“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 is the narrator of the novel ‘The Book Thief’. Death implies that there is something ugly and beautiful in every human being he has come across, but yet he doesn’t know how they can co-exist in one person. The Book Thief explores how beauty can co-exist with brutality. Liesel Meminger, Rosa Hubermann and Hans Hubermann are three of the vast majority of characters who show their beauty in the midst of brutality.
Part 1 English 2 Pre-AP/GT Summer Reading Assessment – The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Death, our narrator, tells the story of Liesel Meminger. We begin with her at age nine, right after losing both her mother and brother. Liesel goes to live with foster parents Hans and Rosa Hubermann in Molching, Germany. When Liesel arrives, she is made of fun in school for not being able to read. She feels powerless, so Hans teaches her how to read at night in their basement, reading from a book Liesel stole from her brother 's funeral: The Grave Digger 's Handbook. In the beginning of the novel, Liesel often has nightmares. Hans helps her through this and eventually gains her trust. She becomes friends with Rudy Steiner, a boy the same age as her who lives next door.
(HOOK) The way through which a novel utilizes symbols often helps to elevate it to new heights by providing it with multiple meanings. (CI) The novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding can be described as the epitome of this situation. (GS1) The symbols in this novel could perhaps have a religious purpose. (GS2) On the other hand, the symbols could be providing a message regarding society. (GS3) Finally, the symbols utilized in this novel can be so influential that they could make a statement about human nature itself. (THESIS STATEMENT) The symbolism in the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding points toward several truths about (I) religion, (II) society, (III) and human nature
“Words - so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them.”(“Words Quotes - BrainyQuote”). In the novel The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, words are expressed to change the minds of Hitler’s followers to believe his every word. Words are also used against German citizens if they do not conform to the societal expectations. On the other hand, Liesel has a lust for words and she wishes to use them to positively impact others. Unlike Liesel, Hitler is focused on using his words to corrupt. There are many instances in the novel that words are used to mend and also harm. For example, Liesel reads to her neighbours during the air raids to
Many books have the same themes and even some books have the same setting, ideas, or characters. In The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and Night by Elie Wiesel, both Liesel from The Book Thief and Elie for Night both share a common theme: suffering. Both Liesel and Elie suffer from the loss of their family. It is very hard on them since they have almost no one to depend on; they are by themselves essentially. Suffering is a major problem that both Liesel and Elie have to endure with in order to survive.
“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)
In William Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies, he created this book about a group of proper british boys to show that even the most civilize of all can turn inhuman and go savage. Also being in the war helped Golding to see what people were capable of even if they were good at heart. The themes in Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies, were influenced by his childhood, his experiences in the war, and his view of human nature.
To Heal and to Hurt: The Importance of Words in The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
You truly don’t know what you have until it’s gone. Everyday things are taken for granted. In “The Book Thief” It shows incredible examples of how loss transforms you for the better. “The Book Thief” Written by Markus Zusak is a novel based on Nazi-Germany during post World War 2. It Features the scary truth along with harsh humor, The story is told through the eyes of brave, Jewish girl named Liesel. The story shows how you should always be thankful for what you have because it could be gone within a second. Growing up underprivileged definitely teaches you things that you would not have learned or viewed in that way if you were middle class/upper class. Growing up poor can have a huge effect upon yourself, but you learn, develop and become
Change is an important part of life. Change could mean a lot of things. It could mean how the character changes their personality or attitude or it could mean how the character learns from their mistakes. In the novel, the book thief, the change that Liesel undergoes as a dynamic character is fascinating. After moving into a different town, she makes a lot of new relationships, also she shows her determination and passion towards books, she also starts understanding the power of words. Firstly, after moving into a different town, she makes a lot of new relationships. In the beginning of the novel, Liesel starts having a hard time trusting and allowing herself to be vulnerable
In the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding there is an occurrence of various changes that are involved in each character. Throughout the book, there are characters that change since they were first introduced and some who have very little to no change. Ralph is someone in the beginning in the book who appears to be quite immature and adventurous. Ralph changes into an organized leader who appears to be more mature because he sees the bigger picture of being rescued and realizes life isn’t all fun and games which is significant because it conveys the maturity when kids start to grow up. Some experiences that show his change are when the fire goes out, when the group is seeking the beast, and the death of Simon.
Everyone has this underlying darkness within them that is hidden away deep inside the nooks and crannies of their hearts. Golding demonstrates this through the use of his major characters, Ralph and Jack. In the novel, Lord of the Flies, the author William Golding utilizes character development to suggest the idea that when individuals are separated from civilization, dark forces will arise and threaten unity and harmony.
The story begins with the narrator, Death, talking about his first encounter with Liesel Meminger only 9 years old at the time in Molching, Germany. He meets Liesel traveling on a train mid-winter with her mother and brother. She sees her brother who was coughing harshly take his last breath in front of her. Liesel and her mother then exited the train as soon as it stopped and had her brother buried in that town. Present at the burial was Liesel, her mother, and two gravediggers. Liesel was the last one to part from her brother’s grave and upon walking back to her mother she notice that there was a book laying in the snow. It belonged to one of the gravediggers but she didn 't know that at the time so she took it. It was the first book that she had “stolen.”