Dialectical Journal For The Book Thief

As I ran through the scrub and forest, seeing all the smoke and hearing the engine sputter over and over only made me need to get to him faster. I had to save him; I had to do it for Liesel.

Friendship is the medicine for a wounded heart and the vitamins for a hopeful soul. In The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, a girl named Liesel suffers through many losses. She is taken to a new home where she developed friendships that helped her heal her wounds and survive World War II. Friendship is portrayed through her connections with Hans, Rudy, and Max and it is learned how essential these friendships are to her survival.

“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)

Human relationships break or develop depending on the circumstances. The values that creates a stable relationship may vary on historical setting or the characteristics of each person. The novel, “The Book Thief” written by Markus Zusak shows justice, love and humanity through the friendship Liesel and Max developed during the time of the Holocaust.

Rudy of course would do anything for Liesel, like jumping into a river during winter. Rudy jumped into the water to save the book that got thrown in. Rudy could have said it’s just a book, but he knows how much books mean to Liesel. I think Rudy did this to make Liesel happy, books make Liesel happy. I believe that Rudy did this to get the kiss he has always been dreaming of. I also think that Zusak made Rudy so perfect and sweet to remind the boys in today's age to be like him. I think that Rudy is very caring because he knew Liesel would be upset, and he didn’t want

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.

a. "She had watched a bomber pilot die in a metal case. She had seen a Jewish man who had twice given her the most beautiful pages of her life marched to a concentration camp"(521). - Liesel has been through so many struggles. Her brother died in front of her, her mother sent her away, and she witnessed almost everyone she loved depart from the world. She had more than enough reasons to quit, but she decided to stay strong through it all. She is brave enough to live with the memories, and rather than thinking of them as a burden, she wears them as a badge of honour.

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.”

Forty million people a day view Instagram stories, 79% of teenagers use Snapchat once a day, and 51% use it at least eleven times a day. In fact, teenagers use on average five screens a day (Patel, “10 Tips”). The use of social media makes teenagers happier and cures their boredom after school. However, problems arise when young people find all their satisfaction on social media. All this time spent on social media and whether you get enough “likes” could result in a bad outcome and cause poor health. Some teenagers know social media leads to loss of sleep, more anxiety issues, and even failing to communicate with the outside world (Schupak, “Does Technology”). The Book Thief by Markus Zusak has a similar theme. Set in World War II, Liesel, the main character gets taken from her mother to live with the Hubermanns on Himmel Street and her brother perishes along the way. She grows close to her new papa Hans, mama Rosa, as well as Rudy, a boy who influences her tremendously. Her family welcomes a Jewish man named Max, into hiding in their basement. Max and Liesel gain a very strong friendship until he must leave for the family’s safety. In the end, the Allied Powers bomb the city, leaving Liesel as the lone survivor, leaving Liesel to face an extremely difficult time. In the end, the narrator, Death, reunites her with Max. Liesel lives a wonderful life and passes peacefully. In the novel, The Book Thief, Zusak proves the satisfaction found in corruption and harmful choices

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.

Working thesis statement: Helping Jews was very dangerous in Nazi Germany during World War Two because of Hitler’s bigoted nationalism, yet numerous Germans civilians and soldiers assisted a Jew in some way during the time of war. In The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Liesel’s fictitious family and friends help Jews in the same ways that real life Germans helped Jews to hide and escape during World War II.

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

The power of words in “The Book Thief” and the endless strength they carry is a prime topic throughout the book. “The Book Thief”, a novel narrated by Death about Liesel, a young German girl who is given up for adoption to live with the Hubermann’s shortly before World War II. Liesel discovers the power that words, written or spoken, have to transform people, relationships, and lives. In the novel, Mark Zusak uses the relationship between characters to signify the power of words. Within “The Book Thief” the author suggests that words hold much power and have a major role in crafting the relationships between the characters.

Books have always been an alternate world to escape to and learn more about the world around you. But that’s a privilege some do not have. In Fahrenheit 451, books and burned at all costs and in The Book Thief, Liesel must steal to be able to read and learn about the world. Within both texts, books play a vital role. In The Book Thief, books provide hope, education, and escape while in Fahrenheit 451 books provide knowledge and freedom.