The Book Thief

The Book Thief has had a place on my “To Read” list for quite some time now. For that reason I decided to read another. I knew that if i hadn't read it by now, it wouldn't get the dedication it should. I turned my focus toward a book that spoke of adventure and discovery, that promised to teach me of the world as well as myself. I continued to read The Alchemist because it did just that with its beautiful writing style and enchanting tale.

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.

Imagine being plucked from your home and being brought to a camp to die or to work. Six million Jews died during the holocaust, but during this time there was hope. Even through difficult situations, the human spirit will always triumph. Laughter, love, and beauty of nature were what got these people through their tough times. For the people who were forced into hiding or being stuck at a camp, laughter could make them forgot everything around them.

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.

At the beginning of the novel, Liesel arrives on Himmel Street after her brother had passed away. She was scared, nervous, and alone. Hans shows Liesel kindness and compassion, and Liesel begins to trust him. This is a huge point of growing up for children, as they need to have someone to look up to in their lives. Rudy and Liesel are both very childish and immature, as can be expected of two young children. They spend their time running around the streets of Molching, and playing soccer with the other neighborhood children.

The Book Thief is about a young German girl named Liesel Meminger as she goes through life while living in Germany in 1939. Liesel and her foster parents live a normal life on 33 Himmel Street. There is only one difference between their family and the others, they are hiding Max Vandenburg (a Jewish man) in their basement during the time of the Holocaust. This story, narrated by Death follows the life of Liesel from her first step into 33 Himmel Street, until the day she died in Sydney, Australia.

Overcoming obstacles in The Book Thief was not easy, especially after the death of everyone that was ever near and dear, but Liesel and al the other characters still came through at the

Continuing in The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, whenever Liesel has a bad nightmare, her and Papa have a midnight class where he teaches her to recognize letters and words and then find them in The Grave Digger’s Handbook. For Christmas, Papa trades some of his cigarettes in order to be able to give Liesel a present, two books. At the same time, Liesel comes to really miss her biological mother and eagerly starts to write and send her letters, hoping to get a response but to no avail. While in a state of hopelessness, Adolf Hitler’s birthday comes, prompting the Nazis of the town to celebrate with marching, music, and (,most importantly,) a bonfire to burn any Jewish writing.

The Book Thief has helped me overcome fear, as well as teaching me about the holocaust. It showed me how powerful Liesel and her words can go, and teaching me I can overcome anything as long as I persist through the problem. You even put death as the narrator, which shows how horrible this war was, and the amazing story of Liesel.

Liesel most definitely could have trusted Rudy with the secret of having Max hidden in her basement. Rudy was clearly Liesel’s best friend and partner in crime when Liesel was doing her acts of thievery stealing the books from the mayor’s wife bookself. The devotion to Liesel Rudy also had was strong and I believe Liesel could have trusted Rudy.

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.

Many people face challenges and cope in their own way and it can be difficult to move on based on the trauma. The characters in The Book Thief clearly exemplify that life can go on even if one goes through the most difficult point in their life. In The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, he uses Liesel Meminger, Max Vandenburg, and Ilsa Hermann to demonstrate that everyone goes through hard times but in their own way. The three characters show that even at their worst, they can get through it. One character in particular, Liesel Meminger, shows that if one has many harsh obstacles in their way, they can get through it.

“Handle them carefully, for words have more power than atom bombs.” - Pearl Strachan Hurd. The Book Thief is a story about Liesel Meminger, a nine-year-old German girl who lives with Hans and Rosa Hubermann after her mother was forced to give her away. I believe the most important example of the power of words in The Book Thief is Max’s word shaker story because of Hitler and Liesel’s influence.

Explain why the lesson learned by the character or individual was important to the text(s) as a whole.

After detectives arrested the man for burglarizing a jewelry store, they discovered that the thief was actually a woman dressed as a man. Although they informed (1) ____ she didn’t have to (2) ____ them anything, the woman confessed (3) ____ she had committed the crime (4) ____ her family because they were penniless and hungry.