Frankenstein is a didactic novel that teaches the reader not to judge solely on appearances, as they can be deceptive. The protagonist, the famous Creature, is shunned by society due to his hideous physique. This highlights Mary Shelley’s criticism of her prejudiced society, who consider the Creature as a monster because of something as superficial as his physical appearance. However, the reader knows that The Creature has a good heart and a true inner beauty, yet he is seen as the monster of the story. A common interpretation is that Victor, the creator, should be considered as the monster because he is monstrous from within, a mirror image of his creation. This shows how appearances do not always represent reality, they can be deceptive.
The Book Thief quote
"I hate the Führer," she said. "I hate him."
And Hans Hubermann?
What did he do?
What did he say?
Did he bend down and embrace his foster daughter, as he wanted to? Did he tell her that he was sorry for what was happening to her, to her mother, for what had happened to her brother?
Not exactly.
He clenched his eyes. Then opened them. He slapped Liesel Meminger squarely in the face.
"Don't ever say that!" His voice was quiet, but sharp. (...) “You can say that in our house,” he said, looking gravely at Liesel’s cheek, “But you can never say it on the street, at school, at the BDM, never!”
The Book Thief revolves around this theme, how appearances can prove to be a facade for reality, people are not always how they appear to be and how you can’t always trust what you see.
In Nazi Germany, where the story is set, appearances were of vital importance. People were forced hide certain aspects of themselves that did not abide by the Nazi principles or regulations. In this manner, they had to lead double lives, and we can observe this duality in several cases in the novel: for instance, the Hubermanns appear to be a “good”, law-abiding Nazi family, but in reality, they are hiding a