The book takes place in WWII, and centers around what Death sees in this time. Death’s job is to collect the souls of many found dead, but he takes an interest in Liesel, who isn’t someone he really needed to pay attention to. However, he followed her because he pitied her, and The Book Thief is the story of her life, narrated by him. Everyone always tells you to find the silver lining in the bad things that happen, but this book doesn’t just tell someone to do that but shows someone how to do that. He makes Liesel’s best friend, Rudy, smile by showing him Liesel kissing his corpse. He follows Liesel because he sees something interesting in her, showing even Death has a heart. He chose to retell signs of good that he saw in the book, specifically …show more content…
the snow. Death makes Rudy smile by showing him Liesel kissing his corpse, and Rudy always wanted to kiss Liesel.
Death knew Rudy had asked for a kiss from Leisel multiple times with no avail, and Rudy held himself back because he loved Leisel as a friend. Rudy asked Leisel for a kiss when he thought he was about to die saving her book, and Death told us Rudy would end up getting his kiss after he actually died. Leisel kissed Rudy and we knew that he would be happy because Death told us he knew Rudy would be happy.“He’d have been glad to witness her kissing his dusty, bomb-hit lips. Yes, I know it. In the darkness of my dark-beating heart, I know. He’d have loved it, all right. You see? Even death has a heart.” (Zusak, 99). Death was referring to how he knew Rudy would be happy seeing Leisel kiss him, because that’s what Rudy wished for. On the other hand, Death pulled Rudy’s soul out from his body and he died to see that …show more content…
happen. He follows Liesel because he sees something interesting in her, showing even Death has a heart. He took enough time to notice the fear and sadness in the book thief’s face as she found her mother and brother were both dead. He followed her because he pitied her. He recognized the book thief years later right away after a plane crash. He said the last time he saw her, after the bombs hit at the end of the book he followed her, most likely out of pity. “I wanted to say: ‘I’m sorry, child.’ But that is not allowed. I did not crouch down. I did not speak. Instead, I watched her awhile. When she was able to move, I followed her.” (Zusak, 13). It shows that Death followed Liesel out of pity after paying close attention to her. He chose to retell signs of good that he saw in the book, specifically the snow.Max was given a wonderful Christmas thanks to Liesel.
Rosa and Hans both helped Liesel bring in snow, which showed Ma was loved equally by everyone. Even if the snow in the house made Max sick, it was presumed he would die anyways, so he might as well have been happy. “It was the beginning of the greatest Christmas ever. Little food. No presents. But there was a snowman in their basement.” (Zusak, 312). It shows how badly Max wanted to do such simple things as to see a snowman, because he couldn’t go outside and see snow for himself. Death showed us this to show the reader there are good things in bad
situations. Death showed us there is good in the world even in the bad things that happen. He took enough time to notice the fear and sadness in the book thief’s face as she found her mother and brother were both dead. He recognized the book thief years later right away after a plane crash. He chose to retell signs of good that he saw in the book, specifically the snow. Even Death can give us hope for new life.
In Markus Zusak’s novel, the book thief, Liesel Meminger is surrounded by death and fear as that is the norm in the 1930’s. Liesel is a strong young girl who has been deeply affected by her brother’s death and her mother leaving her and finds comfort in ‘The Grave Digger’s Handbook’, the book she stole at the site of her brother’s burial. Throughout the novel Liesel finds comfort in other books and reads them to escape the terrible reality that is Nazi Germany. Together with books she overcomes obstacles she wouldn't have been able to do without them
In the novel, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Rudy Steiner undertakes a tremendous transformation from being selfish and naive to mature, empathetic and cognitive. Rudy was a skinny ten year old boy with blonde hair and blue eyes. From the outside he was a hitler youth but in the inside his idol was Jesse Owens, a black athlete, Rudy looks past all of the nazi ideals and sees no difference between himself and Jesse Owens. Through this, people perceived Rudy as a crazy kid for having those alien beliefs. In the beginning, Rudy doesn't really know what was happening around him. To show off at the Hitler youth carnival, Rudy won multiple races. To his own ignorance he drawed attention of the Nazi officials and was recruited to a special school.
