The Book Thief, written by Markus Zusak, outlines the tragedies and events that take place in Liesel Meminger’s life, in Nazi Germany. Throughout this young girl’s struggle of living in the oppressive Nazi regime, she is able to learn crucial lessons about life and the art of survival- some that follow her to the grave. The most important lesson she learned and the pivotal theme of the novel is that rebellion can be and beneficial in certain situations. The Book Thief’s plot is character driven in the beginning. Characters choose to make their own decisions and consequently feel the effects of later on. For example, Liesel and Rudy intentionally make the decision to steal books from Ilsa Hermann’s library. The Hubermann and the Steiner families both make the subconscious decision to dislike the Nazis. Finally, Hans Hubermann makes the potentionally incriminating decision to harbor a Jew, Max, in his basement. These characters choose to go against their morals, yet their decisions work in their favor. Nearing the end of the book, the plot structure switches to plot driven; external forces disturbing the characters more than their own decisions and actions do. This novel is centered around the Holocaust and the war was taking place, and without this, many of the major events would not have happened, resulting in a different outcome for the characters. The bombs set off due to the war also influenced the characters by a great deal, causing their panic and fear to control their
Growing up isn’t easy. Growing up in a war-infested environment with the constant threat of being bombed, terrorized, or taken away isn’t a walk in the park either. Liesel Meminger was only nine years old when her suffering began. Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief unravels in antebellum Germany, in the small town of Molching. Within the first few pages, the main protagonist, Liesel, witnesses the death of brother and is abandoned by her mother, leaving two complete strangers to nurture and raise her. Throughout the several hardships Liesel faces, three main concurrent themes are evident: the power of words, humanity’s evils, and loss with survivor’s guilt.
The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak takes place in 1940s Nazi Germany in the small town of Molching. The main character, Liesel Meminger, takes on a role as the foster child of Hans and Rosa Hubermann. She also meets a young boy named Rudy Steiner who goes on to be her best friend and lover. Throughout the book Liesel faces many challenges big and small. From hiding a Jew in the basement to a thieving lifestyle, Liesel has to learn to overcome all of life's problems. Throughout all of this she is supported by her foster father Hans Hubermann who is caring to people he barely knows, intelligence despite his lack of education, and generosity even when he has little for himself.
Relationship to meaning - As a metaphysical and ubiquitous being who is able to provide an intimate yet well-informed recount of various experiences undergone by several characters, Death’s role as the narrator allows the novel to depict both virtues and vices of humanity in the most compelling manner.
Throughout The Book Thief, the readers are shown how the characters achieve great things through their will to survive. The readers can see from Liesel, Hans, and Max how this is done. Germany in 1934 was hard to survive due to the bombings and fear. The author, Markus Zusak, writes about the Hubermanns hiding a Jew and how they take care of each other. The theme of reaching great things while surviving becomes very clear through the setting, plot, and characters.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak shows that words build strong emotional bonding between individuals and this individual bonding gets carried over to the global level to build a strong and peaceful society over time. The individual personal communication at a lower level is usually on a daily basis and is built on the emotion and compassion between individuals. As the individuals enjoy the fruit of the words, the benefits of the words are carried over to the global society in the form of speeches, books, and stories. The Book Thief shows how individuals like Liesel, Max, and Hans build strong relationship and bonding through the sharing of right words and appropriate stories. The book further expands on the power that words have on the
With over 70 million people dead, World War II was one of the most horrific wars in the last millennium. During the war, Germany is corrupted and dangerous for anybody who is not German. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, is a story about an orphan who lives in Molching, a town where the Holocaust and the bombing occur. Throughout the novel, she steals books in order to become a better reader and writer. The city of Molching and the characters and not real, but the details of the events, settings, and people are accurately portrayed in the novel. Therefore, the portrayal of racism and the conditions of Jews in Nazi Germany are accurately depicted in the Book Thief.
