Examples Of Narrative Tension In The Book Thief

The Book Thief Narrative Tension
Markus Zusak uses all three forms of narrative tension in his story, The Book Thief, but it is clear that anticipation is the most used out of all of them. An early example of this is when Zusak uses anticipation at the beginning of the section, The Eclipse, to gain the reader's attention. Zusak foreshadows the future by using colors associated with certain events.Zusak starts The Eclipse by saying, “Next is the signature black, to show the poles of my versatility, if you like. It was the darkest moment before dawn.” (Zusak 9). Black is a color that is often associated with death and despair. The reader is anticipating that something unfortunate will happen, but isn’t exactly sure about what will take place. It’s not clear if any characters will die, or if the book thief will live. Since the author mentions the color black, the reader is left to anticipate the tragic events that will soon unfold.

Zusak hints at Liesel’s future after she picks up The Grave Digger’s Handbook by saying, “The book thief had struck for the first time-the beginning of an illustrious career.” (29). It was clear that in a book called The Book Thief, there were going to be a few books stolen. This quote however, makes the reader anticipate how. The reader knows that many books will be stolen, but how long will the book thief keep this up? Will she get caught? How will she steal these books. Since it is stated that the book thief had a long and illustrious career, the reader is left to anticipate how she continues her occupation as new events