During the Holocaust many acts of humanity were committed. Germans excused the radical laws and protected Jews from escaping the gestapo. risking their lives, as well as their families. Regardless of the risks, humanity was there in the shadows.In the Book Thief Markus Zusak explores a myriad of themes. He introduces powerful concepts of hatred, helplessness, and humanity. Zusak uses a man named Hans as a symbol of humanity. Which Hans embodies throughout the novel. Hans shows how humanity is not elaborate gestures, but rather actions from the heart. Zusak gives examples of the resilience of humanity in the midst of brutality. With many challenging situations and close calls with the Nazis. Hans has not failed to share his kindness and humanity …show more content…
No gesture goes unnoticed. When Hans was sent to war for feeding Jews, he was sent to the worst of the platoons, his job was to clean up dead bodies. This would cause much depression throughout his platoon. To pass time, he and his colleagues would play cards and they would use cigarettes as bets. Even though he has won the card game, he still gives each of the soldiers a cigarette. Death has this to say, “Hans Hubermann did not gloat when he won; he was generous enough to give each of his colleagues one of his cigarettes back and light them”(Zusak 454). This shows Han's kindness and his love for making others happy. His selflessness follows him throughout the book. Another example of humanity is Liesel's best friend Rudy. Rudy is a kind person, much like Hans is. When one day Rudy and Liesel were outside, they saw a plane crash causing curiosity to strike. They go and check the crash, not knowing if it was an enemy fighter or a German. Upon closer examination, they found a dying American soldier. Regardless of the side of the fight he was on, he felt compelled to comfort the man feeling much pain. Zusak writes” he placed the bear onto the pilots shoulders.., he spoke English “thank you”(Zusak 490). Zusak shows Rudy kindness towards the opposition, the innate sense of
In The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, there were countless examples that showed the author using a poetic writing style to describe the story of Liesel Meminger. The remarkable use of Death as the narrator intrigued me as a reader due to the fact that the story was about the holocaust. I loved the frequent use of foreshadowing; the bold type drew attention and would almost act as a spoiler in the story. This made me feel as if I was watching a black and white movie; it was both unsetting and unsentimental
authorities. Living a life stripped of many freedoms that todays societies take for granted. The reading of books was limited; only books approved by Hitler could be read, the rest were set for removal (burning of books). Markus Zusak writes his novel in this time period, allowing for the characters and events to have a lot of correlation to this period in time. In his novel, "The Book Thief", Zusak valorizes an aspect of humanity throughout the novel through depicting the human desire to push the limits
In “The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak, tragedy plays a central role in shaping the characters and their experiences. Through the lens of a war-torn Germany during World War II, the novel teaches valuable lessons about the human condition. Tragic events, while devastating, reveal the strength of the human spirit and the importance of love, empathy, and memory. As the characters face unimaginable loss, their responses to these tragedies illustrate resilience and hope in even the darkest times. From the
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is a very famous historical fiction book in this decade. This 550 paged book has encouraged many teens to know more about the Holocaust, a genocide that took place during World War II. Markus Zusak wrote this book based on information from his parents’ memory, not based on a modern day conflict. His parents’ experience during the war greatly influenced him. Even though many of the characters in this book are fictional, the origins, the towns, the events and the actions
the world of Molching through Liesel’s eyes and shows fascination and fear of humans. In Markus Zusak’s “The Book Thief” shows a story of a girl named Liesel Meminger lived through her life in Molching under the care of the Hubermanns, Rosa and Hans, after losing her family. Once she learned to read with the help of Hans Hubermann, she began getting or stealing books, and would eventually write her own book, describing the experiences and reliving the memories with the others before their final moments
Books are treasures of humanity's valued heritage, but they can also lure people into deluded and deceptive thoughts. Starting from this broad and complex theme, Markus Zusak, the author of The Book Thief, sets a deep tone throughout the work: a tone of bright and indomitable hope intertwined with a myriad of colours of both evil and humanity. Through Zusak’s detailed portrayal of the neighbours' everyday interactions, readers witness Liesel's transformation from an innocent young girl into a protagonist
In the novel, The Book Thief, Death is the narrator of the story, and follows around the protagonist, Liesel Meminger, as she lives in Nazi Germany, and how her life changes when a Jewish man named Max Vandenburg shows up at her door, taking refuge in Liesel and her foster parent’s basement. Markus Zusak’s choice as Death influences many themes of the story, where if Liesel or an unnamed narrator wouldn’t have the same influence. One reason Zusak probably chose Death as the narrator is because
and hope to do dehumanize the Jews. Throughout The Book Thief, Markus Zusak uses cacophonous diction, imagery, and the third person point of view to relay the power of words which creates a sympathetic and frightened nature, that exposes the hardships that people face during the Holocaust. The power of words can give a character two different faces, which brings them together by their similarities or pulls them apart
“I have hated words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right.”-Book Thief (528). In The Book Thief, a historical fiction novel, the protagonist reveals that words hold the power to spread ideas, and it suggests that the power can be dangerous. Liesel Meminger is a courageous little girl, who was adopted by Hans and Rosa Hubermann. They lived in a small town called Molching, just outside of Munich, Germany. One night, Hans finds The Grave Digger's Handbook smushed under Liesel's mattress
feelings and opinions are what creates a well formed, civilized society. Through emotions that people pertain and the unconditional risks that they take, it is what identifies them to be a part of society. Markus Zusak uses Death’s point of view, symbolism, and characterization in The Book Thief to convey that people’s feelings and beliefs during the Nazi’s era are what ultimately reflects its society which in turn allows them to uphold their beliefs against the totalitarian government. Death is
As Markus Zusak once said through the words of his character, Death, “* * * HERE IS A SMALL FACT * * * You are going to die,” (Zusak 3). While this may seem like a jarring statement to suddenly hear while going about life, in reality, everyone in his or her right mind knows that death will eventually come. Each and every life will reach an end at some point in time or another, and our kindred will be the ones left to deal with the aftermath. There is no eluding death. Even though some may try to
A theme in “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak is the strength of love and the way it affects others. Zusak presents this theme in the story through personal sacrifice for loved ones. Papa, Liesel's foster father, sacrifices his money/tobacco to buy books for Liesel, his foster daughter. “She came home to find something wrapped in newspaper under the Christmas tree. “From Saint Niklaus,” Papa said. Unfurling the paper she unwrapped two small books.” (Zusak,88) Leisel is ecstatic about her new present
sometimes it’s the force that causes the most strain on the lives of the family members. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is a wonderfully crafted historical drama about Liesel Meminger and her life and experiences in Nazi Germany. While Zusak typically depicts family as being a source of contentment, he also describes familial associations as a force that is far from being solely beneficial. Throughout the story Zusak portrays family as being one of the most pivotal forces on the lives of the characters
I read the “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak, in which a little girl is thrown into an unknown world without her mother or brother. The main character of the book, Liesel, becomes a foster child in Germany during the 1940s. The book is over a span of years and we grow with Liesel. I really enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to anyone. It is set during the Holocaust, but it is still a coming of age book. I liked this book because the writer managed to write a book about a girl growing up and
Every person goes through some event that may shape their lives, while it may be very small and uneventful like a simple conversation, or a death among the family, both of these events change how a person develops. In The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, the main character Liesel has to suffer through the horrific events of World War II in Germany during Hitler's reign. In the beginning, Liesel loses her brother and ends up living with two adoptive parents. At first she is very scared and feeling lonely