Liesel's Book Theft Research Paper

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak follows the struggles and triumphs of a young girl growing up in Nazi Germany. The story begins when she is nine, and includes her death, so as expected, Liesel changes a lot during this time. The changes that are most important and noticeable to the reader are her discovery of words, becoming a thief, and growing up to be just like her Papa.

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.

20 July 1944, Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg placed his briefcase beside the Fuhrer and left for a phone call. Moments later an explosion rocked the compound but the Fuhrer was alive and Stauffenberg paid with his life later that very same day. Although Hans Hubermann is just a character in Marcus Zusak’s novel, The Book Thief, he too resisted the Fuhrer and his party. Hans was an anti-Nazi much the same as Stauffenberg, although they went about their resistance in radically different ways, they both worked against the oppression that the Third Reich instilled upon the land it occupied.

Liesel also very curious. A prime example of her curiosity is her very strong desire to learn how to read. At the beginning of the book,on page 13, it says “Apart from everything else, the book thief wanted desperately to go to the basement, to write, or to

In the novel The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, a young girl living in Nazi Germany named Liesel, was given up by her mother and sent to live with her new foster family. Liesel was given to the Hubermanns at ten years old. Throughout Liesel's journey during World War ll she has been abandoned by her mother, her brother Werner, a Jew named Max and her foster papa Hans. Over the course of the novel Liesel Meminger suffers from being abandoned by losing many friends and family that are close to her.

In the middle of “The Book Thief”,Liesel becomes determined. She is determined to show her papa that she can read and write. Liesel shows she is determined because she learns how to read and she wants to write all the words that she learns on the wall. An example that shows this is “we're starving out here,and you're stealing books?”said Rudy. In this example Liesel wants to read the one book from the library so she steals it but will bring it back when she is done.

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. In 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. Through 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.

The year 1942, for Death, was a lot to take in. Many rounds across the world needed to be completed that year due to the fault of humanity. Death says,”Sometimes the human race likes to crank things up a little… A few bombs do the trick” (308). It’s ironic how he says this because they way he says sounds like he’s mocking the human race for being unable to realise that they’re causing death on each other. He’s stating the truth like we’re not smart enough to comprehend it any other way. Since we’ve begun to do this, we’re the ones who are at fault for his “workload” being so high. This adds to the books serious themes because it shows the reason for why Liesel goes through all of her daily struggles and events, all because of the lack of the

From what has been established so far in The Book Thief, I believe that Liesel is hungry for knowledge and the power of literacy. Since the beginning, she has longed for this ability which is why she stole books in the first place. It just so happened that Hans was willing to teach her how to read and to teach her the things that she wouldn’t learn at school. I think that she has many longings for things throughout the book, but this is the most important in her mind. Along with just the ability to read, I also think that she wanted the chance to show that

Historically, people have used literacy to obtain political power. In the novel The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, it is evident that books, reading, and words themselves represent power for different characters in different ways. Close analysis of Liesel Meminger and Max Vandenburg reveals that power can be achieved through literacy in a context where literacy is severely limited.

For The Book Thief Essay, the theme I picked was “The true nature of courage”. The reason I picked this specific theme was because I felt like I can relate to it more than the other themes. There are plenty of examples where different characters display courage, when at times they could have shied away. The first couple of examples that come to my head is when Hans paints the over the slurs, or when Rudy and Liesel give the jews bread. Thesis statement: The Book Thief has very courageous characters, but they aren't as courageous as I would be in their situation.

“I have hated words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right.” Markus Zusak's The Book Thief conveys not only the power of words, but that there is also so much heart, even in a place where times are so dark. During the beginning of World War II, Liesel is moved to new foster parents after witnessing her brother die and her mom abandoning her. Soon she finds out that a Jew hides away in the basement. At first she is uneasy, but the man tells stories and dreams that are life changing. Once her parents begin to care for a protect the Jew, Liesel is taught that people are kind, even in the worst of times. The beauty of this message can have a huge impact on the way people see the world, and gives

“Here’s a small fact. You are going to die.” Death deals with many deaths throughout the story, especially with World War II happening. In the novel, The Book Thief, written by Mark Zusak the narrator follows a young girl named Liesel around. She is growing up during a hard time and in a hard place; Germany during World War II. She moves into a new house on Himmel Street and meets many new people. Throughout the book Liesel faces many challenges and has to overcome them, but the one thing she always enjoys is reading. She has many deaths like her mother, brother, mama, papa and more. The author uses setting and point of view to express theme in The Book Thief by having the narrator, Death, follow Liesel who learns new words from books while dealing with the struggles of living in Germany during World War II and having deaths around her.

Through all of the irony and vivid coloring, The Book Thief is more easily understood after acquiring knowledge of reading literature with greater care and meticulousness. Applying chapters of How to Read Literature like a Professor can better enhance a reader’s awareness of hidden messages and symbols within certain works of literature. In Chapter Two, Foster explains how meals suggest a communion between all parties involved in it. Markus Zusak also uses meals and food to bring families together in The Book Thief. Foster also explains, in Chapter Eleven, how violence in literature usually stands for more than just violence.

Death states that, “I’m always finding humans at their best and worst. I see their ugly and their beauty, and I wonder how the same thing can be both” (Zusak 491). This book shows us human doing things that weren’t even imaginable before this point. Many people give into ideas that were lies. But, we also watch a few people go out of their way and sacrifice everything for a man they barely even know. They do everything they can to keep him safe and alive. They work harder, the get another job, and they even steal. In Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief, death examines the ugliness and the beauty of humans.