How Is Language Used In The Book Thief

694 Words2 Pages

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak demonstrates that words and language have immense power. Words can be used in a negative or positive way. Hitler possesses the power of words; he used words to spread propaganda in a fallacious way which led to a deleterious impact to human beings. There are a few different themes in the novel; some of the themes are war, suffering, criminality and the most important one is the power of words. Beauty and brutality co-exist in the characters, revealing the baffling nature of humanity. Words were what had saved Liesel's life when a she was editing her book “The Book Thief” in the basement during the night of Himmel street bombing. Markus develops his theme through the characters in the novel. We also feel the tone through the characters and the events.
The people (Germans) that lived during the war were credulous about what Hitler said therefore their life turned out to be a debacle. Hitler used words to deceive and outsmart the others. He used words to make the Jews think a …show more content…

A positive way that words were used in The Book Thief is when Liesel reads out loud in the bomb shelter during the raid: “A voice played the notes inside her. This, it said, is your accordion.The sound of turning page carved them in half. Liesel read on”(Zusak, 380). She thought of the accordion how it comforted her when Hans played it and reading comforts Liesel. In the novel, Liesel steals her first book near her brother's burial even though she cannot read. When she moves in with the Hubermanns, Hans teaches her how to read was a positive use of words. She then starts stealing books as revenge and to furtively rebel against Hitler burning books. The theme of The Book Thief is the power of words. All the examples as said earlier pertain to the theme because the words that the characters have said is powerful. The readers get surprised by what is said by the characters because we get to see the other side of

Show More
Related

  • The Book Thief Rhetorical Analysis

    1186 Words  | 3 Pages

    “I have hated the words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right.” (Zusak 528) Words and the power they possess is a common theme that is heavily mentioned throughout the novel The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Throughout this book, rhetoric affects multiple characters in both positive and negative ways. There are instances in this book in which one can see how words have the ability to tear people down, educate and inform, and to inspire individuals to follow their dreams.

    Read More

  • Use Of Literary Devices In The Book Thief

    609 Words  | 2 Pages

    In The Book Thief, author Markus Zusak tells the tragic story of Liesel Meminger and her experiences in 1939 Nazi Germany. Zuzak incorporates compelling literary devices such as toe curling foreshadowing, personification, and vivid imagery in the form of simile and metaphors to grasp the readers’ interest. Zusak’s use of various literary devices helps to deepen the text and morals of the story, and makes the dramatic historical novel nearly impossible to put down.

    Read More

  • The Book Thief Sparknotes

    1375 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the novel The Book Thief by Markus Zusak the narrator is Death, who shows itself as sympathetic and sensitive towards the suffering of the world and the cruel human nature, through its eyes, we can get to know the heartbreaking story of Liesel Meminger an ordinary, but very lucky nine-year old German girl; living in the midst of World War II in Germany. In this book the author provides a different insight and observation about humanity during this time period from a German view and not an Allied perspective, as we are used to.

    Read More

  • What Is The Distinctive Narrative Voice In The Book Thief

    1149 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, tells the story of Liesel Meminger, a young German girl of about ten years of age, who is fostered by the Hubermanns’, in a small town in Germany between 1939 and 1943. In the prologue, the reader is informed that ‘It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist fighter, and quite a lot of thievery’. It is however, much more. Despite the immense sadness and heartache of the overarching context, Zusak employs powerful techniques including; Death’s distinctive narrative voice, the symbolism of words and the inclusion of graphic stories to encourage the reader to feel enlivened throughout the story.

    Read More

  • Difficulties In The Book Thief

    1704 Words  | 4 Pages

    Throughout life many people face difficulties. Depending on the person’s strength some will get through tough times, but some will fail to overcome them. Two books where characters have to face many challenges include: Their Eyes Were Watching God and The Book Thief. These two stories deal with people overcoming the difficulties faced throughout everyday life. Some difficulties include racism, religious discrimination, and dealing with others’ cruelness or kindness. Examples from these books prove that the characters have challenges throughout the stories to overcome. In the face of adversity what causes some individuals to fail while others prevail?

    Read More

  • Bias In The Book Thief

    1999 Words  | 4 Pages

    This accumulation of events which are skewed by common cultural perspectives is counteracted by the creative choice of narrator. The Book Thief, a narrative detailing Liesel, a young girl's journey of life during World War II employs this frequently. This form of biased writing within the novel byMarkus Zusak has constructed his expression of character and events to be distanced from our general connotations of the events occurring and preconceived ideas of the people of NAZI Germany. Few scenes occur outside of the context of the Hubberman's or Himmel street and no time goes by where the scene is not overlooked by the narration of Death.

    Read More

  • The Power of Words in the Book Thief

    1217 Words  | 3 Pages

    Many characters in The Book Thief by Markus Zusak develop an understanding of the strength of power words possess throughout the book which causes them to be undesirably affected.

