Markus Zusak's historical novel, The Book Thief, opens exceptionally with the narrator, who turns out to be Death. The Book Thief tells the touching story of Liesel Meminger who suffers from the death of her brother and separation from her mother. In the novel she experiences great suffering, but finds time to read, expressing her love of books and words and her developing relationship with a Jew, Max Vandenberg. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Death is an outsider looking at humanity, and through the simplicity of his narrative, I was able to get a glimpse into his insights. I found his point of view very inspiring to read and the fact that death is more than what we think, a part of life. His human qualities amused me, which created a sense of pleasure, but also drew attention to the harsh events of World War II. Among the parts of the text, I was struck by his ability to sympathize with the Jews, as he says: “I even kissed some tired and poisoned checks. I listened to their last breathless cries." In this passage, Death describes devastation and I realized that he is not that evil. His words highlight the paradox of Death as a scary thing. Death is not used to sympathize with the readers, yet he turns out to be the kindest and most realistic character in the text. For me, Death overshadows the inevitable fact of dying, yet focuses on the life aspect. After understanding his character, I was able to appreciate Death more, and the fact that he cares, shamefully more than people like us, and that he will make our journey out as pleasant as possible. I especially admired Zusak's characters, but especially Hans Humberman who directly challenged me to do what is right. He is a father figure that I appreciated in the text, and despite the struggles of identity and belonging, he encourages readers to have courage and face life's challenges. Portraying similarities to our world, choosing kindness, and fighting injustice is still appropriate for our society today. I believe that, for any individual, having the courage and audacity to stand up for someone or something gives courage, however, it overstates the aspect of taking no action. I see that in today's society, even if people know things are wrong, many choose to accept the way things are. Hans represents a figure of courage, wisdom and humility which are qualities I think every individual should try to embrace. More importantly, Zusak communicates with readers to fight for what we believe is right and achieve redemption for what is wrong. The novel gave me the courage and inspiration to search for my place in the world and my position in society. The Book Thief makes it clear to readers to stick to our inner guidance and stand proudly in our society. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay With the dark undertone of the setting and time, real-life events, and death constantly recurring in the novel, I wondered how The Book Thief could be classified as teen literature. I found it hard to imagine how The Book Thief could be anything but daunting to read. I couldn't see how I could relate to the events in the text. Among the areas of text, one line caught my attention, Death says, “Like most misery, it began with seeming happiness.” This line runs parallel to the entire novel,.