The genre of magical realism in itself is one that expresses deep and confrontational material which will get the reader questioning themselves and the world around them. This technique helps the author express themselves in much greater detail. One novel which expresses a magnitude of magical realism elements is “The book thief” by Markus Zusak.
There are many occasions where strong elements of magical realism are used throughout the novel. One instance of this is at the very beginning where we are introduced to our narrator Death. Death quotes that “you are going to die”. By doing this he not only breaks the fourth wall but also creates an uneasy feeling. Stating something so obvious like this would usually be a little off-putting but since it is Death stating this you feel like you have some personal connection. Death is directly connected to the subject of the inevitable end so that type of connection just seems a little confronting for some. This allows Death to get under our skin. This is only within the first couple of words of the novel so right from the start Markus Zusak is embedding the importance of Death in this novel.
One of the main ideas that this novel supports is that words are just as powerful as weapons. The setting supports this as it is based in Nazi Germany. Hitler gained his power through well-placed words and sentences. We as the reader tag along in a 3rd person narrative through Germany’s WW2, the story is told through the eyes of a young girl named Liesel, Who at the start of the novel obtains a book called the “gravediggers handbook”. She acquires this right after her brother’s unexpected death and this is where she becomes “the book thief” or at least where she starts her journey. Death quotes in this moment of loss that “I witness the ones that are left behind, crumbled among the jigsaw puzzles of realization, despair, and surprise. They have punctured hearts. They have beaten lungs”. Death is trying to explain to the reader that living with the loss of a loved one is far worse than death itself. You can also see another side of things, as we see life “Death” sees death and all the strange jigsaw puzzles that people leave behind with them. It’s fascinating how everything came together, as through the death of her brother came the first stolen book, ironically called The Gravediggers Handbook, and as well as it brought Death. This was their first encounter and where their story began.
The relation between the start of the novel seems very coincidental considering who the narrator is. The beginning of the play starts with death and ends with it. Her brother’s death on the train, and now with the bombing of Munich which cast death over everyone but Liesel. She survived the bombing and had to witness all of the ones she loved lie lifeless on the streets and beneath the rubble of buildings. As Liesel is dragged away by a worker her homemade book named “The book thief” is left behind and is thrown in the bin by another worker. Death notices this and retrieves the book, somehow he is able to come out of his spiritual state in order to save something not only of value to him but to Liesel as well. This shows the connection he has towards Liesel who has now escaped his grasp three times. It is shown that Death has feelings and emotions just as any human would, just because he is Death does not mean he needs to be so grim. He likes to see the brighter side of life as said in this quote “First the colours. Then the humans. That’s usually how I see things. Or at least, how I try.” It is expressed here that death has trouble trying to see how vibrant life can be. He states later on in the novel that in his line of work he tries to make a point to notice the beautiful colours. “People observe the colours of a day only at its beginning and ends, but to me, it’s quite clear that a day merges through a multitude of shades and intonations, with each passing moment. A single hour can consist of thousands of different colours. Waxy yellows, cloud-spat blues. Murky darknesses. In my line of work, I make it a point to notice them.” It is also found that death is quite formal when speaking to the reader, for example. “Of course, an introduction. A beginning. Where are my manners?” Gathering all these points together you can see Death is just like you or I. With emotions and imagination to help block out the bad in the world. For even Death is only human.
As stated before, words in the right hands can be extremely powerful. Roughly halfway through the novel, Liesel is faced with a difficult decision. She is told by the mayor’s wife that Rosa Hubermanns ironing service will no longer be required. Liesel was furious at the woman as she knows that Rosa was the only one with a job, which meant no income for Rosa. Liesel is faced with two choices, she can either accept what has happened and tell Rosa or deny everything that has happened. Unfortunately, Liesel decides to deny what has happened and amongst all her mixed emotions she then proceeds to yell at the Mayor’s wife. Many harsh words are exchanged which hurt the woman immensely “The injury of words. Yes, the brutality of words. Cuts had opened and a series of wounds were rising to the surface of her skin”. Markus Zusak is showing us that words can be a powerful force, especially when in the right hands. Like in the quote it states “Cuts had opened and a series of wounds were rising to the surface of her skin”. This is showing how violent these words must have been so instead Markus Zusak is using metaphors to help give us an idea.
Markus Zusak portrays his ideas through elements of magical realism. From the breaking of the forth wall to expressing the true power of words. This novel contains much deep and confrontational material. Throughout all of these elements there has been key messages that Markus Zusak wants you to notice so that you can use them throughout your life. This is a novel about a touching story but also a novel on history which allows us to see the mistakes of mankind so that we can sway from doing the same. In all, Markus Zusak wants this to be something people learn from, so then they may use it in their day to day life. To learn from history and our past mistakes, that is what Markus Zusak desires.