Through the writing of Markus Zusak in the book Thief, Zusak translates the idea that we as members of society should challenge our preconceptions and ideas. Zusak uses the book thief to force the reader to see the bigger picture and remove our comfortable assumptions, that modern day society would not be capable of the same things german society was during the second world war. “Like most misery, it started with apparent happiness.” This quote shows how what seems like a good harmless idea can change into misery like in Germany in world war 2. Through the book thief, Zusak encourages the readers to challenge their ideas and that of society’s. He does this so that a society like Germanys during the second world war would struggle to exist without resistance in modern day society. This quote also gives us the perspective on humanity held by death as death is a first hand witness to the destructions caused by humanity. Zusak characterises death using three techniques, the narration of death, foreshadowing and personification to convey these main ideas in a meaningful way that we as readers can understand.

Death is presented as the narrater to give us his perspective on the events of humans existence and its capability of destruction.“A small but noteworthy note. I’ve seen so many young men over the years who think they’re running at other young men. They are not. They are running at me.”  In this quote death gives a personal account of the events of the wars that society inflicts upon each other and their destruction. “they’re running at me” this section of the quote shows the narration of death and how it is used to relate to the reader to give them a higher understanding of the perspective of death. Zusak uses this tool to emphasise the impacts ideas of society can have if not challenged. By using the narration of death and showing its point of view on human society he sparks the reader to challenge their preconceptions and the ideas held by society. “His soul sat up. It met me. Those kinds of souls always do – the best ones.” Zusak uses an emotional connection to the characters thats formed throughout the novel to force the reader to feel pity towards the dead characters. He then uses this pity to allow the reader to rethink the societal ideas that led this to happen. Through this he also forces the readers to rethink their own society and and its common held ideas.

“A SMALL ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT RUDY STEINER He didn’t deserve to die the way he did” The foreshadowing by death throughout the novel is used to emphasis the idea that the readers should challenge the society that they live in. Zusak uses foreshadowing and magical realism to illustrate these ideas. Death is one of the main tools Zusak uses. In the opening quote, death is giving an announcement about the future. Which can be seen in itself as hint of magical realism, as it is impossible to know the future but assumed by readers that death has this capability. Through the use of foreshadowing in this quote it gives us an insight into the tragic ending that was awaiting Rudy Steiner. This allows us to feel more of a connection to the character as we then study his actions closer in suspense of his death. Which in turn gives us a higher understanding of the purpose Rudy Steiner. Zusak uses Rudy as a tool to make the readers feel a sense of loss in order for them to consider the actions and ideas that led the character to his death. “It took him approximately five months to turn his statement into a true one” In this quote foreshadowing is used to hint at the future of Rudy Steiner once again. Zusak uses foreshadowing to emphasise his idea that we as members of society should challenge it’s preconceptions. Zusak uses foreshadowing to give us more time to process the events within the book and therefore a further understanding of the events which created them. If it weren’t for the foreshadowing of death we would be bombarded with the events which only give us an emotional response. Whereas by giving the reader time to mentally process the event. It allows them to see the deeper meanings behind the text and understand the ‘ideas’ that led to them.

Death, which is seen as obscure to reality is personified to allow the reader to further relate to the narrater and to have an insight on his point of view on human existence and society. Zusak does this trough the personification of death in the novel The Book Thief. “even death has a heart” Through this quote Zusak illustrates death as having a heart which in itself is obscure as death can be seen as a lack of anything, a lack of existence. tis quote is used to show us that death is a conscious character in the novel and has emotional attachments to characters just like the readers do. Zusak does this so that the readers can relate wth death and therefore understand its perspective on human existence. He does this to make it easy for the reader to comprehend the idea of death and its outside view on humanity. “I am haunted by humans” By giving death human characteristics like emotion the readers feel a sense of trust and similarity towards the character which allows them to treat death as a human character and therefore see its perspective of humanity and process it as if it were a human perspective. This personification of death shows us further the view death has of humanity as even death itself is haunted by the actions and destruction humans. Zusak uses this technique to challenge the readers preconceptions of society and the assumptions that such events could not take place in modern society. Through the use of personification throughout the text Zusak presents the idea that we as humanity are capable of terrible actions and we should challenge the preconceptions of society so that such actions are harder to eventuate into reality like what happened in Germany.

In conclusion Markus Zusak characterises death using three techniques (death as the narrater, the foreshadowing of death and the personification of death) to communicate his ideas about society. Zusak uses these three main features to manipulate the reader and force them to rethink the preconceptions of society. He does this so that a society like Germany’s during the second World War would struggle to exist in modern society if its ideas are challenged. Through the use of deaths characterisation throughout the text Zusak removes the readers comfortable assumptions that modern day society, if unchallenged would not be capable of the same things that German society was during World War Two. Zusak uses theses techniques to communicate to the reader through the character of death, that we as a society of human existence should not allow ideas that can lead to such events go unchallenged and ignored. As human existence is capable of its own destruction and tragedy.