The Book Thief Theme Essay

715 Words2 Pages

In The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, beauty and brutality is seen in many of the characters. Rudy, Liesel, and Rosa display examples of beauty and brutality often without realizing what exactly they are doing, because it is a part of their human nature. Zusak not only uses his characters, but also the setting of the novel in Nazi Germany to allude to his theme of the beauty and brutality of human nature. The time in which the novel is set, during World War II, displays great examples of beauty and brutality, such as the mistreatment of the Jews. As a result of this time period, the characters have to go through troubling times, which reveals their beautiful and brutal nature in certain circumstances. Zusak uses his characters and their experiences to demonstrate the theme of the beauty and brutality of human nature in the novel.
First, Zusak uses his character, Rudy, to support his theme of the brutality and beauty of human nature. Rudy’s brutality is reveled in a certain moment when he devises a plan to steal food from the priest by causing the delivery boy to wreck on the way to the priest’s house. Rudy’s beauty is also displayed in many things he does for
Rosa contains more brutality than beauty, especially with the way she treats Liesel. She constantly yells at Liesel and calls her names. Liesel describes Rosa as, “good at being furious” and she “had a face decorated with constant fury,” which means she is constantly angry or mad about something (32-33). Rosa’s brutality is also seen when she beats Liesel with a spoon for simple things, such as getting dirty while playing soccer. Despite Rosa’s cruel appearance, she does contain beauty. This is displayed once Max arrives and she immediately begins to take care of him, without getting angry, no matter the potential consequence. As a result of these examples, Rosa Hubermann also contributes to the theme of beauty and brutality of human

Show More
Related

  • Book Thief Themes

    876 Words  | 2 Pages

    Death narrates the novel we’ll be reading which is The Book Thief (yeah, you heard me it’s narrated by death) which proclaims to us the story of Liesel Memingers rough life. The date was January 1939, Liesel Meminger (who was ten at the time) was traveling via train, accompanied by her mother and little brother Werner. They were being taken to a small town called Molching, right outside of Munich, Germany, to be with her foster parents Hans and Rosa Hubermann. Liesel’s brother Werner dies while riding the train from hunger, cold, poverty, and lack of medical treatment. Before Liesel had arrived in Molching, Liesel was present for her brother Werner’s funeral in a snowy graveyard. Liesel

    Read More

  • Difficulties In The Book Thief

    1704 Words  | 4 Pages

    Throughout life many people face difficulties. Depending on the person’s strength some will get through tough times, but some will fail to overcome them. Two books where characters have to face many challenges include: Their Eyes Were Watching God and The Book Thief. These two stories deal with people overcoming the difficulties faced throughout everyday life. Some difficulties include racism, religious discrimination, and dealing with others’ cruelness or kindness. Examples from these books prove that the characters have challenges throughout the stories to overcome. In the face of adversity what causes some individuals to fail while others prevail?

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On The Book Thief

    445 Words  | 1 Pages

    “I am haunted by humans” (Zusak 550). The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is about the horrors of World War II. Liesel and her family help out an old friend by hiding a Jew. Liesel also steals her first book when she at her brother’s funeral. Liesel Meminger’s remarkable actions like feeling good when she steals a book and her family hiding a Jew help demonstrate why Death is “haunted by humans”.

    Read More

  • The Power of Words in Markus Zusak´s The Book Thief

    1062 Words  | 3 Pages

    Words hold great power and when used correctly can influence what people believe and how they act.

    Read More

  • Character Analysis: The Book Thief

    83 Words  | 1 Pages

    Often, most people have never enjoyed the feeling of being abandoned by your close ones, relatives, etc. because it causes their lives to become more challenging and difficult. Many aspects of someone being abandoned by someone, can often have a long term-effect on the person’s overall well-being. In the novel The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Liesel, the main protagonist of the story, is a character that is constantly throughout the novel being abandoned by both certain circumstances, as well as the

    Read More

  • The Book Thief Analysis

    1213 Words  | 3 Pages

    How does one write a book about the horrors of the holocaust and portray the German society as much a victim as the others? Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief published in the year 2005 does exactly that, weaving a story in its 552-paged glory and opening a window into the life of the little Liesel Meminger. However, that’s not it. It’s just the tip of the iceberg that The Book Thief really is. What makes The Book Thief truly a different book to come by is not its concept but its narrator. He says he can be agreeable, affable and amiable and that that’s just the A’s. What he says he definitely isn’t- is nice because quiet correctly Death never is nice. Yes, The Book Thief is narrated by the wry, often sardonic and darkly humorous but secretly compassionate, Death.

    Read More

  • ' The Book Thief, By Liesel Meminger

    1129 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Book Thief is the story of Liesel Meminger narrated by Death. It is set in Nazi Germany between the years of 1939 to 1943. Throughout the story, Liesel gains a new family and an unusual friend in the Jewish man her foster family is hiding in their basement. Liesel is then thrust into a new, dangerous, yet beautiful world. Along with Liesel 's growth and evolution, the evolution of Germany is also covered in the story. While there is various change for the best in the story, not all change was for the best.

