Over the summer I read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. The novel contains many memorable quotes, with powerful meanings that can be applied to the reader’s life. The novel is the story of Liesel Meminger’s journey through the eyes of the narrator, Death. Liesel has many hardships in her life, but also a lot of good fortune. The novel shows both Liesel and Death’s reactions to each situation she encounters. The first quote is said by Liesel Meminger, the main character of the novel. It is the last line of Liesel’s novel titled The Book Thief. She acquires the blank book from Ilsa Hermann, and uses it to write her life story. She talks about all of her experiences, both the positive and negative. She ends the book with these words: “I have hated the words and …show more content…
The quote comes in when Liesel is watching books being burned by the Nazis. The following is said to describe human nature: “I guess humans like to watch a little destruction. Sand castles, houses of cards, that’s where they begin. Their great skill is their capacity to escalate.” (90) Death uses the quote to talk about Liesel when she is compelled to watch all of the books burning. Liesel does not agree with the books being burned, especially since the books she owns are her most prized possessions. However, she needs to see the pile of burning books out of curiosity and awe. I chose this quote because I believe that Death’s observation is correct. I think that as much as humanity strives to build and progress, they cannot help being destructive. There have often been times in our history when we have aimed to destroy instead of build, such as wars. Death said it can be traced back to our childhood, for example little kids always enjoy knocking down objects such as sand castles or blocks, It could be that for some individuals the need to destroy grows, causing devastating results. Throughout the novel Death makes many accurate observations on human
In The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, main character Liesel struggles to maintain the innocence of her childhood while combating the beliefs and hardships of living in Nazi Germany. The most predominant theme in this book was the use of fear and its complete and pure power when combined with death. As Mark Twain once said, “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.” This quote truly explains the essence of The Book Thief, the fundamental reason being that death was the narrator. Which from start to finish, displayed the fears of a multitude of different people and how they see death, but more importantly how death sees them.
In The Book Thief, a work of historical fiction, written by Markus Zusak introduces the main character Liesel Meminger, the reader starts to see how she keeps having many conflicts but always stays positive. Liesel has many conflicts, for example her brother dies early in the book and that shapes the way she is. Later on Liesel steals books and that makes her happy because the first book she stole was the grave digger's handbook and that is how she remembers her brother. Liesel steals and reads books this is how she finds happiness with all the bad things going on around her. In the end of the book most of the people she loves die and it is hard for her to find happiness again. The author uses the setting and point of view to express theme and to make the reader feel sympathy; He uses this because with the theme of finding light in the darkness, deaths perception, and the setting of Germany makes the theme clearer.
Chapter Summary In this chapter Graff gets furious for the image of Peter showing in Enders game. Graff argues with Major Imbu who is the computer expert he asks him how Peter got in the game. Meanwhile, Valentine doesn’t forget Ender she always thinks of him. She agrees to help Peter with his plan.
Liesel’s empowerment stems from three sovereign aspects, from discovering the influence of words through books, to discovering new ideas and concepts, and revolting against the horrific Nazi agenda. The younger generation in The Book Thief during Nazi Germany shows a constant hope for the Jewish people in the future. Liesel’s empowerment not only benefits her, but it benefits other people as well, like Max. “Now I think we are friends, this girl and me. On her birthday it was she who gave a gift to me” (Max 35.20) this quote reveals the trust that Max has put into Liesel because of her strong willed empowerment, which gives him strength to keep continuing his journey with the family.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak tells the story of Liesel Meminger and her life during World War II. It is told from the point of view of Death through his interactions near her and others in her life. Zusak uses imagery, language, and tone to share his theme of the beauty of humans.
Markus Zusak’s Book Thief chronicles the life of Liesel Meminger and those who crossed her path. Through his use of Death as a narrator, a profound underlying message of the wondrous complexity of the human world is presented, balancing the ever-present forces of evil and good.
Max Vandenburg, who was a very supportive boy of Liesel, always helped her during her worst times and even her best times. Max had missed Liesel’s 12th birthday so he made her a little gift. He took a book called Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler, but made it his own called The Standover Man. He gave this book to Liesel as it symbolizes how people have always stood over him in his life to help him just like Liesel has. “During that week, Max had cut out a collection of pages from Mein Kampf and painted over them in white. He then hung them up with pegs on some string, from one end of the basement to the other … Only then, on the paper that had bubbled and humped under the stress of drying paint, did he begin to write the story. It was done with a small black paintbrush” (Zusak 223). This quote reflects the power of words because Max is doing this for Liesel since they are good friends, and since it's her birthday. This comes to show that Max is about positive words towards his friends, but mainly Liesel.