Liesel yearns to discover the power of words through reading books. Throughout the story, she repeatedly steals books to grasp more information. It all starts with The Gravediggers Manuel; Liesel attains this book the day that her brother dies, while he is being buried by the gravediggers. Liesel pilfers this book from the gravediggers because the book will symbolize her remembrance of her brother, Werner. This also will start the beginning of her acrimony for the Fuhrer, because Liesel discovers that he is answerable for his death.
In the novel the book thief by Markus Zusak, Liesel states, “as long as both she and Rudy lived she would never kiss that miserable, filthy Saukerl (Zusak, 55). Liesel Memiger, the protagonist in the novel, is the foster daughter of Hans and Rosa Huberman. When Liesel first arrives at Himmel Street, a boy with hair the color of lemons walks her to school for her first day, she does not like him at first, but little does she know he will become her best friend (Zusak, 25-34). This is ironic because Liesel never does kiss Rudy until after he is dead. Rudy Steiner is Liesel’s best friend he has hair the color of lemons `and is adventurous and courageous. He wants Liesel to kiss him throughout the whole book but she never does until he is dead. In the novel The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Death gives clear examples from Liesel and Rudy’s different points of view on their relationship and we can see how it changes throughout the story.
In The Book Thief, the protagonist, Liesel Meminger has a strong and emotional relationship with her neighbor, Rudy Steiner. He is a young German boy who is eight months older than Liesel, has bony legs, sharp teeth, blue eyes and lemon-colored hair. He is depicted as a kind and loyal character that is at Liesel’s side for a majority of the book. Soon after meeting each other a few days after Liesel arrives on Himmel Street, the two become best friends. Rudy accompanies Liesel on all of her adventures in addition to providing emotional aid to each other’s problems. As the story progresses, we see their already very strong relationship fortify in a way that makes the two them the most prevalent character-to-character relationship in the book. It seems fit to include them as, if not the most,
Rosa is the one to jump to this conclusion, "I bet it started with the snowman -fooling around with ice and snow in the cold down there" (Zusak 315). Rosa primes Liesel's guilt by identifying that the ice could possibly be the source of Max's' illness. This identification causes Liesel to feel guilt as she questions herself, "Why did I have to bring all that snow down" (Zusak 316). Liesel seems to feel guilt stronger in this situation considering she turkey cares about Max. Liesel directly displays her guilt when she clenches her hands, "She clenched her hands, as if to pray" (Zusak 316). This shows that she feels guilty for her actions and results in her praying for Max’s
The novel The Book Thief is a book about a young girl by the name of Liesel Meminger. Observing the life of this young girl is not easy as this is the time of Hitler’s reign in Germany. In a short period of time, this girl faces many difficulties. More than any child should ever have to encounter. She has to deal with being abandoned by her mother, the death of her younger brother, and relocation to another part of Germany. Immediately when Liesel arrives to Molching, her life is forever changed. She is forced to live with two strangers, now her new mama and papa. Liesel faces much abuse both at school and at home. At school she is made fun of for her illiteracy and at home, mama speaks very rudely to her calling her a swine and other insults.
“A snowball in the face is surely the perfect beginning to a lasting friendship” (chapter 8). The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, elucidates the power of friendship. During these times, life was rough. The power of friendship helps makes Lisel not focus on these hard times.The power of friendship in The Book Thief is between Hans and Liesel, Rudy and Liesel, and Max and Liesel.
