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Brave New World Book Comparison

Decent Essays

“This fabulous novel is rich, complicated and wise enough to satisfy a reader of any age,” says Atlanta Journal-Constitutional (Zusak, 0). In grade eleven, university level English, students may study Brave New World by Alex Huxley, but The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is a much more suitable novel to study. The Book Thief incorporates an amazing plot with excellent characters, is beautifully written, and is the perfect novel to analyze. To begin, The Book Thief’s plot and characters overshadow the plot and characters in Brave New World, making it the better option to study in class. Its plot is complete, very complex, and takes place in an interesting setting; this book will steal your heart. The Book Thief takes place in Nazi Germany during …show more content…

Its plot includes a beginning where you meet Liesel and other main characters, rising action where a Jew, Max, comes to hide in their basement, a climax, denouement, and resolution, but will not be explained to avoid spoiling the novel. The Book Thief includes all the elements of a complete and complex plot, whereas Brave New World’s plot is weak and does not include as many events. A complete and complex plot leads to students being more engaged, higher marks, and happier teachers. Additionally, The Book Thief includes numerous types and better developed characters. For example, Liesel, a dynamic character, grows from an innocent, shy girl to a courageous grown up teen. Including various well developed characters make it easier to relate, become emotionally attached, and actually read the novel, which every teacher wants. Furthermore, well developed characters create pity and fear. For instance, throughout the novel, Liesel and Max become very close as he says, “often I wish this would all be over, Liesel, but then somehow you do something like walk down the basement steps with a snowman in your hands,” (313). At one point, Max is forced to leave and that event creates more …show more content…

The Book Thief is much more clear than Brave New World. For instance, in a chapter, Zusak switches between scenes/conversations (203) more clearly than Brave New World and still manages to preserve the effect of this technique. What would you rather read? A novel you can understand or one you can not? Reading a text that is understandable engages more readers and helps students succeed. Additionally, the narrator in The Book Thief is original and perfect. Death narrates the story, making it possible to narrate in first person, but also see and hear other people’s actions or thoughts. Also, Death has a sarcastic and humorous tone, evening out the depressing parts of the novel with his puns, like “I am haunted by humans,” (540); this grim reaper of a book wears a halo, it’s sad, cute, and funny all at the same time. This helps students be more engaged with using first person, makes the novel more interesting, and leads to their success. Furthermore, Zusak’s use of figurative language ignites a spark in readers’ eyes. For instance, when he explains setting he writes, “the sky was dripping. Like a tap that a child has tried its hardest to turn off but hasn’t quite managed,” (497). Using similes enhances the picture the reader forms in their head and adds dramatic effect, making the novel more interesting. Zusak also incorporates almost every single type of figurative language taught in

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