The Book Thief is a text set in Germany during the time of World War II, focused on the life of the protagonist, Liesel Meminger. Liesel, a young German girl, loses her family including her brother Werner who died on a train on the way to Munich. She comprehends the feeling of loss and pain and is conscious that she is existing in hard times. The narrator of the story, Death, witnesses her brother’s demise and kneels down to extract the boy’s soft and cold spirit as Liesel shakes Werner in an attempt to resuscitate him (Zusak 21). Of course, it does not work as Death questions Liesel’s struggle to restore her fallen brother. Thereafter, Lisel picks
a jewish man, and starving to death each day. This is the life Liesel Meminger has to live through each and every day in The Book Thief written by Markus Zusak. Liesel is young girl who was adopted into a German family, after her mother was threatened by the fact she was a jewish women in Nazi Germany. Trapped, by Michael Northrop has a similar issue. In Trapped 5 middle school students get stuck after school in what seems like a regular snowstorm but it turns out to be a monstrous storm. The teens have to hunker down for the remainder of the storm and face obstacles that could put their life at risk, similarly to The Book Thief. The reasons why you should
The Book Thief is the story of a nine-year-old girl Liesel Meminger who is a German girl, who lives with her foster parents during the world war 2. When her brother dies on the way of having a fever, and that's when she stole her first book “The GraveDigger's HandBook ” buried in the snow. Even though she does not know how to read, it is a suvneer of her old and better life and dead her brother. She finds a bit of her real dad in her foster dad Hans who teaches her to read and write. She also meets Rudy Steiner who becomes her best friend and falls in love with her. Liesel develops a love for book and words, which she increases
This prompt that were writing about, “What is the theme of The Book Thief?”, lets us give our opinion on the book. Even though it’s not fully our opinion, we still get to state some of our opinion in our writing. This is my first time writing about a prompt like this. What I think the theme of the book is that Liesel steals books, her family keeps Max in the basement, and the kindness of words.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak presents a magnificent story with heartbreaking and heartwarming moments in which the author captures the reader’s attention until the last chapter. The unusual narrator gives the novel a unique point of view and impressive description of human nature as well the narrator illustrate in a brilliant way the equal qualities of humans. The novel presents the impressive consequences about corrupt power and destruction; however, the significant concept focus on the story around strong women, and particularly the way in which war affects their lives. The novel exposes the pain and suffering experienced by mothers, sisters and daughters; consequently, it represents a break from history which has always
Book- a written or printed work consisting of pages glued or sewn together along one side and bound in covers (Dictionary.com). Books have a greater meaning to them than the words written on the pages. People relate to them through their own circumstances and experiences. Books play an important role in the novel The Book Thief by: Markus Zusak. The novel takes place in Molching, Germany during World War II. When the Nazi’s invade Molching they go through everybody’s houses, take all of their books, and burn them in a fire. Since the Nazi’s do not allow books in Germany they were very meaningful to the characters who clandestinely got a hold of them.To these characters books meant more than just their story. Books got them through their hardest obstacles in life; they represent comfort, love, and relief.
Notwithstanding the theme of consequences, The Book Thief plays on the causes and effects that shaped Liesel’s life all while informing the reader of the travesties that occurred during the Holocaust.
Zusak on The Book Thief present a magnificent story with heartbreaking and heartwarming moments in which the author captures the reader’s heart until the last chapter. This novel is developed through reality of war and a continuing bombing of emotions. The author describes the best of humans as well the worst, and the unusual narrator represents the equal qualities in human race. This novel describes the consequences of corrupt power and destruction; however, the novel focus the story around strong women, and particularly the way in which war affects their lives. The novel illustrates the pain and suffering experienced by mothers, sisters and daughters; consequently, it represents a break from history which has always concentrated on the misery of men. The novel gives strong evidence to support the admirable capacity of women to counteract the consequences of war and multiple moments proves the hard labor to continuing living. Particularly to survive to poor economy, deal pain of loss, and perseverance helping more in needs.
In The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, words can be very powerful. Words can either break a person down or build them up. There are several examples in this story where words either bring people together or tear them apart. One time in the book where words brought people together was when Liesel read for everyone in the basement during one of the bombing raids in Molching. Another time in the book where words healed and connected people was when Hans taught Liesel the alphabet and how to read. One time where words hurt someone/a group of people was when Hitler used words to control the German people and direct his hate toward Jews and non-Aryan people. While words prove to both heal and hurt in this story, the healing words leave a longer and lasting mark on the person(s) that is/are being healed, while the damaging ones do less to hurt than the comforting ones do to help.