How Is Language Used In The Book Thief

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

certain way. Markus Zusak demonstrates the idea that a person's survival or life may strongly depend on the power of words. In The Book Thief we learn that words have a lot of power, not only do we but throughout the story unfolds Liesel also learns that also.
There are multiple ways words can be used.

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

them.
Liesel states, “I have hated words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them “right” (Zusak,528) It explains her relationship with words. It reveals that Liesel wants to use words in a positive way and that she wants to use the words “right” and for good reasons rather than deleterious reasons. The language and words were used as negative in The Book Thief numerous times. In The Book Thief Liesel yells at Ilsa for firing her mother because they could not afford it anymore: “It's about time you face the fact that your son is dead. He got killed! He got strangled and cut up more than 20 years ago! Or did he freeze to death? Either way, he's dead!..” (Zusak, 262). Liesel should have not said that, talking about a loved one's death the way Liesel said it was rude and impolite. This quote from the novel shows that words can also hurt others.
Words and language are immensely powerful. Words and language are how humans communicate. The power of words and stories are what connects people to one another in the novel. "Words have energy and power with the ability to help, to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate, and to humble," relates to the theme because it pretty much sums up what words can do to us. Liesel learns what words are and how to read and what they can do and how much power they have. If she did not even pick up or steal books she would not have made some of the choices that she has made. Her life has changed greatly after learning about words and how powerful they are and what they can do to you.