Reflective Essay 'The Book Thief'

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.

The theme of the novel, The Book Thief written by Markus Zusak is that there is great power in words and it makes a huge impact on others. As Liesel begins to learn to read, she hungers for words and they are her source of comfort which is why she steals books. Soon she realizes that can be an ugly thing. For example, the way Hitler uses words to encourage the Germans to carry out cruel, violence on innocent people. I chose this theme because I agree on how words can influence people around you. Also how words cannot only be used as encouragement but can be a weapon. My favorite quote that supports this theme very well is “I have hated words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right” (Zusak 528). This just says that it’s your choice on how to use words, either to use it for good or for evil.

Guilt: one of the strongest emotions, the cause of grief and sadness everywhere. In The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, characters such as Liesel Meminger, Hans Hubermann, and Michael Holtzapfel, are only a few who experience this intense emotion. Whether it stems from death, survival, or thievery, guilt finds it’s way into affecting each character’s lives, making it a main theme.

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.

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

Max Vandenburg appeared at 33 Himmel street looking for refuge from the German authorities, in the home of his late father 's friend, Hans Hubermann. Rosa and Hans took Max into their home, fed him, and nursed him back to health after he fell ill due to the severe cold in the dark hubermann basement. Although Rosa and Hans provided necessities, Liesel provided Max with well needed company and friendship. “At least once a day, hans Hubermann would descend the basement steps and share a conversation. Rosa would occasionally bring a spare crust of bread. 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

Hans being sent to war was important because it meant he couldn't work or make money for liesel and rosa.

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.

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.

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.

The characters in a story. They are hard to bring to life, yet a story would be incomplete without them. I love to write, and I often don’t have troubles creating my characters. But what makes every character stand out is that special thing about each and every one of them. That’s one thing that I loved about “The Book Thief,” by Markus Zusak. Each and every one of the characters in “The Book Thief” were different in personality and I made different memories with each and every one of them.

Based on the circumstances that they are developed in, humans are capable of both good and evil. Markus Zusak's The Book Thief explores the complexities of human nature through his use of setting, symbols and characters. Different characters possess different qualities based on their experiences. Symbols are used to illustrate both the beauty and the ugliness in humanity. Also, in the novel, the setting in which the character is raised has either a negative or positive effect on the characters actions. Therefore, in The Book Thief, Markus Zusak's develops the theme the theme that humans are often capable of both good and/or evil depending on the experiences they face. These experiences will then groom them for the future.

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.

Throughout history the human race has faced numerous struggles in conquest towards the refinement of civilization. Some struggles however, being so severe that nations had to join together to fight off forces that would otherwise enslave or exterminate a race of people. This is commonly seen during war while tyrants force their overruling reign upon individuals seeking for an entity to put their faith into. One of most know to date cases of this is when the Nazi Party set afoot a quest to conquer the Jewish people; igniting a spark in history that would set aflame a raging fire of war for five deprivating years. Although inevitable, war is not a presence to recon with, it’s not wanted nor is it desired. “It takes away husbands, fathers, and sons…” (Hillary Clinton) it destroys families, historical

Copyright piracy is a phenomenon prevalent worldwide. Piracy means unauthorised reproduction, importing or distribution either of the whole or of a substantial part of works protected by copyright. The author of a copyrighted work, being the owner, enjoys certain exclusive rights with respect to his or her works. These include right to reproduce, to publish, to adopt, to translate and to perform in public. The owner can also sell, assign, license or bequeath the copyright to another party if he wishes so. If any person other than the copyright owner or his authorised party undertakes any of the above mentioned activities with respect to a copyrighted product, it amounts to infringement of the copyright. Copyright piracy is thus like any other theft which leads to loss to the owners of the property. Besides economic loss, piracy also adversely affects the creative potential of a society as it denies creative people such as authors and artists their legitimate dues.