Feelings Towards Others Cause Irrational Actions in Markus Zusak's The Book Thief

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Strong emotions towards another can cause one to act irrationally. In The Book Thief by Markus Zusak Rudy, Liesel, and her foster father Hans develop strong emotions towards others that cause them to act rashly. Rudy’s, Liesel’s, and Hans’s actions illustrate the unreasonable actions caused by strong feelings towards another. Strong emotions towards another can cause one to act irrationally. This idea is prominent throughout The Book Thief especially through Hans Hubberman. Hans displays his irrationality at many points in the novel. One moment in particular was when he let a Jew he knew and deeply felt sorry for stay in his house. In the setting of the novel, 1940s Nazi Germany, Hans’s action was considered an illegal and punishable crime. On that same night Hans tells his foster daughter Liesel the gravity of their situation. He elaborates on the consequences of anyone divulging their secret. “If you tell anyone about that poor man, they’ll drag that man (max), away and maybe momma and me too” (Zusak 104). Hans explains the potential ramifications of anyone discovering Max in their dwellings. He tells Liesel of all the negative consequences that his decision could provoke. Hans’s decision runs the risk of his arrest, and the separation of his family all for the sake of one man that Hans’s is emotionally attached to. Hans’s strong emotions towards Max influence him to make an irrational decision that threatens the destruction of his family. There are many other instances in the novel where Hans’s strong feelings towards others cloud his judgment. At one point in the novel Hans decides to save the life of a Jewish man even though he realizes that the Nazi officials were watching and they forbade this type of behavior. After h... ... middle of paper ... ...dangerous situations. Strong feelings towards another can lead to imprudent actions. Throughout The Book Thief Liesel, Rudy, and Hans make impetuous decisions due to their strong emotions towards another. From reading this novel one can conclude that there is a very fine line between irrationality and bravery. Most of the decisions and subsequent actions made in the story could be regarded as brave but in truth many of these decisions were impetuous and ill thought out. In fact many of the characters subsequently came to this conclusion as well. The characters could have achieved more by executing logically planed actions instead of acting on the spur of the moment and jeopardizing their lives or the lives of others. It is amazing that even polar opposites emotions like love and hate result in the same irrational consequences as exemplified by Rudy, Hans and Liesel.

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