Destruction In The Book Thief

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In the novel The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, one of the main themes is beauty in destruction. Rudy best represents the theme beauty in destruction. When Rudy is covered head to toe in mud, and in a bad position Death describes how Rudy reacts to the situation. “Spoke with great conviction, great joy. ‘Alles ist scheisse.’ He announced. All is shit.” (267) Even though he’s in a bad, dreary state, he still bounces back and comments on the lousiness of the situation, but with joy, with immense happiness. He isn’t brought down by the weight of the situation, no matter how heavy it is. Rudy seems to be resilient; always climbing up back up and having another go at what bested him before instead of staying on the ground when he falls. When Rudy jumps …show more content…

When Liesel is carrying snow into her basement for Max, he says “’Often I wish this would all be over, Liesel, but then you somehow do something like walk down the basement steps with a snowman in your hands.’” (313) In the middle of Nazi Germany, when people are being executed and oppressed, somehow, there are a few little things that can wash away that dread for a moment, to soothe the scars of war. When it’s dark and gloomy, and there seems to be no hope, no light at the end of the tunnel, there are always a handful of people who hold out and persevere to continue salvaging the beauty from the destroyed world they live in. After the Hubermann’s and Max finish making the snowman, Death describes the effect the melting of the snowman has on the makers. “Melt it did, though, but somewhere in each of them, that snowman was still upright.” (313) The heat that melts the snowman is Nazi Germany, the snowman is the beauty in the world, Nazi Germany wrecks it, but in some people’s heart, it’s still standing, they still own the privilege to be happy, and to see the beauty in the world. When the beauty disappears, it really isn’t gone until all the people who still believe in it no longer remember it. The snowman is a symbol of beauty in destruction because it represents holding out, to bring joy, like seeing someone walking down the stairs with a snowman in their hands, and also the few people who still hold hope in

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