Identity In The Book Thief

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.

“She saw it so clearly, her starving mother, her missing father, her dead brother” (Zusak 111). This thought had occurred to Liesel during the book burning. After witnessing all the Hitler supporters chant and scream Liesel had realized on harsh fact, she was truly alone. Not only, but also Liesel had come to realization she has truly lost her freedom and rights as a human being. “A collection of men walked from a platform and surrounded the heal “Heil Hitler” they chanted “Die Judens”(Zusak 113). Liesel has realized she must respect the man who was the reason for her and her entire families suffering. She has realized she officially has lost her home, that she is completely isolated from the community. “It was quite a sight seeing an eleven year old girl try not to cry on church steps, saluting fuhrer”(Zusak 115). After losing all of these emotionally wrecking things Liesel learns and understands she needs to keep going forward. She refuses to give up she although times are rough manages to think, it could be worse. Losing rights and privileges truly prepares you for the worst and transforms you for better.

The theme of this book is learning to love and care for the people around. How I came to this conclusion is by how Liesel acts towards Max, her foster parents, Rudy, and her neighbors. Liesel cares for people even if they weren't like her and she doesn't understand why there is hatred in this world. She wanted the world to be a happy place for everyone including Jews to be friends with one another. On page 426 in ‘The Book Thief’, when Rudy’s father went to war Liesel could relate to Rudy because “her mother. Her brother. Max Vandenburg. Hans Hubermann. All of them gone. And she’d never even had a real father.” Also, when Mama was depressed about Papa going to war, Mama would sleep with Papa’s accordion Liesel acknowledged “that there was great beauty in what she was currently witnessing, and she chose not to disturb it” (Zusak, 429). Finally, when Liesel’s papa gave a Jew bread during the parade and what Liesel did during the parade, she gave Jews bread by placing them in the street.

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 takes immense courage to oppose Hitler, because anybody against the Nazi party in Germany and in that time period was either kidnapped by the Gestapo or executed by the Nazi police. Being able to oppose Hitler under fear of death is a huge feat. Everybody in the Hubermann household is not a coward because of them supporting the Jews, and even keeping one safe. Everybody who lived in Germany knew of the consequences if you went against the Nazi party. When they harbored Max, they were doing something extremely dangerous because if the Nazis found out, everybody who lived there would be kidnapped and killed. Also, Hans gave bread to the Jewish man, even though he knew that the Nazis would punish him, but he had to do what he knew was right. He was not a coward for standing up for the Jewish people. Liesel knew that harboring a Jew was extremely dangerous and against the law, but Liesel and Max both have lost people due to Hitler, so they had something to bond over. Rosa also shows courage by allowing her husband keep Max safe in their basement, and having a soft spot for Max, even though he is a

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.

Nazi Germany was full of hatred and German-supremacy. Anyone who had a different opinion was wrong and should be treated as inferior. She attributed this German idea to the suffering of her family and herself. Her parents were called communists and for that reason were persecuted by the government. Liesel confessed to Hans that she hated Hitler, leading to a harsh slap in her face, literally and metaphorically, from Hans. This scene was heartbreaking for both Liesel and her father, as shown by the quote “Liesel stood up and also raised her arm. With absolute misery, she repeated it. ‘Heil Hitler.’ It was quite a sight - and eleven-year-old girl, trying not to cry on the church steps, saluting the Führer as the voices over Papa’s shoulder chopped and beat at the dark shape in the background” (Zusak 116, 117). Hans took it upon himself to explain to Liesel that she had to agree with and even glorify Hitler. Deep down, it hurt them both but especially Liesel. She even had to ask Hans if they were still friends after this

Hans and Liesel’s relationship is a great example of trust. This is because even though Hans and Liesel are not blood related, they have this extremely strong father-daughter bond which is based on them having immense trust in each other. On page 497 it shows how much Hans means to Liesel. As Hans was in Stuttgart, Liesel missed him so much. So when she was told he was coming home, she was ecstatic. It says “ ‘Papa. Papa’ She must have said it a hundred times as she hugged him in the kitchen and wouldn’t let go” They have always had a strong bond, even when she first moved to Himmel street. For example, on page 35 it shows that it only took Liesel a short period of time before she was able to trust Hans. It says “Fifteen passed till they were able to coax her from the car. It was the tall man who did it.” The tall man being Hans. It is also shown that Hans and Liesel developed a relationship quickly on pages 43 and 44, when she had just arrived to Molching. Whenever she had a nightmare Hans would come into the room and

Having no one familiar to turn to, she finds a passion for words and continues to steal more books and develops strength through her burgeoning intellect of words. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is about the power of words; in this novel Zusak reveals that one who truly knows the hidden strength behind all words, can dominate others because words are more powerful than any weapon. The importance of words is shown through the symbolism of certain words throughout the novel; the motif of hunger, how it leads to her hunger for words; and how different Liesel’s world would be without words.

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.

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.

Change is an inevitable aspect of life; however the most significant changes occur when an individual develops a sought after skill or learns imperative information. In the novel The Book Thief the novel’s main protagonist Liesel Meminger encounters numerous moments which help define her characterization as she grows as a character. Firstly one of Liesel’s most poignant moments occurs once she pieces together her vague past and during the same process discovers her reason for loathing Hitler. When Liesel heard the word communist being mentioned in a negative connotation at the book burning, she became stricken with fear as this word was all she knew of her past life. Liesel’s desire for answers on her Mother’s disappearance leads to her asking Hans if Hitler was one

Through Liesel Meminger, Zusak explores the effect of setting on one's future self. Firstly, living with the Hubermann’s has a lot of effects on Liesel’s actions. For example, it teaches Liesel to be selfless. “ There was a trace of a grin on her face as she and Rudy Steiner, her best friend, handed out the pieces of bread on the road.” (Zusak 440). Although times are hard for not only the Hubermann’s but Germany as a whole, Liesel demonstrates the same selflessness that Hans does. When he sees an old Jew falling down constantly and close to death. Even though Hans

The Book Thief depicts the struggle of young German girl, Liesel Meminger, living in Germany during the time of Hitler’s reign. Liesel struggles to survive in a war-torn society filled with hatred and injustice. Her life is changed forever when she begins her love affair with books. With the help of her accordion-playing

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