Death is our guide and narrator to 'The Book Thief,' by Markus Zuzak. In some ways Death seems human as we see that he experiences both sadness and joy in the novel and even gets depressed. To help distract him from his sad, never-ending work, he often fixates on the colour of the sky as a distraction from the anguished survivors of the dead. Death faces suffering with dignity. He does not enjoy his never-ending job of collecting souls but he keeps persevering as he knows he must continue for the sake of the living. Like many humans, Death tries to find ways to give meaning to his…
Two of the key moments in The Book Thief are when Liesel learns that there are positive and negative powers that come with words. She performs her first act of thievery in the beginning of the novel…
This photograph shows a man giving his sandals to a homeless girl in Rio de Janeiro. This picture shows significance because the man showed empathy to the girl and he cared about how bad she was living. It also shows that the man gave his sandals to her because she needed it more than he did. This picture is similar to the scene in the Book Thief where Hans Hubermann offers a piece of bread to the Jew. Personal Reflection Personally, I think that relationships do not always involve two people who are in love with each other, but it also involves friendship and family.…
This passage takes place right after Liesel scolds the Mayor’s wife for firing her mother from the cleaning job.…
Although most assume Death looks like the Grim Reaper or a scary skeleton thing, in The Book Thief, Death is not. In fact, he even tells us what he looks like when he says, “I do not carry a sickle or a scythe. I only wear a hooded black robe when it’s cold. And I don’t have those skull-like facial features you seem to enjoy pinning on me from a distance… Find yourself a mirror while I continue” (Zusak 307). Essentially Death is saying that because all humans die, we all resemble death. Humans can and will die, and thus he is one of the things that is constant between all humans. Due to this reason I drew a man looking into a mirror to show Death. I just…
In The Book Thief, guilt can be found as a recurring theme, especially in the cases of Hans Hubermann and Max. In a deeper analysis, the reason as to how and why can be answered.…
Children these days worry about many things, from having the newest style of clothing, to fitting in with friends. Liesel Meminger from The Book Thief by Markus Zusak had many more serious things to worry about. Being a foster girl from Munich in Nazi Germany during World War II also treats Leisel horribly, for she runs into many problems. Not only is World War II terrifying for Liesel, but it is also terrifying to many people in her life. This book is considered a classic because Liesel’s life as a righteous Gentile is relatable, captivating, and universally accepted.…
“The consequence of this is 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. (Death)”…
Think of Germany as a heads and tails coin. The book Thief is about a girl named Liesel who lives with her foster parents Hans and Rosa Hubberman. Liesel has a friend named Rudy. They both go around stealing food, but Liesel not only stole food, she stole books. Death (Narrator) was soon fond of Liesel and he then gave her the nick name The Book Thief. This novel is great to understand the other side of Germany. Unlike other stories that talk about Jews, concentration camps, Nazi’s, this novel talks about how a family were not influeced by Nazi propaganda. In addition your see that Germany has two sides to it; one that obeys Hitler, and one that goes against him.…
Change is an important part of life. It is very interesting to see how one can change their personality and their beliefs. It is also very fascinating to see how one can realize that this world is not the world that you thought of. In the novel, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Liesel undergoes many changes both as an individual and a character in the story. The protagonist, Liesel evolves from a powerless and meek character to a powerful and more defiant character. Firstly, Liesel transforms from a helpless character to a strong character that is capable of helping others. Furthermore, Liesel evolves from a character that was illiterate to an intelligent character, who understands the power…
The power of words…it is shown in this book, it shows how people are destroyed and how people are saved from words. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak shows his audience that words have the power to heal or destroy. Liesel, the main character and the book thief, Max the jew, and Hitler the fuhrer are the ones who show how they have used words to affect others in both positive and negative ways . Throughout the story it shows Liesel's great passion for books as well as her dedication to learn how to read.…
Slavery began in America when the first African slaves were brought to Virginia in the 16th century. Slavery assisted in the formation, growth, and development of the United States both the north and the south. It had a huge impact on the growth of an emerging nation, increasing economic growth, urbanization, and industrialization of the United States. During the first half of the 19th century, criticism and defenses of slavery evolved, but many slave owners disagreed that slaves should be freed and given the same rights of white men. The disagreements about whether slaves should be considered equal to white men created more conflict between the North and South in the 19th century, causing the Civil war to be an irrepressible conflict.…
This passage reminds me of the scene where Napoleon steals the milk and apples from the animals without asking in Animal Farm. Similarly, in The Book Thief, Rudy and Liesel are also stealing vegetables from many farms. However, the reason that Napoleon steals the milk and apples is because of his greed, while Rudy and Liesel are stealing to "extend their thieving repertoire" (Zusak 161). Also, from my interpretation of this passage, I feel that the law enforcements are not strong enough to stop thievery at that time in Germany because, if the law enforcements were powerful, then Rudy and Liesel wouldn't take the risk to extend their thieving…
The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, has caused me to have multiple reactions, to the story, characters, and themes. They have made me feel mad, sad, upset, happy, but most of all surprised; throughout the recent readings every night more gets added to the story and more just surprises me. What completely shocked/surprised me was when Liesel fought back against Ludwig Schmeikl and what followed afterwards. However, there has been far more things than just that, that have surprised me. A couple include Liesel receiving two books for christmas, Hans Junior leaving, and how Rudy has reacted to Liesel throughout the entire passage,…
Quotation 1: Yes, the Führer decided that he would rule the world with words. ‘I will never fire a gun,’ he devised. ‘I will not have to.’ … His first plan of attack was to plant the words in as many areas of his homeland as possible. He watched them grow, until eventually, great forests of words had risen throughout Germany … It was a nation of farmed thoughts.” (Zusak 451)…