Figurative Language In The Book Thief

Liesel Meminger, the main character in The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, is a very complex and deep character. Throughout the almost six year span of her life starting from age nine covered by this novel, Liesel not only grows intellectually and physically, but as a whole person. Physically when Liesel arrived on Himmel Street as a foster child, “everything about her was undernourished” (Zusak, 31). Death described even her smile as hungry. Liesel was depicted with “Her hair was a close enough brand of German blond, but she had dangerous eyes.

"But her story lasts for six." This quote is saying that her story lasts for six more months, but there is more foreshadowing to the end of this passage then this single excerpt. The fact that it said it was a ‘calm night' makes you wonder if something is going to happen. If this night is calm, then another is most likely going to be chaotic. Also, it says the calm will last for three more months, then things will dwindle into chaos. So three months of calm, and Liesel's story only last for six months. ‘What is going to happen that will end all of this?' The foreshadowing excerpts seem to ask the reader. Though life is good now, it was not going to last. Something is going to happen that will change Liesel, but it does not hint at whatever

According to Napoleon Bonaparte, courage isn’t having the strength to go on … it’s going on when you don’t have strength. Liesel, Max and Hans are the main characters in “The Book Thief” that have acts of courage entirely change their lives. This novel takes place during WWII in Germany. Countless Jews are desperately looking for the courage to endure the harsh rule of the Nazis. On the other hand there are some Germans who use their courage to stand against the Nazis in their own exceptional ways. The characters in “The Book Thief’ show acts of courage and this greatly affects the course of their life and relationships with other characters.

“Words can light fires in the minds of men” (Patrick Rothfuss). Author, Markus Zusak, in his novel The Book Thief, narrates as Death to show the story of Liesel Meminger, a girl living in World War Two Nazi Germany. Zusak uses literary devices to depict a theme of how words can change the world in order to show their effect on people.

Hope is elusive and one needs courage to ensure it does not fly away. In The Book Thief, Markus Zusak develops the theme of courage and hope throughout the novel, showing people need both to survive. He portrays the theme effectively through the characterization of Liesel as well as the symbolism of Hans Hubermann’s accordion.

Markus Zusak ended up rewriting the first 90 pages of The Book Thief 200 times before it was published. This book is about a young German girl named Liesel Meminger who has to move suddenly to Germany to live with a new family, and a new mother, Rosa. Markus Zusak's The Book Thief contains many memorable characters. However, the character that is the most memorable is Rosa Hubermann because she has a very distinct personality.

Words are everywhere, words make up books, and the power of words make The Book Thief which will never be able to be improved upon. Words help us communicate with others, but mainly they have positive and negative sides to them. In the novel, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Death narrates the story while Liesel Meminger also tells her story of living in Nazi, Germany. We will discuss how there are many people such as Max Vandenburg and Liesel Meminger who choose to use to use their power of words in the positive way. We will also discuss how people also like to use their power of words in the negative way such as Adolf Hitler. The power of words are very effective especially in Markus Zusak’s writing, and we’ll discuss the main parts of the book which have been effected with the power of words.

The reader is able to see the emotional chaos the characters are subject to after trauma. It changes their behaviors and can make them take risks they wouldn’t normally take. Zucker opens readers to understand the sorrow of Jews and sympathizers that fled from their homes and families while under persecution during World War II, as well as World War I veterans. In the words of Death, the narrator “It’s the leftover humans. The survivors [...] I witness the ones who are left behind, crumbling among the jigsaw puzzle of realization, despair and surprise. They have punctured hearts. They have beaten lungs” (Zusak 5). It is true that this type of guilt is often paralysing to certain individuals; however, it can also create empathy and strength when survivors overcome these defining hardships in life. This is shown through Liesel’s friendships with Max and Hans, and the emotional maturity they each possess. These relationships help bring acceptance and joy back into survivors’ lives, and allow them to release the guilt of leaving one

If you believe in yourself and have dedication, pride, and never quit, you will be successful. Markus Zusak, the author of The Book Thief, creates a story of a young orphan named Liesel Meminger, who is living with her new foster family. She learns the wonders of reading from her foster father and grows to love books. During Liesel’s time with her new family, she shows determination through her efforts and kindness with her encounters with other people. Liesel in The Book Thief expresses her traits, such as hardworking, and bravery.

In the story The Book Thief, the author Markus Zusak does and amazing job of using literary devices in his story. From metaphors, to similes, to personification and even onomonopeias. It puts images in your mind that in other looks you could not even imagine. It shows and tells what the person is doing and how they are doing it. These literary devices bring excitement and engagement to the writing. It makes you want to keep reading the book. His forms of figurative language come easy to zusak.

Hope and courage are two feelings that are only powerful when used together. To be courageous and not hopeful is a suicide mission; on the other hand, having hope and no courage will never give one the urge to oppose the problem. In Markus Zusak’s novel The Book Thief, the whole story is the epitome of courage and hope. During the second world war, the young Liesel Meminger is adopted by the Hubermann family, Hans and Rosa Hubermann, who teach her the power of words, as well as the importance of kindness. Moreover, one of the themes of this novel is the creation of hope from courage, and it is shown through the author’s use of symbolism, allegory, as well as irony.

I think the theme in The book thief is courage. I chose courage because it can be shown mentally, physically, and emotionally. Hans shows courage when he agrees to help Max Vandenberg to stay with his family. Leisel shows courage when she fakes an injury to warn her parents that the nazi officers are inspecting the basements. She showed courage by putting herself in harms way to protect her family and max. Liesel also showed courage by reading “the whistler” in the basement during the first air raid. “Despite of being afraid of what might happen to her, she found the strength to refocus herself and put aside her fears in an effort to make everyone else feel calmer and less afraid”(zusak 381)this is how she showed courage for the second time.

In the book, the narrator is Death, who foreshadows Liesel about her past and the family and friends she has lost. Throughout the novel, Death is a symbol of abandonment to Liesel. One of the reasons Zusak uses Death as the narrator instead of a live character is because of death’s prominence in Liesel’s life. An example is when Death states, “Curiosity got the better of me, and I resigned myself to stay as long as my schedule allowed, and I watched”(Zusak 7). Death continues to follow Liesel around and watch over her. Death meets Liesel three times in the book to watch everyone leave

"She did not say goodbye. She was incapable, and after a few more minutes at his side, she was able to tear herself from the ground. It amazes me what humans can do, even when streams are flowing down their faces…" (Zusak 536). Liesel learns to overcome the irresistible longing to stay

The Book Thief written by Markus Zusak shows how the impact on the power of language has on Liesel Meimeger through the structure of the novel. The structure of the novel shows the development of the character Liesel, highlighting the impact of the power of language. In her development, she finds the ability to express herself as well as to connect to others. Books become a comfort to her and heal her, they help her grow strong relationships with other characters in her life. However, she also sees the damage words have caused through Nazi propaganda, understanding that Hitler 's words have been the cause of suffering of the people in her life. Despite this, the structure of the novel shows the ability of the character to understand that