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.
Furthermore, people are shaped and adapted from interactions with others which impact their own decisions and behavior. In The Book Thief, the narrator, Death, is struggling to keep his attention away from humans. He attempts to use colors as a distraction from the sadness of his job and the humans, but he became too intrigued by a young girl, Liesel’s, reaction to her little brother’s death. Death reflected on his choice he made- to pay attention to Liesel: “Curiosity got the better of me, and I resigned myself to stay as long as my schedule allowed, and I watched,” (Zusak 33). Shown by this quote, Death’s behavior and the choices he made were weighed by the interactions he tried to stay away from previously, human interactions. Even though
Imagine you are a poorly fed citizen, who is living in Germany, during the World War II, what would you be doing, probably stealing something to fill up your tummy right? It is true that at the economically unstable period mentioned in the book, thievery is understandable, anything could be stolen and anyone could be a thief. However, for those who have read and understand the book thoroughly would acknowledge the importance of Liesel's’ thievery characteristic.Markus Zusak, in The Book Thief characterizes Liesel as a thief to compare her theft with mutiny against Nazi Germany, other rebellious German people and the development of her personal identity.
The novel “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak is a book that portrays how love or loneliness can change your mindset in different ways. The plot centers on a little girl, named Liesel Memminger who gets adopted by the Hubermanns. Liesel is faced with all sorts of challenges that changes her identity, but she is the one who also inspires people to change as well. Zusak portrayed Max Vandenburg as a lost and mysterious person. Max’s story begins outside the Hubermanns house during the middle of the night.
The Book Thief, is a Death narrated novel by Markus Zusak. The story takes place in Nazi Germany, 1939, where Liesel Meminger arrives on Himmel Street to start a new life with her foster parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann. She lives to a very old age and when Death finally comes to take her away, he wants to tell Liesel about beauty and brutality. But what could he tell her about beauty and brutality that she didn’t know, the Book Thief had lived through it all. The time she saw Max marching to Dachau, the time Rudy went into the Amper River to save The Whistler, and the final moments she spent with Mama. Liesel Meminger’s life had always represent beauty in the wake of brutality.
The Book Thief is the story of Liesel Meminger’s life during World War 2 told through the eyes of Death himself. All three writers portray Death as a character who has interactions with those that have or are about to die. However, unlike Zusak’s Death, Collins’ is a malicious puppeteer and Dickinson’s Death is presented as someone who is at peace with what he must do.
In Markus Zusak’s novel, The Book Thief, Rosa Huberman gives off a very strong first impression to her foster daughter, Liesel. When Liesel first arrives to her new house, Death describes Rosa as using a “fistful of words” (35). By comparing her words to a fist, Death is implying that her words are powerful and strong. This creates an image of how Liesel perceives Rosa’s personality: overpowering and impactful. For example, in the same sentence, Rosa states , “From now on you call me Mama” (35). By coming off so strong, Rosa is most likely trying to assert herself as a powerful figure in the house. Also, just like being punched by a fist, Rosa’s words left a lasting impact of her personality on Liesel. In addition, it sets a recurring theme
The book 's importance is explained through Death where ‘“The books meaning 1. The last time she saw her brother. 2. The last time she saw her mother.” Despite Liesel being illiterate, the Gravedigger’s handbook holds significant meaning for the character. Liesel has an overwhelming feeling of loss of control and acts out in rebellion to steal the book that lay beside her brothers grave. By stealing the book, she has a reminder of her small family and it stops her feeling defeated by her ever changing life, which she has no control over. This idea is then reinforced with another action of the character. Liesel then finds out that Hitler was the cause of the suffering and loss of freedom of the people she loved and knew in her life.This second act of rebellion takes place while Liesel visits a Nazi book burning. Liesel soon understands that the Nazi’s burnt books to brainwash citizens of Germany(_____). As a result of this Lisel then understands the importance and power words have, causing her to again acts rebelliously in a protest. “And it was anger and dark hatred that had fueled her desire to steal it.” This passage from the novel shows the emotions of Liesel. As a character who is unable to express herself verbally, her actions speak for her. Liesel 's desire to understand words begins to grow, with her understanding that Nazis burn books in fear of what they may do to society.