The Book Thief
The Power of Words
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.
Liesel has a great passion for books and it is first shown when her brother dies and she steals her first book The Gravedigger’s Handbook. The second time Liesel steals a book, she is seen by Ilsa who is one of the clients of Liesel's mother Rosa Hubermann. Liesel faces an argument with Ilsa and this is how she used the power of words: “It’s about time,” she informed her, “that you do your own stinking washing anyway. It’s about time you faced the fact that your son is dead. He got killed! He got strangled and cut up more than twenty years ago! Or did he freeze to death? Either way, he’s dead! He’s dead …show more content…
and it’s pathetic that you sit here shivering in your own house to suffer for it. You think you’re the only one?”(Zusak 253). Here it shows how Liesel has used her words to hurt and destroy Ilsa’s feelings. Later on, death describes Ilsa as having bruises and blood on her face when Liesel says this to her. This is proof of how words have been used to destroy or hurt someone.
Also in the story Max the Jew has used words to write a story for Liesel.
Heis introduced as a person who has gone through a lot . When he arrived he changed Liesel's life, one of the many things he did was write two books for Liesel one of them was called The Standover Man and the other is called The Word Shaker. In the book The Word Shaker ,there is something that Max realizes when he writes this : “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.” Still, he was not rash. Let’s allow him at least that much. He was not a stupid man at all. His first plan of attack was to plant the words in as many areas of his homeland as possible.” ( Zusak 449 ) what Max realizes is that the words that the fuhrer uses has had the power to control over Germany and cause the
holocaust.
Towards the end of the book it is said that there were warnings for bombs. During this time Liesel used it to read her books to the people with her at the shelter. This is another way of how Liesel has used words to comfort and calm during the bomb raids. When a bomb has hit himmel street Liesel is in the basement writing her story named after the book. Here is what happens: “she survived because she was sitting in the basement reading through the story of her own life” here it is shown how Liesel's life has been saved from words literally
Throughout the story it is seen how people have been saved and destructed by words. For example when Liesel yells at Ilsa it causes her to open her eyes and see that she will not go anywhere if she doesn't get herself together. The other example shows how the fuhrer has destructed the lives of the jewish community and others like liesel when he takes her father and Max away from her. On the last example it shows how words literally saved Liesel's life from dying in the bombing. Words have the power to heal and destroy.
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.
Liesel has a great passion for books and it is first shown when her brother dies and she steals her first book The Gravedigger’s Handbook. The second time Liesel steals a book, she is seen by Ilsa who is one of the clients of Liesel's mother Rosa Hubermann. Liesel faces an argument with Ilsa and this is how she used the power of words: “It’s about time,” she informed her, “that you do your own stinking washing anyway. It’s about time you faced the fact that your son is dead. He got killed! He got strangled and cut up more than twenty years ago! Or did he freeze to death? Either way, he’s dead! He’s dead …show more content…
and it’s pathetic that you sit here shivering in your own house to suffer for it. You think you’re the only one?”(Zusak 253). Here it shows how Liesel has used her words to hurt and destroy Ilsa’s feelings. Later on, death describes Ilsa as having bruises and blood on her face when Liesel says this to her. This is proof of how words have been used to destroy or hurt someone.
Also in the story Max the Jew has used words to write a story for Liesel.
Heis introduced as a person who has gone through a lot . When he arrived he changed Liesel's life, one of the many things he did was write two books for Liesel one of them was called The Standover Man and the other is called The Word Shaker. In the book The Word Shaker ,there is something that Max realizes when he writes this : “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.” Still, he was not rash. Let’s allow him at least that much. He was not a stupid man at all. His first plan of attack was to plant the words in as many areas of his homeland as possible.” ( Zusak 449 ) what Max realizes is that the words that the fuhrer uses has had the power to control over Germany and cause the
holocaust.
Towards the end of the book it is said that there were warnings for bombs. During this time Liesel used it to read her books to the people with her at the shelter. This is another way of how Liesel has used words to comfort and calm during the bomb raids. When a bomb has hit himmel street Liesel is in the basement writing her story named after the book. Here is what happens: “she survived because she was sitting in the basement reading through the story of her own life” here it is shown how Liesel's life has been saved from words literally
Throughout the story it is seen how people have been saved and destructed by words. For example when Liesel yells at Ilsa it causes her to open her eyes and see that she will not go anywhere if she doesn't get herself together. The other example shows how the fuhrer has destructed the lives of the jewish community and others like liesel when he takes her father and Max away from her. On the last example it shows how words literally saved Liesel's life from dying in the bombing. Words have the power to heal and destroy.