Which character is most affected by war, and how? “No matter how many times she was told she was loved, there was no recognition that the proof was in the abandonment.” (32) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak discusses mainly the power of words, and war in Nazi Germany and how a girl grows up in pain, love, and misery through that period of her life. To begin with, Paula, Liesel’s mother gave her and her brother Werner to foster parents, Liesel’s parents were communists so they took her father away, hence, even though she didn’t know why, her mother had to give them over to Rosa and Hans Hubermann, but just before getting there, death took Werner away. And maybe that’s when pain begins for Liesel, as much as readers know. Liesel has been, since her arrival to the Hubermanns’, haunted by sleepless nights, nightmares, grief, etc. because she feels unloved and neglected “Not leaving: an act of trust and love, often deciphered by children.”(37). After all, we can conclude that Max was the most affected by war, because of course he was a Jew, and Zusak describes how he suffered by
Liesel’s foster parents, Rose and Hans Hubermann, are complete opposites. Rose has a bit of a bad temper and can be demanding at times, while Hans is very admirable and sympathetic, but both of them still love Liesel. The narrator of the novel, Death, says; ¨She possessed the unique ability to aggravate almost anyone she ever met. But she did love Liesel Meminger. Her way of showing it just happened to be strange.
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.
Both these protagonists happen to be political refugees avoiding Nazi persecution: Liesel’s parents were Communists and Max is a Jew. Max and Liesel alike have recurring nightmares about the last time they saw their families and these help Max and Liesel link themselves in areas where no one would understand their pain due to the loss of their family. Unlike most relationships theirs is based on their similar past and personalities as well as unspoken understanding along with the trust for each other. These similarities form a strong bond between Max and Liesel and this makes “The Standover Man”, a book compiled by Max using pages from “Mein Kampf” important, as Max helps Liesel realize that the power of words can be used to delight as well as harm others. “The best standover man I’ve ever known is not a man at all...”, a line within “The Standover Man” implies that Max believes that Liesel and he need each other and this friendship is unique to both of
- Liesel, knowing the outcome of running through a stream of Jews, wanted to find Max and see him for the last time before he would disappear for years. She wanted to see him and thank him for everything he 's done for her; the stories, the fun times they 've had. She willingly put herself in a bad situation because she loves him, and she knows that he loves her too. She knew that if Max saw her, it would make him the happiest
People Who Helped in Hidden Ways Topic: Germans that helped Jews during World War II 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. Rolling Introduction Introduction Paragraph #1 Introduction Paragraph #2 Religious intolerance and persecution of Jewish people was common in Nazi Germany; however, there were some Germans that helped Jews despite the dangers. Some brave German soldiers and
Both Liesel and Montag know people who had their lives affected by brutality, ignorance and cruelty. Liesel lived during Hitler’s rule meaning that a majority of the people living in Germany were against the Jewish religion. Although Liesel lived through this misery she never let it bring her down. At a family gathering, Hans and Rosa’s son, Hans Hubermann Jr., started to get angry that Liesel was reading a book that was not Hitler's book Mein Kampf. Hans Jr. asked in a bad tone “‘What trash is this girl reading?
It was when Liesel came down, however, that Max found himself interested in life again.” (Page 250). From the day Max left the Hubermann household in fear of being found, Liesel made sure to look
At the beginning of the book, Liesel and her brother are on a train to Molching, where their new parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann, will take care of her since her biological parents might have been caught by the Germans because they were communists. Right at the beginning of the book, Liesel’s mother has left her kids with the Hubermanns because she doesn't want anything to happen to them if she gets taken away by the Germans, which she does. This is a family problem because she is only nine years old and she has already lost both her mother and father and she doesn’t know if she will see them again. For their own benefit, Liesel had to go on the train ride with her brother to her new parents; however, it wasn’t as easy as it seemed. Liesel’s little brother “died in the third carriage” (Zusak 19).
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
Although humans may originally behave due to innate reasons, much of literature argues external forces shape character and possess the power to influence the way societies behave. Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief exhibits how individuals may react in times of discrimination, and demonstrates the love and hate accompanying war. Difficult times challenge morality, and tests one’s limits; Liesel Meminger perseveres through arduous events, namely due to her identity as a creative and brave adolescent. Liesel’s identity is shaped and ultimately strengthened by outside forces.
“Look proud, he advised himself. You cannot look afraid,”(Zusak Ch 25). Max fought for the safety of his life for two years by hiding out. No matter how hopeless your situation might look, keep fighting because you never know what will happen unless you try. Having Max living in Liesel's basement teaches her first-hand how serious things are, and the dangers of what Hitler can do.
Markus Zusak has assembled ‘The Book Thief’ using a variety of narrative conventions. These include a unique narrative viewpoint, plot structure and use of imagery, all of which provide meaning to the reader. (33 words) A narrative’s point of view refers to who is telling the story. In this case Zusak’s narrator identifies himself as Death.
In the novel, Liesel’s behavior shows justice and love through her friendship with Max. Although her relationship with Max in the beginning of the book was rather awkward, soon her perspective towards Max soothes and their relationship bonds to a friendship. There are some times when Liesel’s actions were unbelievable, especially during the Jew parade. “ ‘ You have to let go of me Liesel.’
To Heal and to Hurt: The Importance of Words in The Book Thief by Markus Zusak “Words do two major things. They provide food for the mind and create light for understanding and awareness.” This quote by Jim Rohn highlights the two major things words do, indicating they have a power, an important role in everyday lives. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is an outstanding representation of many topics including the most crucial one, the importance of words. It is the late 1930s to early 1940s in Germany during the World War II, and the main character, Death, cannot help himself but to be intrigued by Liesel Meminger’s story, a girl that lives in Munich, Germany on Himmel Street.
Did you know that Pavel Friedman, the author of the book The Butterfly wrote “A total of around 15,000 children under the age of fifteen passed through [the concentration camp] Terezin. Of these, around 100 came back”. This is a completely, absolutely horrid statistic, and yet it is true. Speculate about being a child back in Nazi Germany. Not all of these kids were Jews.