Hans Letters Home Analysis

What are words? A simple question such as this would in theory demand only a simple answer. Words, however, take such an abundance of forms that creating a truly inclusive definition for the notion of “words” is daunting. In its physical manifestation, a word is little more than air passing over taut tendons, forming sounds which are accented by flicks of the tongue against the teeth and roof of the mouth. These sounds are arranged in patterns that come to be recognized and accepted as words. But are these sounds all that words represent?—certainly not. Words command power. Although the defiant playground motto states that “sticks and stones may break bones, but words can never hurt,”

During the Holocaust, Hitler was creating his master race of Aryans and anyone who didn’t fit the characteristics of an Aryan was in danger. Correspondingly Rudy’s Favourite athlete was Jesse Owen (black-American) and one day he decided to dress up like Jesse Owens which caused him some trouble. He explained to his dad “’I was being Jesse Owens’... but his father wasn’t very happy and exclaimed,’you shouldn’t want to be like black people or Jewish people or anyone who is not like us’” (58-60). This quote shows that Rudy isn’t racist and is very proud of the fact that his father is. During the Holocaust rationing laws were put in place allowing all families to the same amount of food. Rudy was part of a big family and decided the he needed to provide his own food. Death explains, “Rudy’s [hungry]. The boy was permanently dying for something to eat” (149). Rudy started stealing because it was a way of rebellion towards Hitler. By stealing from farms and the rich Rudy rebelled against his rationing laws and his families’ economic restrictions. As Rudy gets older he releases the sacrifices he had to make because of Hitler. His father being taken away is theft in Rudy’s mind because now Hitler has taken away his right of having a father. Death explains, “Rudy’s anger was growing nicely... there was no complaining that it wasn’t fair” (481). Rudy feel bitter that his father

Everyone in Rudy’s platoon are tense. They now assume the Centauri forces are planning a trap due to abandoning an important position. As for Rudy himself, he falls asleep but doesn’t appear comfortable.

Together, they watched the humans disappear.” (80.94-96) This quote is the aftermath of the incident from Deaths point of view. This quote proves that Rudy was innocent because he risked his life to save hers. In that time, during the Holocaust you didn’t interfere negatively with anybody in power, because commonly it would end up badly, which was proven when Liesel's father Hans got drafted after sticking up for a Jew. Rudy didn’t understand the possible consequences that could happen from doing such things. This quote also proves that his devotion to Liesel blinds him from understanding what is really going on. Helping him maintain his innocence even longer.

1. Why do you think the author showed German soldiers such as Hans Hubermann performing civilian tasks instead of being shown on a battlefield? And why did he focus on ordinary German civilians during wartime? So Hans could see what was happening to the rest of Germany because of the war. He focused on ordinary German civilians so the reader could see what was happening and engage with the civilians.

“One of them, the infamous Rudy, would soon become Liesel’s best Friend, and later, her partner and sometime catalyst in crime.” (Markus Zusak, page 47)

Liesel is kind-hearted because in The Book Thief she said, “ I don’t want to lose someone else”. She said this to Max after they became close friends. Given that, she is kind-hearted one can tell that she would do anything to protect her family from death. After WWII max and Liesel reunite and they hug and cry until they fell to the floor. Where Liesel use to live in 33 Himmel Street before there was a raid that destroyed the whole street, they hide Max. Her best friend is Rudy Steiner, he is a neighbor at first but then the friendship grows after each mischievous thing they do together. With Rudy, she grows and steals books for fun. Rudy might think it is fun, but to Liesel, it means for her. Like I said, she does this in memory of her brother. They have a race and it is a draw after falling. Rudy then said to Liesel, “If it’s a draw, do I still get my kiss?” Liesel then says, “ Not in a million years” and Rudy at the end he says “One day, Liesel, you’ll be dying to kiss me”. Therefore, at the end of the book and middle, she desires to kiss him but doesn’t until the end where he is dead. Later on, her family and she hide a Jew, Max Vandenburg, from the Nazis. Max and Liesel have grown close together. Liesel is competitive, compassionate,

