Question 8.

[Carol]

8. Describe Liesel's friendship with Rudy. How does their friendship change and grow throughout the novel/book? How does Zusak use the literary device of foreshawdowing Rudy's death to pull the reader into the story?

[Carol]

This relationship to me was partly a coming of age relationship as well as one where the old hormones are making themselves known. There is an attraction between them, but maturity doesn't make itself known just yet. Rudy is always wanting Liesel to kiss her making a part joke out of it, yet I feel he truly cares about her. Zusak used foreshadowing to let us know of Rudy's death. I was surprised how openingly blatant he was in that segment of the book. Perhaps that was a way to make it easier for us, the reader, just surmising here. Open to ideas. It didn't bother me, but it did surprise me.

[Ashley]

I adored Liesel's friendship with Rudy. Death describes it as the "bumpiness of love" (p. 518), which I thought was an adorable way to sum up that puppy love that was also profoundly loyal and hilariously kid-like.

I can't say that the knowing of Rudy's death affected me one way or another. I really think it was just Zusak's way of showing the cocky omnipresence of Death's character.