Analyze how language features were used to deepen your understanding of a theme.

Quotes:

“Yes, the Fuhrer decided that he would rule the world with words.”

“I have hated the words, and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right”.

“It was a nation of farmed thoughts.”

“The book thief has struck for the first time – the beginning of an illustrious career.”

“One such word shaker was a small, skinny girl. She was renowned as the best word shaker of her region because she knew how powerless a person could be without words.”

In his novel, “The Book Thief”, Markus Zusak communicates his ideas about the vulnerability of all societies to colluding in atrocities by re-framing the events of the Nazi Holocaust in the mid-20th century. Like many texts in the genre of Magical Realism, a variety of techniques are used by Zusak to help the reader to look at something familiar with new eyes. One of the ways Zusak conveys his idea of the power of words is through the use of personification. He personifies words, thoughts and death in order to shine a new light on the power words have.

Zusak personifies words to convey his overlying idea of the power of words. By personifying words Zusak gives the words equal power to humans. By doing so he is able to achieve his idea that without words a person is powerless but with them they are empowered. Words are the tool to mass manipulation, Zusak displays the power of words through the use of them in the situation of Nazi Germany in World War 2. In this situation ordinary people from a democratic society were manipulated into a dictatorship. “Yes, the Fuhrer decided that he would rule the world with words.” Hitler used words in order to favour his regime. The selective use of words enabled Hitler to rule his nation.

Zusak utilities personification of thoughts to show the mass manipulation that an ordinary society experienced through the use of words. The Nazi Germany society was no different to the society we live in. However, they were manipulated in to believing that their acts of horror were for the greater good. “It was a nation of farmed thoughts.” Zusak re-frames the events of the Nazi Holocaust to prevent future societies from experiencing the same manipulation. Hitler through the use of his words controlled the thoughts and beliefs of his nation. Zusak through his use of Magical realism changes our view on the horrific events of WW2. By portraying how a precieved normal society was manipulated it indicates to the viewer that the events were not the act of the people; but instead the act of manipulation. This manipulation was achieved through the use of words.