Conflicts In The Book Thief

This summer I read the novel, “The Book Thief”, by Markus Zusak. After reading the story, it became clear that Hans Hubermann would make an excellent best friend. This is because Hans thinks of others before himself. For instance, when there was a parade of Jews being marched down the street, there was an old Jewish man who barely had the strength to hold himself up, and kept falling. Soldiers forced him to stand and keep up with the others Jews even though he could barely walk. None of the citizens watching the parade did anything to help the poor man, except for Hans Hubermann, whose act of kindness was simply offering him a slice of bread, even though he knew he would be harshly punished. (394, Zusak) This proves that Hans would make a

However, the main conflict within the book is that the Jewish population is being persecuted by Nazis. During the war, over six million Jews were killed, and most of those who survived were forced into hiding. They were required to leave their families and friends. If they were lucky enough to find someone who would help them hide from the Nazis, they were usually confined to a very small space such as a basement, attic or farm. This conflict is external and it is man vs. society. The conflict does end up being solved at the end of the novel because World War II comes to an end. Jewish people like Max can finally reunite with their loved ones. For instance, at the end of the novel, Max goes to Alex Steiner’s tailor shop, where he finds Liesel after so many years. (548, Zusak) Being able to hug and be with each other finally without having to hide truly shows that the persecution of Jews, for the most part, had ended. A song that demonstrates the struggles of the conflict very well is “Justice Song” by William Wixley. This song is specifically based on persecution and being treated differently or with disrespect for religion. It emphasizes how justice will come for people who are mistreated for their beliefs, as the Jewish people were. For example, Wixley wrote “ So many people, culture, color, Narrow minded, don’t understand each other, Makes way for hatred, blinded by religion, Don't tell me that I’m living in a free world.” This