The tumultuous event of World War Two Germany reveals the human’s desire for strength. Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief explores the human need for feeling powerful and the lengths people will go to obtain it. When Liesel first arrives at the Hubermann’s she feels powerless, she attains power through stealing books and learning how to read. Rudy Steiner also longing for power tries to obtain it through standing out and impressing people. Max Vandenburg, a Jewish fist fighter hiding in the Hubermann’s basement feels weak since he has little control over his life. He gains strength by fighting for his own survival through imagination and words. Zusak allows readers to relate to the novel by using the characters struggle for power to depict aspects of human nature in society.
At the beginning of the novel Liesel is without words and cannot read, she seeks power through stealing books and learning diction. At school she struggles with reading and is teased by the other students. “Nearing the end of the break,the tally of comments stood at nineteen. By the twentieth, she snapped. It was Schmeikl, back for more, ‘Come on, Liesel.’ He struck the book under her nose. ‘Help me out, will you?’ ” (Zusak 78) This shows how powerless Liesel felt without her words. With the help of Hans, he patiently teaches her how to read The Grave Digger’s Handbook, the first book she had stolen. Liesel was able to learn how to read during these midnight sessions in the basement and her knowledge of words strengthened. On Hitler’s birthday, a book burning was prepared in Molching. Liesel boldly steals her second book and commits her first act of defiance against the Nazis by stealing a banned book in public. Leisel’s love for books evolves from mourning over h...
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...d simply surviving was is an act of resistance against Nazi Germany. Max idealize take possession of his life.
The events of the holocaust impacted the lives of many throughout Germany. The Book Thief demonstrates human need for feeling powerful and the lengths people will go to obtain it. Liesel unable to read or write is fragile. With Hans’ help she reveals the true power of words by bringing hope among the residents of Himmel Street during chaotic times. Rudy obtains power through standing out and proving himself to others by impressing them. Max feels helpless due to the little control he has over his life. He gains power by fighting for his freedom through imagining battles against Nazi Germany and writing over Hitler’s Mein Kampf. In conclusion, Zusak uses Liesel’s struggle for strength as an element to reinforce aspects of human nature throughout the novel.
The Book Thief and The Devil’s Arithmetic both focus on the prejudice Hitler had on different types of people during World War II. Liesel and Hannah both lost someone they had dearly loved. Liesel lost Rudy and Hannah lost many members of her family. In a time of fearfulness, both had told stories to the people surrounding them. Although both were not seen as equal in the eyes of many during their time, I see them as courageous and brave heroes after what they underwent.
Strong feelings towards another can lead to imprudent actions. Throughout The Book Thief Liesel, Rudy, and Hans make impetuous decisions due to their strong emotions towards another. From reading this novel one can conclude that there is a very fine line between irrationality and bravery. Most of the decisions and subsequent actions made in the story could be regarded as brave but in truth many of these decisions were impetuous and ill thought out. In fact many of the characters subsequently came to this conclusion as well. The characters could have achieved more by executing logically planed actions instead of acting on the spur of the moment and jeopardizing their lives or the lives of others. It is amazing that even polar opposites emotions like love and hate result in the same irrational consequences as exemplified by Rudy, Hans and Liesel.
In the novel The Book Thief by Markus Zusak the narrator is Death, who shows itself as sympathetic and sensitive towards the suffering of the world and the cruel human nature, through its eyes, we can get to know the heartbreaking story of Liesel Meminger an ordinary, but very lucky nine-year old German girl; living in the midst of World War II in Germany. In this book the author provides a different insight and observation about humanity during this time period from a German view and not an Allied perspective, as we are used to.
...er, and Liesel becomes a complete book thief. She rescues Jewish books from Nazi book- burnings and steals from the mayor’s library. Liesel is illiterate when she steals her first book, but Hans Hubermann uses her prized books to teach her to read. In the end, Liesel marries Max and moves to Australia. She has several children and grandchildren. Liesel eventually dies in Sydney.
This realization, although suspected by the narrator for a long time, shows the true irony of Liesel’s thefts: that she never needs to steal them. When she steals her last book, The Last Human Stranger, she even takes a plate of cookies and leaves a note. Although none of these books are featured as heavily as her first few thefts, their titles reference parts of Liesel’s struggles such as her relationship with Max, her role in uplifting her community in the bunker, her continuing education, and her status being the only survivor of the final bombing. In conclusion, the books which Liesel steals are very influential in her development through the course of the novel, with the titles themselves references other parts of her life.
Elie and Liesel live and survive during the time of World War II. Both characters face the harsh reality of the terrible period of time they are living in. The memoir, Night and the movie, “The Book Thief” share similarities and dissimilarities that make Elie and Liesel both stand out. Due to the loss of family, determination to live, and fear helps both of them survive the war, but depends on the different reactions, mistreated for different reasons, and hope.
