liesel and Max standing on top of a pile of dead Jews enjoying the sun, which was a Nazi symbol. This puzzled me because it was strange that Max was thinking about such things, and also how extreme Zusak made the drawings.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Death's Diary
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
To answer your question about "Death's Diary". I thought that Zusak used that chapter to pull us out of Liesel's world, something we had nearly become obsessed with due to the Hubermanns' hiding Max, and paint us an overall picture of WWII and what state the fighting was in at that time; by doing so he gives us a better understanding of the tension Germany and subsequently Leisel's family was in.
ReplyDeleteAbout Max's collection of thoughts, I interpreted things differently. I thought that the pictures that Max drew were an accurate viewpoint on what Germany was going through due to Hitler. Zusak did make the drawings extreme, but I think they would align with the the character especially since they were coming from the point of view of a Jewish man in hiding.
Lastly, I don't think that the people on top of the bodies are Max and Leisel, for two reasons: I wouldn't think that Leisel or Max would mislead each other about what's going on in their country (not that they could; Max is suffering results every day). I also have the feeling that Max either would have drawn himself as a bird, or made the picture have a feeling of hope or peace to it, since that is what he draws from his interactions with Leisel.
I was referring to another of Death' diaries in my previous comment. The one I was reffering to was "Death's Diary: 1942", which was about the state of the war (p. 307).
ReplyDeleteUnless I am mistaken, you are referring to "Death's Diary: Cologne" on page 336, but I am just as confused about that!
I am referring to Death's first Diary on page 307. Sorry, I didn't know there was a second one.
ReplyDeleteI think that as the novel has progressed, we have become more attached to Liesel than to Death. This is Zusak's way of reminding us that Death is the one narrating the story and to watch out for some extra comments we might add.
ReplyDeleteBefore Death's diary, I started to forget about Death and focus on Max and Liesel.
I think that Death's diary also serves as a reminder of how much suffering is going on during Liesel's story. Death also says that "there's a reason for [him] explaining what I saw in that time. Much of it would have repercussions for Liesel Meminger" (308), so it is evident that the situations Death describes will somehow tie in to Liesel's life, and he is preparing the reader, much like he did when he introduced Max Vandenburg before Max entered Liesel's life.
ReplyDelete