How Does Zusak Use Of Visual Imagery

The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, demonstrates the different struggles in 1940s Germany like Jews living in hiding, constant war, and the influence of propaganda. Liesel, an orphan, is adopted by a German family and lives a normal life. However, the Hubbermanns face the struggle of constant war and later bombings in their small town of Molching. One day, Liesel's dad is drafted into the war, and her mom, Rosa, begins to cry for the first time. When Rosa cries after discovering that Hans has been drafted into the war, Zusak uses detailed visual imagery and revealing personification to illustrate how war is mentally and physically destructive. As Rosa faces hardships, Zusak uses visual imagery to convey how her emotions are starting to become

Zusak uses the words “small rip” and “cardboard face” when describing Rosa’s characteristics to those of a cardboard box. These words reflect how Rosa is usually a somber and emotionless person, but begins to show raw emotion when hearing this news. Rosa is like this cardboard box because she feels vulnerable and now her rough exterior is beginning to break down at the thought of him leaving. She is terrified of losing another family member to war, like how she lost her son. She is afraid that war will change Hans’ values and morals, like it did to her son. The damage of war changes Rosa’s mentality. Additionally, Zusak uses personification to demonstrate how her tears disfigure her face in a rough and jagged way. Rosa’s tears are so prominent on her face from the thought of Hans being sent off to fight in the war, “It gnarled down her cheek in an arc, finishing at her chin” (Zusak 419). Zusak uses the words “gnarled” and “in an arc, finishing at her chin” to personify how Rosa’s tears intensely and violently streamed down her