Analysis Of The Book Thief

Markus Zusak conveys the message that although putting others before one’s self is a very difficult task, it will always benefit more than it will regress in his novel, The Book Thief. In the beginning of the book, Liesel is separated from her only family in an instant, and the narrator explains, “There was the chaos of goodbye. It was a goodbye that was wet, with the girl’s head buried in the woolly, worn shallows of her mother’s coat. There had been some more dragging” (Zusak 25-26). It is clear that Liesel 's mother did not want to part with her, especially after losing her son moments before, but she knew it was the best option for Liesel’s security throughout the war. She was willing to sacrifice her children in order for the reassurance

When Max comes to the Hubermann’s house for protection, Hans fiercely tells Liesel that, “... ‘If you tell anyone about that man up there, we will all be in big trouble. … At the very least, Mama and I will be taken away’” ( Zusak 203). Max only thought for himself when he chose to hide in Hans and Rosa’s basement, and he put the whole family in grave danger. Although many great relationships and events prospered in the future because of Max, there were definitely risks with devastating consequences if their plan failed. On a different note, when Rudy and Liesel attend a stealing project to steal food for themselves, the farmer spots them looting his potatoes, and “The whole group ran for the fence line and made their way over. Rudy, who was the farthest away, caught up quickly, but not quickly enough to avoid being last. As he pulled his leg up, he became entangled” (Zusak 165). Because Rudy chose to steal for his own profit, he got his just desserts by being trapped on the fence. The author uses this scene to express the lesson that selfish acts come with consequences. Valuing one’s self over others can be dangerous, and there is a price to pay for one’s carelessness, whether it is visible or