Observation: Book Cover

Why is it dominoes? It is dominoes because like the dominoes on the cover lives are constantly affecting one another "dominoe Effect". Each choice affects some witch leads to someone doing another thing and so on. Another thing could be that it represents death once the dominoes start they knock each other down like in that time people (death) were constantly killed .

Observations: Rudy's Innocense

What i noticed is that Rudy is meant to be innocent so the author set a storry of his past to make him seem good. That story was The Jessie Owen's Incident it showed that unlike other Germans Rudy wasnt againts another race because he dressed himself Black and looked up to Owens, another thing would be his constant caring of Liesel.

Observation: Modernism

Being based during the era of the World War, modernism is very present for instance one characteristic of modernism is Alienation and in the Novel Liesel is subjected to Alienation Ex: (The Heavyweight Champion of the School-Yard) pg. 78 "Clouds were filling in now, big and clumsy, and more kids were calling out to her, watching her seethe." She was alienated for her lack of reading t hus presenting modernism.

Observations: God

What I observed in the Novel was the absence of God. I saw this as weird because people usually get more attached/closer to God due to terrible event or catastrophes in ones life, just like on the book thief. Could this be for for reason? One reason could be that there is a bigger arguement in the scheme of things. Could Zusak be trying to say that in those times things were so bad people had little faith in God? This would explain his absence.

Novel Synthesis: Narrator Connection

It is quite common for Zusak’s novels to consist of a narrator that conversates with the readers by addressing them with you. In the short excerpt of I Am Messenger, the reader is not acquainted with the narrator yet. The narrator is anonymous. However, in the 48th paragraph, the narrator introduces himself and talks to the reader. “My full name’s Ed Kennedy. I’m nineteen. I’m an underage cabdriver…nice to meet you.” The narrator, now known as Ed, talks to the reader and says, “Nice to meet you.” It is as if he is actually conversating with the reader, face to face. Zusak also uses this strategy in his other novel, The Book Thief on page 15. “If you feel like it, come with me. I will tell you a story. I’ll show you something.” The narrator in this novel being death speaks to his readers, his listeners. He addresses them as if he were talking with them face to face. Just like in I Am Messenger. The Narrator, in both of the pieces, describes the surrounding and what is going on quite vividly. They give clear snapshots of what is around and what is liable to happen. The narrators use “you” to make the reader realize that they are talking directly to them. Using such a simple word, “you” can catch the reader’s attention and make the reader want to read more.

Novel Synthesis: Humor as Post-Modern Characteristic

The Book Thief being a postmodernism novel is bursting with numerous amount of dark humor—a post modern characteristic. The excerpt of I Am Messenger is also packed with a number of humorous statements. Therefore, it can be concluded that considering the two novels Zusak has written, he is a post modern author. In the excerpt of I Am Messenger, Marv and Ed are at a bank, while it is being robbed. In the process, the narrator, Ed, mentions, “He’s most likely robbing the bank as a payback on the world for winning the ugliness prize at his local fete three years running.” Though quite harsh, this statement consists of humor and is quite playful. “It’s like being in school again and your sadistic math teacher’s barking orders at you from the front of the room, even though he couldn’t care less and he’s waiting for the bell so he can go home and drink beer and get fat in front of the telly.” This quote from the 50th paragraph in the short excerpt is quite humorous and also introduces slang and technology-a postmodern characteristic. Humor, though more of a dark humor, is used throughout The Book Thief as well. On page 280, showing the picture of the mound of dead bodies with a boy and girl standing on stop stating, “Isn’t this a lovely day”. This black humor is used is the more risqué of ways. A mound of dead bodies and someone having a good day, it can’t be. However, during WWII in Nazi Germany, innocent individuals died everyday and were piled upon one another while Hitler had a great day. Humor usually brings to the reader some sort of laughter and joking; however in this case, it brings upon emotions of the reader to think that someone could actually be having a good day when they are standing on top of a mound of individuals.

Novel Synthesis: Snapshots

Snapshots are also used often in Markus Zusak’s novels. From the first chapter to the last paragraph, The Book Thief is packed with vivid images, and also in the short excerpt of I Am Messenger, Zusak uses vivid snapshots that allow the reader to see what is going on, to feel what’s going on, and really, to know what is going on in the situation. In the 35th paragraph of I Am Messenger, Zusak exclaims, “…Poor Misha. She’s shivering nearly as bad as the gunman as she waits for some zitty twenty-nine-year-old fella with a tie and seat patches under his arms to fill the bag with money.” Another vivid image used is in the excerpt in the 61st paragraph. “…his ginger whiskers and acne scars. His eyes are small and he has big ears. “The first quote permits the reader to see Misha and to somewhat understand what is going on, the second allowing the reader to see the robber and again to see what is going on. In The Book Thief, on page 257, Zusak writes, “Strings of mud clench his face. His tie is a pendulum, long dead in its clock. His lemon, lamp lit hair is disheveled and he wears a sad, absurd smile.” This quote, like the two in the excerpt, allow the reader to vividly notice what is going on and intensely see the human’s face and dressing.

Novel Synthesis: Fragments

Sporadically and strategically placed in The Book Thief are fragments. Usually, these fragments are significant and are used to prove a point. In the excerpt of Markus Zusak’s other novel, I Am Messenger, two of the main characters, Marv and Ed, speak to one another and to prove his point that Marv’s car is an embarrassment, Ed says, “Exactly.” In The Book Thief, on page 84, Zusak uses a fragment. “…it would all have come to nothing had the German not loved one particular activity. To burn.” This fragment, “to burn”, like the many used in the short excerpt of I Am Messenger, is used to prove and strategically point out an observation or an idea. In this case, it being that burning was a familiar practice in WWII Germany that destroyed numerous people. Fragments seem to be common links throughout Zusak’s novels. Also in the excerpt, in the eleventh paragraph, a fragment is used. “I can sense he’s getting uptight. Offended.” The verb used as a fragment supports the fact that Marv is indeed offended. All fragments used are significant and are, for the most part, quite necessary to prove a point, a position, or even the argument in a piece.

Cole Wilkes "Pages From the Basement"

Max, is a Jew *gasp*. In his small booklet he writes in the basement, he portrays himself as a bird. Why? The idea of Max being trapped in the basement is similar to the case of a bird being trapped in it's cage. But who's keeping him locked in that cage? Hitler. He is the so called 'keeper' who is unwilling to let Max go free. And until his death, he is forever caged by Hitler and the rest of the Third Reich over-bearing the Jewish faith. Zusak uses this idea of an innocent bird being locked away to convey pathos within the reader and therefore make Max a more likeable character.