From day one, “ Rudy was always determined to be Liesel’s best friend.”(Zusak 48) and that was how it was with Georgie and I. Zusak says “ A snowball in the face is surely the perfect beginning to a lasting friendship.”(Zusak 48) My friendship with my neighbor also had a “snowball to the face” start. Shortly after moving into his neighborhood, I was walking my dog Chloe but got distracted and dropped the leash, and Chloe took off after a squirrel in Georgie’s yard. I was too busy trying to chase her down to watch where I was going and ended up running smack into Georgie who was getting the newspaper from the end of his driveway. We began talking and everything went from there. Both boys also did their share of eccentric acts, like Rudy’s Jesse Owens incident where he covered himself in charcoal and ran around the town’s track, pretending to be the famous olympic sprinter, Jesse Owens. Coming home one day and finding Georgie and my little sister dressed as wizards pushing each other up and down the street in a wheelbarrow certainly competes with the peculiar acts of Rudy Steiner.

Golding uses personification to paint a picture of an out of control fire. The fire starts out small and quickly spread from tree to tree, burning a large portion of the mountainside. The “squirrel like” movement of the fire appeals to the reader’s sense of sight because it helps the reader see how swiftly and quickly the fire

The biggest regret Liesel has is how she was never able to kiss Rudy while he was still alive.

The young Rudy grants humanity to someone who is commonly dehumanized when he retrieves a book for Liesel, feeds the jews bread, and gives the teddy bear to the dying pilot. Liesel is a young girl who has had a tough life. She has lost her biological mother, lost her brother, and he has been stationed at a foster home. Rody jumps into Liesel’s life, and giver her comfort through all the pain she has faced. One day, a bully threw Liesel's new book into the river and Rudy stood up for her when he “Jumped in, caught up to it, and held it in his right hand” (241). When Rudy retrieved this book, he was acting out against the bullying that Liesel faced, and he was acting in support of Liesel. Just as Hans Hubermann handed out bread to Jews, Rudy and Liesel do the same. This act could get Rudy in heaps of trouble, but he does so anyways in protest to the dehumanization of the Jews. We know Rudy and liesel are very happy and proud when they support humanity as “There was the trace of a grin on

By using sight as a sense, fire has risen in the middle of the story. Specifically, the meaning of fire itself, is something being burned, or is going to be burned. In the same way, fire also spreads drastically everywhere. As it states in the book, “He saw a red light before him, as when the felled trunks and branches of a

After that a hand pops out of the sheet attempting to nail the floor in extreme anxiety, attempting to latch on the floor with prematurely grown fingernails. The second hand creeps out equally doing the same both arms fumbling about due to the slimy fluid from inside the corpse. Upon slipping the mystifying figure collapses on the side of his face and cries out in pain, “What has happened to me!” He screams. Instantly Mrs. Samsa recognizes that tone as her own, it is her son. With all fear abolished from her body she runs to help him and attempts to relieve him from his pain, both forces work chaotically against each other. Once up Gregor takes hold of the sheet in which he perished in, and with it conceals his privates. The two women stare in astonishment at one’s son and the other’s brother.

Every night, she wakes up from the first interaction with death, and sees Hans sitting in a chair instead of the empty bed, reinforcing that she’s not alone, “Shhh, I’m here, it’s all right”(Zusak 36). As a result of being abandoned by her biological family, Liesel discovers comfort by having someone care for her. Soon after, this becomes a routine but one night is different Liesel’s nightmare is the same, she relieves the night of her brother’s death. The girl who woke up in the middle of the night wet her bed, her papa holds her until he too, notices the smell coming from under the sheets which causes him to change her sheets and he finds a book that she picks up during her brother’s funeral. Hans, the kind person he is, asked if Liesel who had recently wet her bed, wants to read the book.

“From that room, too, the daylight was completely excluded, and it had an airless smell that was oppressive. A fire had been lately kindled in the damp old-fashioned grate, and it was more disposed to go out than to burn up, and the reluctant smoke which hung in the room seemed colder than the clearer air,--like our own marsh mist. Certain wintry branches of candles on the high chimney-piece faintly lighted the chamber; or it would be more expressive to say, faintly troubled its darkness.” (p. 104)