Books have the power to both save and destroy. It depends on how the words are used in the book. If they are used in a positive matter they can save many things. However if they are in negative matter (brain-washing) then they have the power to destroy. The Book Thief has the power to save, because it makes us remember how it feels to be picked on and how it feels to have nothing or to suffer. It could save people, for example if a bully reads this he might have a change in heart and stop bulling other kids. People are power less without words, for example in The Book Thief page 446, “The best word shakers were the ones who understand the true power of words. They were the ones who could climb the highest. One such word shaker was a small, …show more content…
It mostly depends on the words inside of them. Like Death said in The Book Thief, “I wanted to ask her how the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious, and its words and stories so damning and brilliant.” Death says this after he reads the book thief’s book. He was wondering how something so ugly and hideous (He rescued it from the garbage carrier) could have such an amazing words inside them. This proves that no matter how ugly or how beautiful a book is, all that matters is the words inside a book. The words inside the book are the things that make books have to power to …show more content…
For example in The Book Thief Lisa says, “I have hated words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right.” (p.528). What she means by this is, after encountering Max, while he was being forced on the way to a German concentration camp, Liesel becomes hopeless and rejecting of the written word. This happens because she sarts seeing Hitler's words as the main source of her suffering. Ilsa Hermann later gives Lisa a blank book and encourages her to write a story in it. Liesel writes the story of her life, which is containing both tragedy and beauty, at a restless pace. Due to that Liesel came to the realization that words have the power cause both violence and comfort (destroy or save), and she strives to make her words "right" by combating very strong and powerful propaganda with writing that emits from selflessness and love. Therefore books have the power to do both, to save and to
Prologue: On page 4 the narrator says, “Personally, I like a chocolate- colored sky. Dark, Dark chocolate. People say it suits me.”(Zusak 4) This led me to believe the narrator is death. He sees life in color because he appreciates color more because his life is so dark and filled with death, color is in our lives and our souls will soon be filled with darkness and him and not have a colorful life.
“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.
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.
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?
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
Stealing books is not right but it is also unusual. Stealing books in Nazi Germany is unusual. Stealing is illegal which could cause Death to be haunted by humans. “Liesel stood in the mayor’s library with greed in her fingers and book titles at her lips” (Zusak 365). When Liesel is trying to find a book to steal in the mayor’s library, she gets the feeling
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.
In The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, beauty and brutality is seen in many of the characters. Rudy, Liesel, and Rosa display examples of beauty and brutality often without realizing what exactly they are doing, because it is a part of their human nature. Zusak not only uses his characters, but also the setting of the novel in Nazi Germany to allude to his theme of the beauty and brutality of human nature. The time in which the novel is set, during World War II, displays great examples of beauty and brutality, such as the mistreatment of the Jews. As a result of this time period, the characters have to go through troubling times, which reveals their beautiful and brutal nature in certain circumstances. Zusak uses his characters and their experiences to demonstrate the theme of the beauty and brutality of human nature in the novel.
Literature can be a powerful tool, the Nazis were able to see this, thousands of books were burned during the Nazi regime for many reasons, but this didn’t stop people from finding ways to preserve literature. The Nazis burned books as an act to control people, hatred of the Jews, and fear of different ideology. Around the world people were shocked and took action against this act of war on literature. American publishing houses started to produce books for the soldiers fighting in the war against the Nazis. Two libraries were also built, they were different but with a similar goal, in order to fight against the war the Nazis had started against literature. The Nazis succeeded in burning thousands of books in an attempt to control people but they were unable to stop people from finding ways to continue fighting for their own ideas through literature.
There is an old saying that plays something to the tune of, "sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me." It is possible that such a phrase was popularized in order for people to equip themselves with a psychological defense against the reality that words can, in fact, have a tremendous amount of significance depending on their usage and context. The careful manipulation of language in essays, for example, is one way that words can be arranged and exploited. This is a tool that authors will often use to reach a specific audience.
...at the power of words entailed in the novel, The Book Thief, words really are very powerful. Three examples were given above as a few powers that the novel captured throughout the story. Words can manipulate and divide people, but at the same time connect people. Despite the fact that words have so many contradicting powers, one can use the words to their full extent when their intent is moral. In fact, words are meaningless if it doesn’t have an impact on an individual, society, or world. Words can do both good and bad, however, if one uses them in a proper way, it can result in a positive statement for our world. The novel gives the readers the lesson that we should comprehend the power of words and use words in a moral way. Just remember this: “I have hated the words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right.” (pg. 413)
Words are used in many different forms. Whether one realizes it or not, no matter what the form is, language influences everyone. It is a tool that can change one’s life for good and for bad. The novel The Book Thief by Markus Zusak uses language as a method to accurately depict the immense power that words possess. This is evident when words are used out of anger, to distract from issues and in times when words save lives.
During the class discussion of The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, I believed that there were many great answers to the discussion questions. One of the questions was, “Do you think Liesel is wrong for stealing books? What about apples?” Most people agreed that is was not okay to steal the apples, although a few people thought it was fine. Almost everyone believed it was acceptable to steal the book, and I agree. I believe that there are and always will be multiple sides and differing opinions on the topic of stealing and are all worth taking a look at.
Death states that, “I’m always finding humans at their best and worst. I see their ugly and their beauty, and I wonder how the same thing can be both” (Zusak 491). This book shows us human doing things that weren’t even imaginable before this point. Many people give into ideas that were lies. But, we also watch a few people go out of their way and sacrifice everything for a man they barely even know. They do everything they can to keep him safe and alive. They work harder, the get another job, and they even steal. In Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief, death examines the ugliness and the beauty of humans.
For some people, they think that words are more significant than the actions. Although, the words can express and influence someone expressions, feelings and thoughts, yet, it is only the reflection of the action (Mina, 2012). Sometimes words are lies, they do not give any effect or impact. Words mean little and cannot be seen or proven if no actions are taken.