The Book Thief: Film Analysis

Markus Zusak’s coming-of-age, historical fiction novel, The Book Thief, tells the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster child brought to live with a family in Molching, Germany during World War II. Throughout the novel, Liesel meets many characters who show tremendous courage in the face of the circumstances they are forced to endure like Hans, Rudy, and Max. However, the courage that they exhibit is not always the kind where they run out into battle with guns blazing but something else.

Nelson Mandela once said, “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” This quote is relatable to Markus Zusak’s novel, The Book Thief, due to the courage portrayed by several characters. The novel follows the life of a young German girl, Liesel Meminger as she becomes the book thief. Throughout Liesel’s life, she faces many battles, yet none are as invasive as those of Hans Hubermann, a stubborn yet fearless man. In the novel, Zusak introduces Hans, a character that must face several moral conflicts to lead him towards actions involving others. In Zusak’s novel, The Book Thief, courage is portrayed through Hans’s morally correct actions involving Liesel, Max Vandenburg, and a bypassing Jewish man.

Works of literature often provide readers with important insight on compelling thematic topics, such as perseverance, friendship and power. This is evident in the novel The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Taking place in the midst of world war two, the book is filled with circumstances where the characters face real world conflicts and problems. The novel starts off with Liesel Meminger being taken to a foster home in the small town of Molching, German; where along the way her little brother has died due to health complications. She begins to bond with her foster father, Hans Hubermann, over the book she has brought with her. Liesel begins to learn more about the Fuhrer or more commonly known as Adolf Hitler, and his cruel and sadistic views towards imperfect humans, the jews.

People do not know the numerous hardships a young German girl can encounter throughout her childhood. Throughout the novel Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, a young German girl named Liesel, encounters several hardships. She is separated from her father, her brother dies, and finally she is separated from her mother and given to foster parents who only want her for money. She struggles with being different from other children when she is sent to school where she reads in front of the class, even though she does not know how to read and embarasses herself. She then takes it upon herself to learn to read and write. Liesel then has a difficult secret to keep involving the arrival of Max, a German Jew. The hardships of a young German girl are

‘The Book Thief’ (2013) is a film adapted from a novel written in 2005 by Markus Zusak focussed on a ten year old girl, living in Germany during World War II, the Nazi era, Liesel Meminger. The death of Liesel’s brother left her with foster parents Hans and Rosa Hubermann. Most of the characters in ‘The Book Thief’ are opposed to the Nazi regime such as Liesel, and Max Vandenburg, who is a Jew that the Hubermanns’ are hiding in their basement. Franz Deutscher on the other hand, is the face of the Nazis as he fully supports the regime. These three characters are vital to the film because it portrays different views on the war.

Liesel, known as the book thief to the audience has a distinct passion for books and how much they mean to her. Stealing book after the book becomes a hobby for the young girl whose love of books is fostered by her foster father, Hans Hubermann. As Hans teaches Liesel how to read and write they develop an

Words in The Book Thief demonstrates that words and language have immense power. Words can be used in a negative or positive ways. Hitler used words to spread propaganda in a fallacious way which led to deleterious human beings. The people (Germans) that lived during the war were credulous about what Hitler said therefore their life turned out to be debacle. Hitler used words to deceive and outsmart the others, he implanted words and images into the Jews heads to think a certain way(Zusak, Markus Frank. 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 Markus Zusak’s novel The Book Thief, the protagonist Liesel Meminger faces and overcomes various struggles during a time of conflict, revealing the human nature of self-determination and courage. Some of her struggles include the poor socio-economic situation Germany is in, the fear of losing a loved one, being haunted loss and a variety of prejudices formed against her. In all these scenarios, Liesel can be seen persevering with a willpower beyond her age, and demonstrating courage in the face of difficulty.

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.

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

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.

You truly don’t know what you have until it’s gone. Everyday things are taken for granted. In “The Book Thief” It shows incredible examples of how loss transforms you for the better. “The Book Thief” Written by Markus Zusak is a novel based on Nazi-Germany during post World War 2. It Features the scary truth along with harsh humor, The story is told through the eyes of brave, Jewish girl named Liesel. The story shows how you should always be thankful for what you have because it could be gone within a second. Growing up underprivileged definitely teaches you things that you would not have learned or viewed in that way if you were middle class/upper class. Growing up poor can have a huge effect upon yourself, but you learn, develop and become

Anticipation can be found in many other parts of the story. The reader can see multiple possibilities of what can happen with information that they know. Zusak peaks the interest of many readers in many ways. He writes, “The book thief had struck for the first time- the beginning of an illustrious

We, as humanity, wouldn’t be where we are today if there weren’t people who were willing to be the ones to stand up for what they believed in. These people have shaped the world to be how it is, and their influence has caused large amounts of change. Standing up for what one believes in is essential because it usually it affects everybody in a positive way. This is evident through Rudy, a character in the film The Book Thief, through one of my personal experiences, and through the actions of Mahatma Gandhi.

The story takes place in the German town of Molching, a suburb of Munich during the World War II, from1939 to 1943. The story is about the book thief, Liesel Meminger, a German girl in age of 9, who was sent to her foster family, Rosa and Hans by her real mother due to some difficulties. She steals many books from the very beginning to the end, however, she is not a thief in a