    Read More

  • The Book Thief Family Essay

    765 Words  | 2 Pages

    When it comes to family members, people do all sorts of things to keep them safe. In The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, characters willingly conform to certain norms for the safety of their family. The three characters that stood out the most were Hans Hubermann, Liesel, and Max. These characters have made sacrifices to keep their family safe and protected.

    Read More

  • Theme Of The Individual Vs. Society In The Book Thief

    1112 Words  | 3 Pages

    If you were a German citizen during World War II, do you think you would be a Nazi? Most people would say no even though, in actuality, most people would be. It is because people need to succumb to societal expectations to survive in a society such as that of Germany during WWII and in the book, The Book Thief, this theme of individual versus society is explored with people complying and fighting social expectations. Sometimes people side with the Nazi Party out of fear of being targeted and other times fight against Nazi Party because of love for their family and fellow man with usually terrible consequences. In The Book Thief, the theme of the individual versus society is shown many times with characters conforming and defying social expectations.

    Read More

  • Literary Analysis Of The Book Thief

    1080 Words  | 3 Pages

    As time evolves, so do the words that are essential for our everyday survival. The most obvious difference between humans and animals is our ability to master the art of speech. Often, people will say the “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”, a simple nursery rhyme that helps ease a bullied child from abusive words and taunts. But does that really help cure the emotional pain? Words can illuminate and motivate the minds of people but can also shadow their self-esteem through psychological trauma. In The Book Thief, we see how fundamental words were to shape the reality of millions of people caught in the fire of World War II.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Book Thief By Markus Zusak

    1604 Words  | 4 Pages

    Throughout time, children have read stories of brave knights, running into battle with their swords ready to defeat the invader. They have read tales of everyday girls turning into princesses by kissing a frog or wearing a glass slipper. Also, some of these stories contain accounts of historically poignant moments. For example, the novel The Book Thief written by Markus Zusak takes place during World War II. It gives a lasting impression on what this time was like for everyday people and the impacts the war had on them. The author does this through the many storytelling elements incorporated into the book. Also, Zusak displays how people respond to changes within their lives during these taxing times. For instance, the main character, Liesel

    Read More

  • The Book Thief

    865 Words  | 2 Pages

    We watch death explore the beauty and ugliness of the human race in Markus Zusak’s book The Book Thief. We watch as Liesel, Hans, and Rosa do everything they can to help out a group of people who were treated with such disrespect during this time period. This group, the Jews, were beaten for taking food that was given to them, and when they died no one would even care. But, these few people gave them food, a place to hide, a sense of belonging, and and a reason to live. They have to work day and night, and do everything they can. Even though people aren’t so beautiful at all times, there is still hope. As we have learned in this book that even when 99 percent of humans aren’t so marvelous there is still that one percent that is to delightful that it would touch anyones heart.

    Read More

  • The Holocaust and its Portrayal in The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

    1200 Words  | 3 Pages

    German citizens had to endure a challenging lifestyle, presented by Adolf Hitler, of fascism, the holocaust, Jewish laws and propaganda during World War II. From 1939-1942, Nazi Germany affected the lives of Jews, Gypsies, Slavic people, and other groups living in Germany by getting rid of the undesirables, known as the Holocaust. Only Germans with the look of blond hair and blue eyes were even considered to live, only if he or she had no defects or disabilities, anyone else was sent to and killed in concentration camps. The Book Thief takes place in a town near Munich, Germany during this time of the holocaust. The novel focuses on the lives of the people and how they cope and deal with the immediate effects of WWII. It emphasizes the danger of hiding a Jew in a family’s basement, and how they are constantly paranoid of being caught.

    Read More

  • The Book Thief Argumentative Essay

    474 Words  | 1 Pages

    Sitting with her foster father, Liesel dives into books. No one knows when the Nazis will come and inspect. The sounds of bombing planes drive overhead as Liesel silently reads her book. The purpose of this historical fiction book is to build a storyline with history with the help of the reader and their emotion. The Book Thief is a great example of a book that checks off all of the purposes of the genre.

    Read More

  • Dominique Francon Analysis

    791 Words  | 2 Pages

    Dominique despises society because of the threat it holds against human perfection she so passionately believes in. She has a great admiration for all that is beautiful and strong, including the beauty in destruction. She firmly believes the world destroys all that is great and so she refuses to love anyone or anything in fear the world will ruin all that she loves. She surrounds herself by people she does not like, knowing she will be in no danger of getting hurt as she knows she will not be able to love them. Due to this, she refuses to compromise her values to what the world wants because she refuses for the world to taint her. She finds beauty in everything she sees, including destruction, and in order to avoid watching the world destroy all she loves, she surrounds herself with what she despises. Meeting Roark, she finds herself intrigued by the way he holds himself and how he never bends or folds to meet others expectations. Dominique finds herself drawn to him and, in an act of caring for a man with vision and character, she sets out to destroy him first as she fears the world will destroy his potential for greatness.

    Read More

More about The Book Thief Theme Essay

Open Document