2019 Year 12 IB Extended Essays

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Extended Essay

English A: Literature

Discussion Traditional Characterisations of Death

The way in which Death is portrayed in The Book Thief reflects some stereotypical characteristics. Many academics have commented on the similarities in depictions of Death across cultures and history. This similarity across many cultures and eras is unusual, and could be attributed to the universal idea that ‘our fear of death is the core of all fears’ (Crobatia, 2016), and ‘every civilisation is haunted, visibly or invisibly, by what it thinks about death’ (Malraux, 1970). In traditional representations, Death is often portrayed in a negative or villainous light. The best known is the Grim Reaper – a shrouded humanoid depicted wearing a black cloak and carrying a scythe. This figure has permeated many cultures over time. Karl Guthke, for example, points out that: ‘he makes his appearance early in the Hebrew Bible (Job 5:26; Jer. 9:21), and again in the Revelation of St. John (14:15-16), but also throughout German folksong and hymns, with the lines: There is a Reaper, whose name is Death/And with his sickle keen he reaps the bearded grain at breath’. (Guthke, 1999). From religion to narrative, the Grim Reaper has embodied the personification of death for centuries. The commonality between each representation is not Death's appearance, but his personality – that he is evil, sadistic and immoral. These traits are reflective of the emotions that humanity associates with Death. Fear is a major sentiment exhibited by human beings when confronted with the idea of death or dying, whether it be in regards to themselves or others. As a result, there has been a historical tendency to incarnate fear, pain and anguish into the character of Death in order to validate those emotions. The Grim Reaper, Thanatos, The Angel of Death, Azrael: no matter which name is bestowed upon him, Death’s historical depictions surround the idea that he is either an unwanted and sadistic entity unfairly ending the lives of human beings, or an impassive deity that does not hold any emotion (which reflects what humanity hopes death to be). Whilst Death in The Book Thief exhibits many of the stereotypical characteristics that have been historically assigned to his personification, he also exhibits a very different side. Death’s characterisation in the prologue immediately introduces the reader to the complexity that Zusak has instilled into his narrator. The first - and perhaps most confronting - impression that is provided by

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