Unbeknownst to Liesel, Max secretly writes two graphic stories for her, enshrining the power of words, rewarding her developing power of words and giving her strength to write her own words. The Standover Man; the first of the two complete illustrated stories, encapsulates Max’s feelings towards Liesel and their developing friendship. Within the context of the story, Max is depicted as a bird- like creature who fears ‘men standing over’ him. His fear may be associated with the events of his life that have left him vulnerable, for example, losing his father at a young age and losing a fist fight to a friend. As the story progresses, it becomes evident that Liesel’s presence provides comfort to Max, as he begins to realise that ‘the best standover man [he’s] ever known is not a man at all’, but is Liesel; a companion who is ultimately able to redefine Max’s preconceived notion of ‘the standover man’, as being someone associated with abandonment and antagonism to a compassionate figure that he need not fear. The second story, The Word Shaker, written by Max, and created with the assistance of the Hubermanns, juxtaposes a book of oppression and detestation into a story of hope and resilience, to impart optimism within the reader. The fact that the faint text of the Mein Kampf does not leak through the painted pages, as it did in The Standover Man, is symbolic of how the only way to obliterate the legacy of Hitler is through the union of Jews and Germans. This is utterly uplifting, as they elicit the realisation that even for Max, who is secluded from the world and tormented by the Nazi morals, is powerful enough to overcome his fear of Hitler’s
Liesel Meminger experienced many horrific and appalling deaths during World War Two. This was a time in which many of her loved ones died including her beloved brother, her new papa, Hans, and her best friend in the entire world, Rudy. Liesel’s brother’s death at the beginning of the novel brought great sorrow as Liesel bewailed his death although she also found light that day in the finding of her first book, the Gravedigger's Handbook, which was the beginning of her love of words. Hans Hubermann's death during the horrific bombing attack at the end of the novel crushed Liesel’s heart along with the other loved souls taken that day through one of the intermittent, horrifying bombing attacks. As described by one article, “The shadow of death at the end of the Second World War” (“Between”), which was, in other words, a description of the bombing attacks including the attack on Molching which was very fatal and even brought along the death of Liesel’s dearest friend, Rudy. World War Two took many souls and loves away from Liesel, including a boy whom Liesel truly
Words hold great power and when used correctly can influence what people believe and how they act.
One of the most unforgettable genocides to occur was the Holocaust where 6 million Jews along with gypsies, homosexuals, and communists were killed by Hitler’s Nazi regime. It was very common for authors to have their literature’s central idea be about the Holocaust. The Book Thief, written by Markus Zusak, is about a German girl, Liesel, who lives in Nazi Germany and faces the inescapable pains of growing up in a time of war. Her emotional journey is one that begins with a journey. Zusak incorporates the events that occurred during the Holocaust in the book in order to show the reality that Liesel and everyone she loved had to face.
Liesel steals the books she is ,at the same time, liberating them from destruction. The whole idea of stealing as a horrible thing to do comes into question. Liesel risks death or torture in doing this as well. Her theft is also a self-education and an act of rebellion against the Nazis. Lie...
Many people, such as Liesel, conform to societal expectations in public while keeping their rebellion in private most of the time. They do this to survive in a culture that persecutes anybody that they disagree with or disagrees with them. For example, “‘I hate the Führer,’ she said. ‘I hate him.’… ‘Don’t ever say that!’… ‘You can say that in our house,’ he said, looking gravely at Liesel’s cheek. ‘But you never say it on the street, at school, at the BDM, never!’’ (p. 115-116) This was when Liesel found out that the Nazis took away her mother for being a communist and was naturally upset. Her foster father, Hans Hubermann, slapped her for saying that, at
The heavily proclaimed novel “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak is a great story that can help you understand what living in Nazi Germany was like. Throughout the story, the main character, Liesel goes through many hardships to cope with a new life in a new town and to come to the recognition of what the Nazi party is. Liesel was given up for adoption after her mother gave her away to a new family, who seemed harsh at first, but ended up being the people who taught her all the things she needed to know. Life with the new family didn’t start off good, but the came to love them and her new friend, Rudy. As the book carried along, it was revealed that the Hubermanns were not Nazi supporters, and even took in a Jew and hid him in their basement later on in the book. Liesel became great friends with the Jew living in her basement, Max, who shared many similarities which helped form their relationship. Both of
World War II was a war of atomic bombs, sudden deaths, and most importantly a war of words. Both Allies and axis countries depended on mass communication and media to convey the different messages, words of hate, hope, and patriotic service they needed to say to manipulate the minds of their people. The Book thief uses the power of communication to heal, protect and help fight the injustice that existed in the time of the book. Throughout the narrative, the author conveys the best and worst manners that language can be used. With examples of
The protagonist of The Book Thief is Liesel Meminger, a girl growing up in holocaust Germany. As the book begins Liesel is 9 years old, a girl given up by her mother to live with foster parents Hans and Rosa Hubermann in the German town of Molching. On the way to Molching Liesel’s brother Werner who was supposed to join her at the Hubermanns’ dies and Liesel is traumatized making the separation from her mother, her only remaining family much more painful. Thankfully the blow is softened by the love extended to her from her foster-father. Hans compared to Rosa with her gruff, loud love is just the solace Liesel needs. He is gentle and kind, patient enough to teach Liesel how to read, starting with a book she picked up at the graveyard where her brother was buried. With his aid Liesel slowly becomes more comfortable in her new life, venturing out in the neighborhood at a soccer match she befriends Rudy Steiner, a boy who falls in love with her. Over that summer they have many adventures together and the shadow of war is left in the joy of childhood freedom. A shadow, warded off for long finally falls upon Liese...