    Read More

  • The Book Thief Words Analysis

    516 Words  | 2 Pages

    Words have the power to affect people in many ways from empowerment or to taking upon action. Words are able to make huge changes in the lives of many and can make good or bad changes. In history, people used words in both good and bad function from making a promise to a nation or even manipulating multitudes of people within a nation. Words definitely have the ability to take situations a far distance but despite the fact that evil can manipulate the majority of people, individuals too can realize the true actions and evil buried inside the perpetrator. People can be both ugly and beautiful at sometimes with weapons along their sides. A novel called The Book Thief illustrates the power of words in a multitude of ways, showing the potential

    Read More

  • The Power of Words in Markus Zusak´s The Book Thief

    1062 Words  | 3 Pages

    One may wonder since in The Book Thief many characters are negatively impacted by the power of words if many characters are positively impacted by the power of words. The power of words can influence what people believe and the actions people make. Liesel, Hans and Rudy are characters that are negatively impacted by the power of words.

    Read More

  • Propaganda: Hitler's Path to Power

    1463 Words  | 3 Pages

    Before World War II Hitler successfully implemented tactics through propaganda to secure his position as the next German Chancellor. Without using propaganda to increase his popularity Hitler would not have been able to gain the support he needed to gain control of Germany. He manipulated the German people by stating that Germany needs to become united to preserve their freedoms and to keep peace throughout the country. When Hitler was campaigning as a candidate for Chancellor he stated in one of his speeches, “Show tomorrow your firm national unity… Support with me and the Reich Chancellor the principle of equal rights and of peace with honor” (Larson, p. 175). By using a manipulative style of speaking to the public Hitler was able to present himself as one for the people, showing that he prioritized them above everything else. However, this was all a trick to increase Hitler’s popularity so he could eventually become dominant over all aspects of German life. The Nazi Regime achieved this through strategic implementations of propaganda. This desensitized the public into believing Hitler could help Germany in its time of economic and political struggle. A few people were surprised by the amount of propaganda used by the Nazis. One person was a Jewish philologist in Dresden, he noted that, “On every commercial vehicle, post office van, mailman’s bicycle, on every house and shop window, on broad banners, quotations form Hitler are everywhere and al...

    Read More

  • Conflicts In The Book Thief

    2034 Words  | 5 Pages

    “The final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands.” This quote is from the famous diary of Anneliese Marie Frank; a holocaust victim and a modern time hero. In Markus Zusak’s novel, The Book Thief, Liesel Meminger is surviving through World War II just like Anne Frank. Although their circumstances are vastly different, both girls learn that the person they wish to become must be created through their own experiences and trauma. Narrated by Death, The Book Thief is the story of Liesel Meminger, a nine-year-old German girl who has been given up by her mother to live with Hans and Rosa Hubermann in the small town of Molching in 1939. In the novel, Liesel’s greatest mountain is her internal conflict with herself and the propaganda

    Read More

  • Comparing The Weakness Of The Weimar Republic And Hitler's Rise To Power

    685 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hitler was able to convince and almost brainwash people into believing that what he told them was the truth. He was a very skilled public speaker and he used this skill to distort the truth as it suited him, this was to his advantage. A twenty-five point programme was set up by the nazi party and was designed to appeal to all german people and all sections of their society; it included racist ideas and conveys hatred of non germans. He used the jewish people as scapegoats and blaimed them for all the problems in germany, he encouraged the german public to take on this opinion also. He used the method of force to make people belive he was powerful and his

    Read More

  • Power of Adolf Hitler's Words in The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

    642 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Holocaust is marked as one of the most horrifying events of the 20th century.The person who was responsible for the Holocaust was Adolf Hitler, the leader of the Nazi Party. The question is, how, and why was Hitler able to do this? The actual truth behind all this is that, Hitler could make the world his, just by using words. In The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, it tells a story about a young girl growing up when Nazi Germany was invincible. The author explores some very meaningful, yet, controversial themes for the most part of the novel. Out of all themes, he believes that words hold a remarkable power. He explores how words manipulate, divide, and connect people.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Psychological Trauma In The Book Thief

    314 Words  | 1 Pages

    The Book Thief has a lot of psychological trauma in it but mainly the only chacter hit with it is Liesel. The burdens of the psychological trauma that liesel has shapes her and how the story plays out. One big part of everything that happens to Liesel is the death of her brother.

    Read More

  • The Characteristics Of Adolf Hitler

    1529 Words  | 4 Pages

    This is what had made Hitler one of the greatest public speakers that the world had ever seen from his time and in history. "The German people and it 's soldiers work and fight today not for themselves and their own age, but also for many generations to come. A historical task of unique dimensions has been entrusted to us by the Creator that we are now obliged to carry out." Hitler, the Fuhrer of Germany, was a very talented spokesman in ways that leaders today could not even begin to compare with. He was charismatic and bold, making it easier for him to win over the minds of many Germans with these two traits. He believed that during his rise to power, he and the people of Germany had been given a duty by God to purify the nation of its imperfect races and weaker people so as to make the mother country strong again for future generations. "Those who want to live, let them fight, and those who do not want to fight in this world of eternal struggle do not deserve to live." In many ways, Hitler felt he was justified in what he was doing, and in some

    Read More

More about How Is Language Used In The Book Thief

Open Document