Death:
“Sound of Silence”- Disturbed
“First the colors. Then the humans. That’s usually how I see things. Or at least, how I try” (Zusak 3). We chose this quote because after Death collected someone’s soul, he saw the colors and described them differently for each soul. For being such a stereotypical character, Death had many qualities that are never thought of. Death made lots of ironic statements as well as acted casual about collecting souls like it was a normal daily job. The song we chose has an overbearing sad quality about it. It talks a lot about silence which relates to the character, since he is invisible to the naked eye and nobody hears what he says. The song also describes scenarios in great detail, which Death does with all his souls’ life stories; Liesel’s life story in this case.
Max:
“Human” -Rag ‘n’ Bone Man
“Behind Max Vandenburg, the city of Stuttgart opened its arms in mockery”(Zusak 157). We chose this quote for Max because since he was Jewish, no one accepted him. The people of Germany ridiculed any Jew who they thought was unworthy. However, all the Jews wanted to do was prove that they were human too. We felt bad for Max because no matter where he went, he was unable to be seen for safety reasons. In our opinion, Max and the other Jews deserved to be treated better than what they were. This related to the song because the song talked about getting blamed for everything, meanwhile they were trying to live their lives without suffering.
Rudy:
“Sucker” -Jonas Brothers
“The only thing worse than a boy who hates you: a boy who loves you” (Zusak 52). We think that Rudy had a very realistic personality. He was a very competitive boy, as he liked to win and ‘earn his victories’ as mentioned in the book. Rudy also had an inner child-like tendency to mess around and get in trouble. These tendencies gave Rudy the confidence to try and spend more time with Liesel. The song talks about how the singer thinks he is a perfect match for a girl, and how he tries to find ways to be with her. This relates to Rudy because he tried over and over to try and get Liesel to be with him and give him what he wanted. He wanted a kiss from Liesel and and he tried everything under the sun for her to give it to him.
Liesel:
“Walk Me Home” -Pink
“She was the only one there, and she was not gigantic” (Zusak 67). We think that Liesel was a very intelligent girl. She may not have been as ‘book smart’ as most but, she most definitely was ‘street smart’, which can be proven throughout her actions in the book. She also knew exactly what she wanted and came up with a plan to do it. She was hyper aware of her surroundings at all times and noticed all the little things about people which aided in her relationships with others. Her relationship with Hans was especially strong. Hans helped her through her nightmares and even helped her grow as a person. In the song, it talks about not being alone during rough times and having someone there to support you. It also talks about the rough situations outside, which can be alluded to World War II. Having a strong bond with someone can help you forget about the bad times and persevere through them. This song is an exceptional example which symbolizes Liesel’s need for support as well as her need to forget the terrible things going on around her.
Rosa:
“The Cave” – Mumford & Sons
“Her face was severe, but it was smiling”(Zusak 332). In our opinion, Rosa was trying to help everyone out, but it came off in an aggressive character. Her tone of voice was very stern, therefore people thought she was mean spirited, but she was trying to convey her ideas and opinions for consideration. Rosa cared deeply for Hans, Liesel, and Max and would aid them in their times of need. However she appeared cold and hardened to the outside world around her. The song has dark lyrics but they are conveyed in a sweet manner. The person they are referring to in the song has somber intentions, but the singer is more than willing to support them through their time of need. The song is very similar to Rosa because the song has depressing lyrics sung in a sweet tone, but Rosa said helpful words in an aggressive tone. This song matched Rosa due to the demeanor in which it was written and she speaks.
Hans:
“Dirty Little Secret” – The All- American Rejects
“‘If I ever ask you to keep a secret for me, you will do it'”(Zusak 127). We felt that Hans was doing the right thing by keeping these secrets. Hans was under a lot of pressure because he had to keep a lot of important secrets from the members of the community. He had to keep the secrets of not being a Nazi as well as keeping a Jew in his basement. He shared these secrets with solely his family. If any of these secrets got out, he would have been imprisoned or killed. Hans knew keeping these secrets was wrong, but he needed to do it to fulfill his promise with Max’s father as well as protect his family. This relates to the song because it talked about keeping someone a secret, which in this case refers to Max.
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