Book Thief Consequences

Whether people are noticing a fight or hearing about a person who risks their life for someone else, people always witness good and bad human behaviour. However, these actions can have negative results: a person in a fight can become seriously injured, and a person risking their life can easily end up dead. In The Book Thief, Markus Zusak proves that kind or cruel human behaviour often causes consequences through the actions of several characters.

First off, Liesel Merminger displays through many situations that being compassionate or hateful can have negative outcomes. One instance is when she yells at Ilsa Hermann for firing her mother; the things Liesel says ruin her friendship with Ilsa and deprive her of access to the mayor’s library.

This is a terrible punishment for Liesel, who loves visiting the mayor’s library to read. An example of kind behaviour is when Liesel teams up with Rudy to feed the Jews, who march through their town, some bread. The consequence that follows this is when the soldiers monitoring the Jews spot Liesel and Rudy, which puts their lives in danger. Liesel displays sympathetic behaviour when she spots Max in the crowd of Jews marching through Himmel Street. Liesel begins to walk with Max, but for that, she and Max are both punished on the spot when a German soldier beats them with a whip. Throughout the book, Liesel’s actions, whether good or bad, often result in consequences, proving that kind or cruel behaviour can result in negative outcomes.

Another character whose kind and unkind behaviour has negative effects is Max Vandenburg.

One example of this is when Max rudely leaves his family behind in order to hide from the Nazis. It is clearly stated in the book that his need for survival undesirably overcomes his loyalty to his family, “when he was pushed out by the rest of his family, the relief struggled inside him like an obscenity. It was something he didn’t want to feel, but nonetheless, he felt it with such gusto it made him want to throw up. How could he?” (Markus Zusak 193). The somewhat unintended abandonment results in a life of guilt for Max. Max Vandenburg also displays an act of kindness when he leaves the Hubermann’s home. Max values the Hubermann’s safety over his when he decides to leave the safety of their house after Hans’ incident with the Jew. Max realises that he was putting the whole family at risk of being caught by continuing to take refuge in their house, and determines that the only way to keep them safe is to leave. By committing this extreme act of kindness, he puts his life in danger and is eventually caught and sent to a concentration camp. Max’s acts of kindness and selfishness help enforce Zusak’s theme that kind or cruel behaviour can end in a

consequence.

Lastly, Hans Hubermann’s kind behaviour, following the theme of the book, frequently results in consequences.

One of the many kind things Hans does is paint over the racial slurs on a Jewish man’s door. He risks his safety to do so and ends up being suspected as a “Jew-lover”, which puts his business and family in jeopardy. Hans also performs a great act of kindness when he keeps his promise to Erik Vandenburg and agrees to house his son, Max. By doing so, Hans takes on the impending consequence that he may be caught hiding a Jew in his basement, putting his whole family in danger. One of the most benevolent things Liesel’s foster father does is give bread to a Jew being marched through their town. He cannot help but aid the struggling man, however, he regrets his decision soon after realising the consequences that will come. First, Hans is whipped in the middle of the parade of Jews, and then a few weeks later he is sent to war to be part of the LSE, also known as the dead body collectors. Sadly, Hans’ sympathetic behaviour was often followed by consequences, as the theme of The Book Thief

proclaims.

Markus Zusak conveys a powerful message through his book with the theme of kind and cruel human behaviour often coming with a consequence. It is revealed through the characters of Liesel Meminger, Max Vandenburg, and Hans Hubermann and their actions. Whether they were behaving foully or graciously, each of the characters are met with consequences for their actions. This theme applies to not only characters in The Book Thief but also to people everywhere; it reminds people to think before they act, and to consider the negative effects that may occur because everyone behaves differently, but many people’s actions can have unfavourable outcomes.