THE BOOK THIEF BY MARKUS ZUSAK

Colour Symbolism Narrators introduce and give insight when accounting tales Death uses colours to introduce and give insight to himself, Liesel and Hitler

Death and Chocolate

Chocolate Symbol of pleasure, desire, luxury and the power of possession Greatly liked and converted in most cultures Has the potential to sicken and generate dislike in large amounts though

Death as a Character Wants us to desire his company That we be left with a pleasurable memory after he has left He realizes however that he often doesn’t have that effect on people

Death as a Narrator Presents our characters uniquely and creatively He gives us an insight to each character before or as we meet them

“First the colors. Then the humans”

Painting Personalities Death portrays us through a sky painted symbolically with a colour that gives insight to each character The colours symbolize parts of each characters personality and how Zusak wishes us to see them

Liesel “Blindingly white-snow sky” is Liesel’s colour White symbolizes purity, innocence, death, passion and hidden flaws Liesel also is white because she is a symbol of truth in a world of lies

Black Is elegance, mystery, sophistication Is rebellion, individuality, power Is a great beauty of bittersweet sorrows, of dancing shadows and depth

HITLER “I swear I could see a black signature in the shape of a swastika. It loitered untidily above.” Was a man of great elegance and power Rebellious and an individual He was the cause of much death and suffering He is seen as evil however he is so much more

The Book Thief By Markus Zusak Colours as symbols can link to almost anything They are universal like the effect of war The Book Thief uses colour symbolism to portray our characters of Death, Liesel and Hitler