In The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, words played a vital role to both heal and destroy in this time period of war. Words are used to either influence people and things in a positive or negative way. Liesel learns that she has the power of words on her side and that words can affect her life and what happens in it. On the other hand, words cause atrocious things to happen as well, like Hitler coming to power. Words also have the power to heal and create marvelous things in the bad world. The Holocaust occurred when Hitler came to power, caused by his power of words; as Death states: “The Fuhrer decided that he would rule the world with words.” (Zusak 445). Hitler manipulated the Germans to think that other people, such as Jews, are not the ideal human race and they need to abolish them. The Germans were oblivious to what Hitler was trying to accomplish because they were blinded by his wise and knowledgeable choice of words. Additionally, everything in this novel was caused by words, from Hitler coming to power, Max using Mein Kampf to get to the Hubermann’s house, Liesel saving Max when he got sick, Liesel and Max’s relationship, and Liesel living in the end of the novel from being in the basement …show more content…
She came to realize the amount of power and impact her words had on others when she read to everyone in the bomb shelter and she was able to calm all the trembling humans. Words have amazing abilities to bring optimism to some or damage things around oneself. Shortly after her arrival to Himmel Street the book burning occurred, she watched thousands of books and words being burned only because Hitler did not agree with what they were focused on or who wrote them. At the book burning, Liesel learned that her mother was a communist, and then on further Liesel hated Hitler because she saw all the words being burned and realized that it was Hitler who took her mother away and destroyed her biological
Death switches between first person and third person, so the stories are told in a pretty somber way. Most of the time, the words spoken are of how certain things destroyed and killed, or how they saved and really helped someone out. Overall, the power of words is very strong in The Book Thief, and each word spoken or read by Liesel, Hans, Max, or any of the characters can really be a matter of life or death. Zusak 's motivation to use words in this manner really shows how every single thing done and spoken in life can have a big impact. Words can change someone 's life, kill someone, save someone, or lead a revolution for better or for
In the beginning of the story Liesel mentions that she was at a boarding house when she first heard the word communist. -(pg 31) “At one boarding house, there was a healthier woman who tried to teach children to write using charcoal on the wall. Liesel was tempted to ask her the meaning, but it never eventuated. One day, that woman was taken away
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.
“Once words had rendered Liesel useless, but now… she felt an innate sense of power.” (Zusak 147) Liesel was lost and did not fit in because of her non-ability to read. Words helped Liesel get a better view and grasp on the events occurring around her. She was able to
As Liesel Meminger manages to cripple the hearts of many and patch them over and over again. It makes them weep for the monsters that human beings can be, but rather delight in how wonderful we are capable of being. With that in mind, the power of words was, in fact, pivotal in the contribution to the survival and endurance of the major characters in the novel. Through the power of words, you can deceive and alter the perception of life and creation on others. In deduction, Mark Zusak effectively uses the power of words to demonstrate how crucial it was to the survival and growth of major characters, he also expresses this through numerous perspectives.
This quote from Jodi Picoult shows how words have the ability to completely change the way someone thinks or feel when they are used negatively or positively towards someone or a big amount of people. When words are used in a negative way towards someone, they are like eggs, described by Picoult, they make a “mess” because they leave someone feeling incomplete and sad. Words, when used positively, have also the power to make someone feel better about themselves. In the Book Thief, this quote shows that Hitler’s use words have the power to persuade people to believe in his political views which leaves them to go against an entire group of
Daniel Ms. Lamble ENG2D 05 May 2023 Powerful Words in The Book Thief Words are used to communicate. They convey a person’s feelings and can be enhanced by the speaker’s ability to wield the language. Put in the wrong hands, and words can be destructive beyond belief. In Markus Zusak's novel The Book Thief the theme that words have remarkable power to alter one’s frame of mind due to the obstacles of Nazi Germany is developed.
The truly pivotal point which arises from Liesels love of reading happens once she uses the power of her words to soothe the residents of Himmel Street while they are stuck in the bomb shelter. Liesel thus surpasses her fear of reading for a crowd along with demonstrating her maturity as she focuses “only [on] the mechanics of the words” (pg.381, Zusak). All together the simple act of Liesel reading to soothe everyone nerves, thoroughly reveals how her education and maturity have drastically grown since her arrival on Himmel
Ignorant to Educated In Nazi Germany, 1939, Hitler rose to power using his manipulative words to intoxicate the minds of people by using his book, Mein Kampf. After the Great Depression, Germany was desperate in recovering, so many people relied on Hitler and his ideas of oppression. In contrast, many people were not influenced by Hitler’s strategies and one of them was Liesel Meminger. In The Book Thief, Liesel embarks on a journey with words discovering how they can comfort, empower, harm, and inspire people.
In the face of extreme evil accompanied by enormous authority, the ability to recognise one’s potential power allows an individual to express their own opinions and build relationships which aids in the ability to persevere and survive the adverse conditions one is living under as well as reduce the power of the oppressor. In The Book Thief, Liesel’s discovery of the power of words lights a fire and curiosity within her that drives her to steal books, but also allows her to see the world in which she is living, in a new light. She is no longer blindly
According to Harmful and Undesirable by Guenter Lewy, “Hitler had argued in Mein Kampf that the Jews had “poisoned German culture,” including literature, and had “wrecked all the conceptions of beauty and dignity” (101). Words were important for Liesel. She stated, “I have hated the words and I have loved them” (Zusak 528). She hated the words because a powerful word “communism” had tore her away from her mother. She loved the words because they connected her with her friend Max Vandenburg.
As a result of learning that it was the Führer who took away her mother, the hatred for Hitler truly began to burn insider of her. Throughout the book, there are many other scenes that increase the hatred for the said man, but the truth about her mother and the burning of the books was the things that truly started the fire inside of her. However, due to her feeling the need to fit in, Liesel hides all of these feelings inside of her, and pretends to respect and love Hitler just like everyone else. For example, later in the book, Liesel is caught saying, “’And you?’ She glared at Liesel, who promptly gave her a ‘heil Hitler’ of her own” (Zusak 155).
The Book Thief. MZ, 2005, p. 301. ). The author of The Book Thief , Markus Zusak demonstrates the idea that a person's survival or life may strongly depend on the power of words. In The Book Thief we learn that words have a lot of power, not only do we but throughout the story unfold Liesel also learns that also.
He even tried to push her away, but the girl was too strong.’” (511) The time of the Holocaust was hell-like for the Jews. Just because of their religion, they were harassed and and abused by the Germans in inhumane ways. However, Liesel was a girl who stood up for humanity and justice.
At first, Liesel is illiterate, but when she steals her first book at her brother’s funeral, and is abandoned by her mother, she turns to something she