games representing life

For Rudy, his version of dominoes represents a lot more than a game; it also represents his life. Instead of matching up the numbers on the game pieces, he stands them up in lines and tips the first piece over. Tipping the first domino piece leads to all the other domino pieces falling.

To Rudy and his siblings, this game gives a lot of pleasure. Zusak uses the dominoes to symbolize one action leading to another. Rudy thought that winning the races at the carnival would lead other people to disregard the charcoal incident because they would see that he actually was a really fast runner. Rudy thought his life would improve because of his great results at the carnival, but instead his action leads to the destruction of his life. As the dominoes pushing each other is a chain of reactions, the events in his life are a chain of reactions, too. His running fast leads to him getting noticed as a superb athlete, which leads to the men in coats showing up at his door. Because of the men in coats showing up at the Steiners' door, the father has to refuse the Nazi Party something (Rudy not going to a boarding school).

Zusak makes the parallel of the game and Rudy's life very clear to the reader, by alternating from the kids playing this version of dominoes and the adults talking about Rudy's future.