In the The BookThief, by Markus Zusaks, the character Rosa Hubbermann appears as a cold-hearted, overbearing character, yet as the story develops Rosa begins to evolve into a loving and compassionate character. Rosa shows her strictness by the constant demands she puts on Liesel, but she is actually caring for Liesel by being strict. Rosa wants the best for Liesel and believes that being tough on her will help her be stronger later in life. For example, Rosa and Liesel are dropping off the wash for all of the customers and Rosa makes Liesel drop off the wash at the worst house: "What? Mama shoved her, you heard me, saumensch. Move it." ( Zusaks 42) In this quote the side of Rosa comes out that she is cold-hearted as she curses at her Liesel
5. Rosa Hubermann was Liesel’s foster mother, and requested Liesel call her mama. In the book, Death mentioned that she loved Liesel just as much as Hans, she just didn’t show it the same way. Rosa was very strict, and to make money for the family, she did the rich’s laundry. Liesel and Hans always joked about how much mama complained, because she always seemed to be able to argue about everything.
The purpose of my essay is to explore how different social backgrounds and the social norms that follow affect the personality of two fictive characters and encourage them to break out of their station to find an identity. The protagonists Holden Caulfield in J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye and Tambudzai in Tsitsi Dangarembga’s novel Nervous Conditions are both victims of social norms. Therefore, the foundation of this essay was to analyze the character’s social background, which has influenced their personalities, behavior and aspirations, and consequently their opposing actions against society. Holden Caulfield is an American adolescent during the period after the Second World War.
Atrributs of Hans Hubermann In The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Hans Hubermann is presented a wonderful father to Liesel Meminger and a satisfactory husband to Rosa Hubermann. To start off, Hans is a loving and selfless father to young Liesel. In the first weeks of Liesel arriving “ He came in every night and sat with her [whispering] [s]hhhh, I’m here , It’s all right”(Markus Zusak 64) after her nightmare as he held her.
The Hermanns fire Liesel, and when she returns home with no washing, Liesel’s foster mother, Rosa, confronts her. Rosa asks Liesel where the washing is, and Liesel explains what happened. Rosa would usually launch off on a torrent of verbal assault, but this time she is unable to because she is very stressed. Liesel is used to this oral battering, and after she does something that seems unspeakable, like badmouth the mayor’s wife, she feels the need to be scolded. She needs the confirmation that she has been bad, and on this evening, Rosa cannot do that for her.
Rosa Hubermann, a dynamic character in The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, who unexpectedly displays great courage. To begin, Rosa takes Max in and treats him equivalent to a son. However, Rosa is not just taking in any normal person, she is taking in a Jew in the time of Nazi Germany. To describe the feeling Death says, "Imagine smiling after a slap in the face. Then think of doing it twenty-four hours a day.
In the novel, The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, “The Grave Digger’s Handbook” is a motif that causes character development throughout the story causing Liesel to have the book as her only memory of her mother and brother, learning how to read and write, and it leads to stealing more books. When Liesel, her mother, and her brother, Werner were going on a train to Munich, Liesel has a dream about Adolf Hitler, The Furer, who was reciting one of his powerful speeches and when she woke up she found her brother dead. The train stops for track repairs, and Liesel's mother leaves the train carrying Werner in her arms. When Liesel’s brother was getting buried by two grave diggers, one of them, an apprentice, who drops his book and Liesel picks it up.
Liesel’s life represents beauty in the wake of brutality. Beauty in the wake of brutality means something that is good in the middle of evil. For example, the Sodom and Gomorrah story in the Bible (Genesis 19). The two cities are evil and God is going to destroy them but there is one family that is good and he saves them. The family represents beauty in the wake of brutality.
There were several characters that became part of Elie’s journey in the book; Shlomo, Moishe the Beadle, Idek, Dr. Josef Mengele, and so on. Shlomo, his father, is present throughout most of the book. He is highly respected by the Jewish community of Sighet, especially by his son. Alongside Elie, they try to remain together throughout their time at the concentration camp. Elie gains a will to survive for his father, for example on pages 75-76, when his father does not pass the selection he states “How good would it be to die right here!”
Most people say that blood runs thicker than water, but in this book that is not the case. In The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, family is shown in an extremely unique way. Generally, when people imagine the average model family, they see a family that has money, a family that is prim and proper and usually, a family that is biologically related. Though, family in this book is based on shared hardships and having faith in each other, not by blood relation. Hans and Liesel’s relationship is a great example of trust.
Based on the circumstances that they are developed in, humans are capable of both good and evil. Markus Zusak's The Book Thief explores the complexities of human nature through his use of setting, symbols and characters. Different characters possess different qualities based on their experiences. Symbols are used to illustrate both the beauty and the ugliness in humanity. Also, in the novel, the setting in which the character is raised has either a negative or positive effect on the characters actions.
Humans lie and steal without hesitation to survive. That is how man is. However, human nature does not allow for cruelty to exist without the other end of the spectrum - kindness. In his novel, The Book Thief, Markus Zusak reveals the extreme malice possible in humans, along with the tenderness that stems from it. In times of hate and paranoia in Nazi Germany, ones who live morally are rare.
Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Hans Hubermann stood strong through moments of adversity. He stuck to his beliefs and personal opinions under the unrelenting reign of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. In The Book Thief Hans Hubermann displayed his morals, a comforting essence, and trustworthiness under horribly negative conditions. First off, Hans Hubermann kept to his own moral beliefs despite the ever-changing society that surrounded him.
Growing as a Character Every event in our lives happens for a reason, whether it is to learn from our mistakes or to gain experience from them. In Markus Zusak's novel “The Book Thief,” Liesel Meminger uses her experiences with living in the 1940s to learn life lessons and experience first hand the many terrible things Hitler is doing to people around her. She learns how to deal with the many obstacles that are thrown at her. Liesel grows as a character by following her step-father’s footsteps in being a kind and generous person, going through childhood with her best friend Rudy, and being aware of what is going on around her by learning from Max.
“It’s just a small story really, about, among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist fighter, and quite a lot of thievery…” (Zusak, pg. 5) The novel, The Book Thief written by Markus Zusak in 2005 explores the theme of family relationships. It is through nine-year-old Liesel Meminger, the protagonist, that the idea of a broken family during the era of Nazi Germany is explored. The Book Thief depicts the struggle of young German girl, Liesel Meminger, living in Germany during the time of Hitler’s reign.
In the end, Rosaura’s illusion about being equal to everyone else is shattered; after coming face to face with Senora Ines, she realizes that she was only there to help. Through Rosaura’s unjust situations, Liliana Heker demonstrates that different individuals react differently to injustice: aggressively, being protectively, and passively. Initially, Rosaura retaliates againstto injustice with her aggressive behaviour when she argues with her mother and during the party. Her actions demonstrates that she can’t control her rage.