Markus Zusak's The Book Thief

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Recommended: The Importance of Literature

Markus Zusak, an award winning novelist, showcases the power that words can have on the environment around the world. In his novel The Book Thief, he shows the reader that even in a time of forlornness that words will always be one of the most powerful weapons that the human race can ever hope to gain. In the book Liesel Meminger, a German girl, is on her way to the small town of Molching, Germany, near Munich, to meet her future foster parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann. Liesel soon learns the true power of the written word; the power to destroy society, while at the same time, the power of having a calming influence on people. At the beginning of the book, Liesel cannot read or write. However, when she does learn to read, she is able to have a somewhat calming effect on the people around her, but on the other hand, Liesel uses the power of words as a way to strip away Hitler’s power over the people of Germany. She is able to utilize words in such a way that it abolishes the fear that is constantly looming over Germany during Hitler’s reign, if only for a brief moment.
The Grave Digger’s Handbook is Liesel’s first theft. The theft of this book represents the last time she sees her brother after he died on the train ride to Molching. Werner Meminger, Liesel’s brother, has a coughing fit and when the coughing stops, so does his life. The narrator, Death, comes onto the train and takes his soul as Liesel watches the light fade from his eyes (19-20). At Werner’s gravesite one of the grave diggers drops his book, The Grave Digger’s Handbook (23-24). Because Liesel is illiterate she is unable to read this book which makes it more of a reminder of the last time that she sees her brother alive. Due to her lack of reading skil...

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...f moment.
Through the authors methods the reader is able to infer that books can be a source of both great destruction and tranquility. By juxtaposing two polar opposites the author shows that while these two forces are on different ends of the spectrum they can still occur at the same time. Though these forces are not in harmony they cannot survive without the other. Tranquility can only survive when there was once destruction while there can only be destruction when there was tranquility.

Work Cited
Primary Source
Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief. New York: Knopf. 2005.
Secondary Source
“Adolf Hitler.” “Jewish Virtual Library.” 11 Nov. 2013.
.
“The Nazi Regime in Germany.” “Jewish Virtual Library.”11 Nov. 2013.
.

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