Monday, 14 March 2016

Book Thief Essay - World at War

In Markus Zusak’s ‘The Book Thief’ and similarly in William Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’, war is central in both a narrative and thematic sense. ‘The Book Thief’ begins months before the outbreak of the Second World War, likewise, ‘Othello’
is set during a big war between Venice and Cyprus.
The war is used in both texts to move the characters from place to place. In ‘The Book Thief’, Liesel is brought to stay on Himmel Street due to the impending outbreak of World War II. This introduces us to all of the other central characters of the novel such as Hans, Rosa and Rudy. The narrative is kick-started by the outbreak of war. Likewise, in ‘Othello’ the central characters are brought to Cyprus by the war.
The post-war celebrations serve as a perfect opportunity for the scheming Iago to carry out his plan to bring down Othello. Zusak and Shakespeare are showing how war affects people’s lives, as both narratives rely upon the characters being forced to travel somewhere.
‘The Book Thief’ portrays the native German people’s reaction to World War II, and the time leading up to the war. Zusak shows that at first people may have enjoyed the Nazi regime ‘Nazi Germany was a wondrous place’.  However, the reader is quickly brought down to Earth with the War’s outbreak, the bombings, the lack of food, and the eventual deaths of much of the main cast. This is in contrast to Othello where the focus lies elsewhere, and we do not see any of the effects of warfare.
In Othello the warfare is skipped over in favour of the narrative, and Shakespeare’s viewpoint in this play is more to do with manipulation, honesty and lies than with the horrors of war.
In conclusion, war is used as both a narrative tool and an avenue for both authors to express their views on certain topics.

In Tom Hooper's 'The King's Speech' the outbreak of the second War War is central to the climax of the film; the build up to the war also adds tensions to proceedings prior to the climax.

Bertie is forced to make a radio wartime speech, an incredibly important wartime speech, and the direction of Hooper shows us the effects of this. Troops abroad are shown with sad, accepting expressions, Bertie's family and friends are shown to be tense and worried.

In 'The King's Speech', rather than war moving the characters around as it did in 'Othello' and 'The Book Thief', it moves the plot forward towards the climax.





3 comments:

  1. To be honest with you, in Markus Zusak’s ‘The Book Thief’ and similarly in William Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’, war is central in both a narrative and thematic sense. ‘The Book Thief’ begins months before the outbreak of the Second World War, likewise, ‘Othello’
    is set during a big war between Venice and Cyprus.
    The war is used in both texts to move the characters from place to place. In ‘The Book Thief’, Liesel is brought to stay on Himmel Street due to the impending outbreak of World War II. This introduces us to all of the other central characters of the novel such as Hans, Rosa and Rudy. The narrative is kick-started by the outbreak of war. Likewise, in ‘Othello’ the central characters are brought to Cyprus by the war.
    The post-war celebrations serve as a perfect opportunity for the scheming Iago to carry out his plan to bring down Othello. Zusak and Shakespeare are showing how war affects people’s lives, as both narratives rely upon the characters being forced to travel somewhere.
    ‘The Book Thief’ portrays the native German people’s reaction to World War II, and the time leading up to the war. Zusak shows that at first people may have enjoyed the Nazi regime ‘Nazi Germany was a wondrous place’. However, the reader is quickly brought down to Earth with the War’s outbreak, the bombings, the lack of food, and the eventual deaths of much of the main cast. This is in contrast to Othello where the focus lies elsewhere, and we do not see any of the effects of warfare.
    In Othello the warfare is skipped over in favour of the narrative, and Shakespeare’s viewpoint in this play is more to do with manipulation, honesty and lies than with the horrors of war.
    In conclusion, war is used as both a narrative tool and an avenue for both authors to express their views on certain topics.

    In Tom Hooper's 'The King's Speech' the outbreak of the second War War is central to the climax of the film; the build up to the war also adds tensions to proceedings prior to the climax.

    Bertie is forced to make a radio wartime speech, an incredibly important wartime speech, and the direction of Hooper shows us the effects of this. Troops abroad are shown with sad, accepting expressions, Bertie's family and friends are shown to be tense and worried.

    In 'The King's Speech', rather than war moving the characters around as it did in 'Othello' and 'The Book Thief', it moves the plot forward towards the climax.

    ReplyDelete
  2. To be honest with you, in Markus Zusak’s ‘The Book Thief’ and similarly in William Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’, war is central in both a narrative and thematic sense. ‘The Book Thief’ begins months before the outbreak of the Second World War, likewise, ‘Othello’
    is set during a big war between Venice and Cyprus.
    The war is used in both texts to move the characters from place to place. In ‘The Book Thief’, Liesel is brought to stay on Himmel Street due to the impending outbreak of World War II. This introduces us to all of the other central characters of the novel such as Hans, Rosa and Rudy. The narrative is kick-started by the outbreak of war. Likewise, in ‘Othello’ the central characters are brought to Cyprus by the war.
    The post-war celebrations serve as a perfect opportunity for the scheming Iago to carry out his plan to bring down Othello. Zusak and Shakespeare are showing how war affects people’s lives, as both narratives rely upon the characters being forced to travel somewhere.
    ‘The Book Thief’ portrays the native German people’s reaction to World War II, and the time leading up to the war. Zusak shows that at first people may have enjoyed the Nazi regime ‘Nazi Germany was a wondrous place’. However, the reader is quickly brought down to Earth with the War’s outbreak, the bombings, the lack of food, and the eventual deaths of much of the main cast. This is in contrast to Othello where the focus lies elsewhere, and we do not see any of the effects of warfare.
    In Othello the warfare is skipped over in favour of the narrative, and Shakespeare’s viewpoint in this play is more to do with manipulation, honesty and lies than with the horrors of war.
    In conclusion, war is used as both a narrative tool and an avenue for both authors to express their views on certain topics.

    In Tom Hooper's 'The King's Speech' the outbreak of the second War War is central to the climax of the film; the build up to the war also adds tensions to proceedings prior to the climax.

    Bertie is forced to make a radio wartime speech, an incredibly important wartime speech, and the direction of Hooper shows us the effects of this. Troops abroad are shown with sad, accepting expressions, Bertie's family and friends are shown to be tense and worried.

    In 'The King's Speech', rather than war moving the characters around as it did in 'Othello' and 'The Book Thief', it moves the plot forward towards the climax.

    ReplyDelete