Individuals often get inspired to become heroes based on the examples set by others before them. That concept is clear in The Book Thief when Hans Hubermann demonstrated his heroism by harbouring Max Vandenburg, a Jewish man, during the Holocaust. The father of Max, Erick Vandenburg unintentionally saved Hans’ live during their younger years spent together in the German army. Hans is moved by Erik’s heroism and becomes Max’s hero. Similar to the heroism demonstrated by Hans in The Book Thief is the account of two siblings from Menands, New York who gave up on birthday presents for a great deed.
However, another important lesson is on display, the value and significance of speaking truth to power and authority is shown through courageous and humane actions as well. These actions can influence others to stand up for what is right and can impact society as a whole. This is displayed in The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak. In the novel, the foster father of Liesel Meminger, Hans Hubermann, exhibits courage and humanity. As the actions he displays clearly disagrees with Hitler's point of view.
This is a clear example of conformity. Each one of the other Germans standing motionless is like a sheep following the rest of the herd, or in this case the crowd. Nonetheless, if every German were to act as brave as Hans, perhaps, World War II would have ended much sooner rather than later. Hans displays remarkable courage risking his life for a selfless act. Even though Hans’ decision is impulsive and he may not have been thinking about the consequences, like a child would not think before acting, his actions portray him as humane and
Humility is a virtue that not all people possess. Even if a person is down, it is still important to prioritize humbleness because it can make him find a light in a sea of darkness. The theme people who are hopeless can still be humble is relevant in Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief as shown through Hans, Max, and Ilsa Hermann, who keep this mentality in mind while trying to overcome hardships. Hans keeps this optimistic thinking in mind from the beginning to the very end. “For Hans Hubermann, this uneasy development was actually a slight reprieve” (Zusak 353).
Opening Paragraph: By showing death has a human-like nature, Mark Zusak, the author of The Book Thief, exemplifies that death does, in fact, have a soul death feels for the people that he has to take to the afterlife. With World War II occurring in Europe, death tells the story of a life of a particular young girl who piques his interests in the midst of a chaotic time in history. Zusak shows author's style by using personification, symbolism, and foreshadowing of death in The Book Thief. By using personification, Zusak shows that death has human-like components and characteristics, he makes this a point when he writes “Even death has a heart” (Zusak 242). Death personified brings a new element to the story, it gives a new point of view on what happens after you pass on.
The novel The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is a story of a young girl named Liesel Meminger, who is a foster child living in Nazi Germany amidst the impending war. On Liesel’s journey to her new family’s home, several significant changes take place - her brother dies and her mother leaves as soon as the foster family and Liesel are introduced. Liesel discovers something she cannot resist – the feeling of stealing books. Although, "They had no qualms about stealing,” so she was soon stealing books from book burnings, the mayors’ library or wherever they are to be found (Zusak 29). Hans Hubermann, her foster father, teaches Liesel to read to the best of his ability.
Zusak uses historical facts to set a background for his novel and fiction to give a different view of the story. Zusak is the child of immigrant German and Austrian parents. His parents had a great influence as to why he wrote his best-selling novel, The Book Thief. “Zusak chose the subject matter in part to share the stories his parents told him about growing up in Austria and Germany during the war” (“Markus”). Zusak’s parents have had experience with the Nazis in their life, so Zusak had a primary source to go to for facts.
Holocaust survivor and prolific author, Elie Wiesel thought it was important to stand for something people believe in. He once argued, “There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.” The documentary Bully displays how one should stand up for what he or she believes in, and help make a difference and end injustice. For instance, World War II was a major act of injustice. If someone had said something, it most likely would have been stopped and would have never happened. Although many people say it is not their issue to stand up when witnessing an act of injustice, saying something can genuinely make a difference and help in many ways.
Tadeusz Borowski’s This Way to the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen is undoubtedly one of the most captivating and fascinating pieces of Holocaust literature. As a privileged prisoner at Auschwitz, Borowski offers a unique perspective of life inside the camp. Assuming the role of a “kapo”, Borowski describes a first hand account of the atrocities committed by the Nazis; he details the treatment of many different prisoners. Though he is a privileged prisoner, Borowski does not facilitate the atrocities committed by his captors. It is clear, Kapo Tadeusz absolves himself from the murderous functions of the Nazis in order to stay alive, both by his dissociation from the atrocities and his exploitation of the system.
The theme displayed in The Lightning Thief and the play, “Julius Caesar” exerts the amount of betrayal displayed in these texts. Throughout the stories both are subject to many betrayals through which the protagonist must power through in order to achieve their respective goals. In The Lightning Thief, Percy Jackson is betrayed by Luke because he stole the Lightning Bolt from Zeus in order to cause chaos. On the other hand, Julius is betrayed by his closest friends when he plots his plan to seize power, he doesn’t realize his closest allies have betrayed him by making a plan to kill Caesar in order for them to seize power. In the play, “Julius Caesar” and the book, The Lightning Thief, Caesar and Percy are both betrayed by those they had thought they could trust the most.