The Manipulation of Color

[Caitlin]

    Basically how color theory was used, though most heavily in the prologue.

    Personally I love color theory. Even in film, it is a master's method in storytelling.

"himself--the colors--and the book thief"

    From the start. I'll begin like the book did: First the colors.

    Colors are a continual abstract tool used many, many times by our narrator Death. There are a few things to say right off the bat about this. That perhaps it's to show Death does not see in black and white as expected. Actually, it is evident he sees colors as a vitality in his career. A coping method.
     So far I've been stuck in a never-ending circle of the following three questions. They seem simple, but there are infinite wrong answers I remind myself; assumptions are dangerous. Other thoughts would be greatly appreciated too, I'm genuinely curious.

1) What connects the colors and the people who die at that time? My current answer is what they mean to Death. Starting with the colors. The colors define the death/person, therefore it is a one-sided connection. An open circuit.

2) The sky can only be so many colors, so how is it that Death sees or feels an entire spectrum? This one is a little more tricky. I think Death sees more than just the sky. Or maybe I'm thinking too literally. He did say the sky speaks color after all. So if the sky is symbolism, what do you think it's symbolizing?

3) Does Death sucking in the color relate to a craving for humane nature inside him? Is it where he connects, or, at least tries to?

    This topic reminded me of the animated film called Perfect Blue, directed by the genius Satoshi Kon. Red was used with uneasy innuendo, a fearful change, and something fateful, growing faster than the main character could cope with. When things grew darker, the saturation grew denser.

    I know Satoshi Kon used color brilliantly and originally. He created new meanings for colors predisposed. Which is exactly what Death is doing, but it's even more valuable because it reveals a lot about the essence of each lost soul. What each death meant to humanity and what each death meant to him. How he saw them, not as a person or another character or even as a narrator, but as a greater force too abstract for human intelligence. He saw them in a way we could not understand, using color in order to translate.

    In conclusion - Markus Zusak is a master of using color theory. Such a monumental book could never use colors for what we already know - that would defeat the purpose. If Death used red to represent danger, why use red at all? Just say danger. Colors are really incredible when used in literature, simply because they can create level ground on abstract meanings.

    At the end I'm still left with questions. I am dying to hear different opinions on Death and how he manipulates color.

Why does he use sky colors as a distraction? Why not another observation? Why do you think he relates colors to death, or even humanity?

[cole]

I felt as if Death used the colors to describe the atmosphere, the setting, rather than each death.  Or maybe the feeling of each death.  Reading those descriptions, though it does not describe any intuitive scene, gives you a huge sense of the mood and atmosphere of what is happening.  I especially felt this when he talks about a burnt sky.  I think he uses the sky as a method to show the colors.  We have a close relationship with the sky.  We are often more tired and grumpy when it is cloudy and overcast.  The sky effects how we feel, making it a very powerful way to convey colors and mood.  Later, though not with colors, he uses the same technique of an abstract description of the setting rather than the plot.  On page 21 of The Book Thief Death says, "If you can't imagine it, think clumsy silence.  Think bits an pieces of floating despair.  And drowning in a train."  About your third question, I also wonder weather he looks for colors because he wants to be more humane, or to show that death is "not black and white".  What does the rest of the book lean towards?  Showing that death is dry and wants to be more vibrant, or is more colorful than we think it is?

[Caitlin]

The sky, like colors, are indeed very psychological influences in a story. I think for the purpose of the reader he used the sky to describe scene, mood, etc., but for the purpose of himself he used it to describe people (humanity?). He must have found great comfort in that. Which leads back to the third question once again! Concerning the other descriptions methods used in the book - there has to be a connection between them all, what do you think that might be? Where in himself does he find the translations to things we "can't imagine"? I'm assuming something with a longing for humanity. That could very well be his only want.

[melanie]

Death is normally illustrated in many stories or books as black. Black is often times to color that is associated with death, we wear black to funerals, and black itself gives off a very gloomy feel. However in the novel, the author characterizes Death to seem almost human. I think that the colors that Death sees or feels whenever someone dies makes him more humane. The author shows that death is not just black, that there are more layers and colors to death. I agree that Death sees more than just the sky, and that the color of the sky is dependent on the situation of the death. I think that to add colors into death is a different way of illustrating death. Certain colors make us feel certain emotions, and I don't know if the color of the sky was meant to hint towards Death's emotion or the emotion he wants the reader to have towards the death? Is Death trying to emphasize the color of the sky so that the reader can better understand how Death is feeling? 

[grace]

Max in the story asks Liesel for a weather report everyday and Liesel describes the sky and it's many colors. Death also sees the sky in many colors, therefore I think that both Max and Death use the sky's beautiful colors to distract themselves from reality also as a sense of hope. Death's job is very difficult and heart wrenching so he needs distractions like the colors he finds in the sky and the souls he collects. I do believe Death has emotions and feelings because thats how the author portrays his character. Max also lives a tragic life since his beliefs are being persecuted, he is forced into hiding and when he asks Liesel about the sky, since he can't look at it himself it distracts him from his harsh reality. I believe that in the story the sky symbolizes desire of a new life because both Max and Death think about the sky when their lives are excruciating, for example when Max is forced to hide in the basement or when Death is collecting souls.

[stefanie]

At the very beginning of the novel, Death talks about the length of time he had been preforming his job and how there was no way he could take a vacation, so he uses colors to distract himself from the collection of human suffering he has to endure. "As I've been alluding to, my one saving grace is distraction. It keeps me sane. It helps me cope, considering the length of time I've been preforming this job...Needless to say, I vacation in increments. In colors. Still, it's possible that you might be asking, why does he even need a vacation? what does he need a vacation from? Which brings me to my next point. It's the leftover humans. The survivors" (Zusak 5). Zusak personifies Death so that the reader can better understand the amount of weight Death has on his shoulders from working non-stop to collect souls, and how if he did not have colors as a distraction, he would easily go insane, just like any human would if they were in charge of collecting millions of souls and witnessing those who are not collected having to continue on with their beaten lives.

[isabelleansberry]

I agree that the Death uses colors to cope with his job, for example the book states, "First the colors. Then the humans. That's usually how I see things. Or at least, how I try" (Zusak 3). The author makes it seem as if this job is hard for Death to perform, and gives Death human-like qualities, for example, seeing colors and feeling real emotions. It also makes the reader feel almost comforted by the fact that the character of Death is so much like the rest of the humans. The colors explained by Death make it easier for the reader to understand what his job is like, and paints an image to show the scene that Death is witnessing.

[Caitlin]

Of course he does... It's fact. "It helps me cope, considering the length of time I've been performing this job." (Zusak,4). I agree the author does make it seem like it's a hard job for Death to execute. Otherwise, a coping method would not have been necessary in the first place.

[Hibah]

By adding death in the book you get more variation the the perspective, Death serves two purpose, as the narrator and as a character. Zusak write in the book that death has a job and we read about him doing that job. Death say in the beginning of the book, that no one can do his job except him. Since he has no one to share this job, his job becomes more for him. He uses the colors to help him forget the pain of his job. Like stefanie says he distract himself from his job with the colors.