In the novel, The Book Thief, written by Markus Zusak, there are countless times when the characters show that they can be heroic, but the ones that stand out the most are: Rudy, Hans, and Liesel. Rudy is a hero from the start with his reckless and gallant personality. Hans is a wise man who often does the what he thinks is noble. By the end of the book, Liesel grows to be a human being who knows how to care and influence others. Having humanity and consideration goes hand in hand with heroism, too. Throughout the novel, the three characters experience moments when they stay strong for everyone else or help others around them even when they are not obliged to do anything. Yet, sometimes when they try to act like heroes, it does not always work
It was on a train with Liesel’s mother and brother where they were travelling when death made his first appearance in the book thief’s life. He took the soul of her brother and only glanced at the girl truly, not taking real note of her as he did his job. She knew that her brother was dead at that point, but the shock wouldn’t truly take her until she snatched a book from where it had fallen near her brother’s hastily made grave. After he was buried, Liesel and her mother continued on their way, arriving at the town of Molching, where she met Hans and Rosa Hubermann. In the first few months that she had arrived, nightmares plagued her mind, haunting her with images of Werner, her brother, and his cold dead eyes. Hans is the one to comfort her, and because of this she grows to trust in him and truly view him as her father. She enjoys his company as well, for he can play the accordion and is always smiling and winking at her in a joyous way. He also begins to teach her how to read the book that she picked up on the day d...
The protagonist of The Book Thief is Liesel Meminger, a girl growing up in holocaust Germany. As the book begins Liesel is 9 years old, a girl given up by her mother to live with foster parents Hans and Rosa Hubermann in the German town of Molching. On the way to Molching Liesel’s brother Werner who was supposed to join her at the Hubermanns’ dies and Liesel is traumatized making the separation from her mother, her only remaining family much more painful. Thankfully the blow is softened by the love extended to her from her foster-father. Hans compared to Rosa with her gruff, loud love is just the solace Liesel needs. He is gentle and kind, patient enough to teach Liesel how to read, starting with a book she picked up at the graveyard where her brother was buried. With his aid Liesel slowly becomes more comfortable in her new life, venturing out in the neighborhood at a soccer match she befriends Rudy Steiner, a boy who falls in love with her. Over that summer they have many adventures together and the shadow of war is left in the joy of childhood freedom. A shadow, warded off for long finally falls upon Liese...
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.
The main character Liesel, known as “the book thief” is who Death is looking over. Liesel, her mother, and brother are on a train to Munich. On the train ride her brother dies. She and her mother get off the train to bury him. The first book Liesel steals is from the gravediggers. They continue the journey to a town called Molching, where Liesel will be raised by foster parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann. Liesel adjusts to her new home life. Hans teaches Liesel how to read. The war is escalating in Germany. The town holds a book-burning to celebrate Hitler’s birthday. That’s when Liesel steals another book from the flames. Liesel’s job is to deliver laundry to the Hermann family. The Hermanns’ have a library full of books. Liesel is allowed to read them in the study. Meanwhile, a German-Jew named Max needs help, so he seeks out the Hubermanns. Max hides in the basement, so he is safe from the Nazis. Liesel begins stealing books from the Hermanns. The Nazis parade the Jews through the town of Molching on their way to the concentration camp for everyone to see. Liesel is given a blank notebook to write her own story. One night the neighborhood is bombed. Hans, Rosa, and the rest of the neighborhood is killed. Rescue workers find Liesel under the rubble. She leaves behind her finished book, called The Book Thief. Death, who has been watching, rescues the book. Liesel ends up living with the mayor
“Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art … It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival,” (C.S. Lewis). Oddly enough, The Book Thief written by Markus Zusak is about a young girl Liesel who is placed with her foster parents Hans and Rosa Hubermann (SS3). During her time with them she learns how to read, and together they try to survive over the time of the Nazis and World War II (SS2). Affable and brave, is the best way to describe Liesel. Due to that Liesel is able to form many friendships in the book (SS1). The main friendship within the novel is between Liesel and Rudy, another friendship is between Liesel and Max. Through the characters, Zusak depicts the theme that no matter how bad things are around someone, they will always have the love of friendships to help them.
Even though the style of writing is simple and direct, it does a good job conveying the different themes of the story, including the different conflicts between politics and religion, separation of families, death, and etc. The power of words is shown as soon as Liesel learns how to read. Her will for prosperity and curiosity becomes more powerful with every word she learns. She realizes that words, through cruel and wicked manners, can be impact people to force acts of brutality. During the burial of her baby brother, she finds her first book, the grave digger’s manual. Even though liesel couldn’t read at the moment, she knows the memories its words