The Book Thief by Markus Zusak as a Bildungsroman

2. FOCUS: CHARACTER – Both Liesel and Max’s identities were transformed by the sense of belonging that they both came to feel in their adopted homes. Both were displaced people, foreigners in their own country, their identities and their family heritage cruelly snatched from them due to political circumstances. Discuss this statement.
Australian author Markus Zusak wrote the bildungsroman, The Book Thief. Narrated by Death the novel is set within Nazi Germany, in the small town of Molching. It reveals the power of words, the brutality and beauty in humans and the chaos surrounding the young protagonist; Liesel Meminger throughout the domination of the Nazi ideology. Within the text the identities of Liesel and Max are transformed by a sense of belonging that they both came to experience in their adopted homes. Displaced foreigners within their own country as their identities and family heritage are cruelly snatched due to political circumstances. Liesel’s identity is transformed from an uneducated, abandoned and untrustworthy of others young girl to an uneducated strong young woman, as a result from her new adopted surroundings. Max transforms into a worthy human being that now values himself from a man that was once considered Jewish scum who was overwhelmed by the fear of being persecuted as German society embraced Hitler’s evil propaganda.
Throughout the foundation of The Book Thief Liesel’s identity is characterised as a traumatised young girl who is untrustworthy of others and uneducated. At the age of nine Liesel’s father is captured due to political circumstances, as he was a Communist living within Nazi Germany. Communists opposed the Nazi ideology therefore Hitler saw them as a threat, resulting in her father’s capture. Liesel and her brother were left without a father figure and her mother was heartbroken. In order to keep her children safe and healthy Liesel’s mother was left with no choice but to abandon them, as the same fate as her husband was awaiting her. However on the journey travelling to their new foster parents the Hubermann’s, Liesel’s younger brother is suddenly visited by Death there was an “intense spurt of coughing. Almost an inspired spurt. And soon after – nothing”. Liesel is constantly traumatised by her brother’s death as sleep depriving nightmares consistently bring back the horrid recollection. As her mother and Liesel arrive in a desperate state at the door of Rosa and Han’s Hubermann’s the child refuses to enter “a gung of tears from her eyes as she held on”, being abandoned by both her father and younger brother and soon her mother left Liesel untrustworthy of others as she is left with little hope. Liesel felt like a displaced person, foreigner within her own country after being abandoned by her final family member. In the end her happiness, hope as well as family heritage was cruelly snatched due to the rise of the Nazi Party, as society embraced Hitler’s evil propaganda, leaving Liesel alone in new surroundings she didn’t understand.
Within the novel Liesel’s identity is transformed by a sense of belonging that is established due to her new adopted home. The loss of her brother results in horrific nightmares that bring back the heartbreaking recollection of his death, however her foster papa sits with her, comforting her through the heard time. Through this kindness and the security form her new found parents she learns to trust again, she still had “nightmares…but there were new comforts now, too”. At first Liesel struggled academically, in fact she couldn’t read at all. However with assistance from her step papa Han’s Hubermann, she soon masters reading. This helped developed her fascination with words as she discovers that words hold a remarkable power to compel people to commit acts of utter cruelty. In the end learning to read provided her with an understanding that Hitler’s evil propaganda was the reason why her mother, father and younger brother were dead. Over the course of the novel Liesel befriends a Jewish man by the name of Max, he arrives on their door step seeking protection from the persecution by the cruel Nazi Ideology. Liesel begins to take responsibility for his safety and health. She develops into a mature young girl as she is careful not to report him or accidently reveal him. Developing compassion towards those suffering from Hitler’s traumatising uprise. In the end she gains a sense of belonging as she isn’t ignorant of the world. In fact she develops into a strong young woman, who is well educated and sympathetic. Her remarkable transformation is due to the sense of belonging that is established from her new home. In a short period of time she goes from a frightened girl to strong young woman.
When Max was first introduced within The Book Thief Zusak represented him as a man overwhelmed by fear that hides from the cruel persecution of the Nazi Party, he see himself as scum and not valuable to society. He felt like a displaced person, as society embraced Hitler’s evil propaganda isolating him from everything he loved, including his family. Max was left with overwhelming survivor’s guilt as he was forced to abandon his family. This was the basis to Max’s terribly traumatising nightmares, that left him sleep deprived and evoking once again the heartbreaking goodbye. In fact Death reveals how it’s often the “dead” that do not suffer, but the” heartbroken survivors” that do. Max’s family was cruelly snatched due to the domination of the Nazi ideology, as Hitler order the inhuman murder of Jews. Max felt as if he was a foreigner within his own county. This was because Hitler’s evil propaganda influenced society delivering the message that Jews were scrum and not human beings, and above all were not considered to be Germans. This isolated Max from his home country, contributing to his displacement within society. In the end being hated and persecuted took a big toll on Max’s identity, especially when it’s combined with starvation, physical abuse and incredibly poor living conditions. In the end even Max started to believe he was not valuable and just “Jewish filth” cowardly hiding from the Nazis. Zusak displays how Max doesn’t see himself as a German Jew anymore but just a Jew, “Hang on a second, he was German. Or more to the point, he had been”. This was due to the Nuremburg Laws that prevented Jew becoming German citizens. Due to the dominated of the Nazi Party Max’s identity was shaped into a young man who was a foreigner in his own country, Jewish scum and overwhelmed by society as he was afraid of persecution.
Throughout the novel Max beings to transform into someone that feels worthy and not just a Jew, but a person too; this is due to the sense of belonging that was establish in his new adopted home. Max’s new found friendship with Liesel contradicts Hitler’s evil propaganda that Jewish people don’t belong in society. He went from someone overwhelmed by fear to someone who felt worthy; it is evident when he writes the “Standover Man” and the “Word Shaker” for Liesel. He writes over the words of Mein Kampf, therefore representing Max as a “fighter” as he fights back with the limited possessions he has. For Max surviving is seen as an act of resistance against Hitler. In the end Max’s fighting spirit win, as he survives the concentration camp and the Holocaust. Liesel’s friendship and the sense of belonging he develops from the Hubermann’s home helped him to value himself, as he feels like a person and not a Jew. As a result Max’s identity is transformed from a scared and vulnerable young man to a fighter who has been given the privilege to survive and experience love, friendship and resistance to injustice.
Throughout The Book Thief the identities if Liesel and Max are transformed by a sense of belonging established within their new adopted homes. At first Liesel felt like a displaced person, foreigner within her own country after being abandoned by her family. In the end her cheerfulness, hopefulness as well as family heritage was cruelly snatched due to the growth of the Nazi Party, as society embraced Hitler’s malicious propaganda, leaving Liesel alone in new surroundings she didn’t understand. However she develops into a strong young woman, who is well educated and compassionate. Her remarkable transformation is due to the sense of belonging that is established from her new home. Through Liesel’s friendship and the sense of belonging Max develops from the Hubermann’s home helped him to value himself, as he feels like a person and not a Jew. As a result Max’s identity is transformed from a scared foreigner in his own country, Jewish scum to a fighter who has been given the privilege to survive and experience love, friendship and resistance to injustice.