The diversity of people and their 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 portrayed as the narrator and the main point of view in the novel. He begins by issuing a “reassuring announcement,” stating that “I am not violent. I am not malicious. I am a result.” (5) The reason of this indication
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is to disregard the reader of the false impression of death as someone who inflicts pain or threat but rather, an outcome. Readers assume that Death brings depression, hatred, and anger towards the people who lost their loved ones; ironically, it is quite the opposite. Because of the loss of loved ones, people express these feelings towards Death, who is, as stated, a result. This relates to the way the Nazis symbolized Jewish people as a threat and a danger to their own society. The Nazis simply ignore that the Jewish people are the “result” that helped build up part of the society of Germany. When Death takes note of a dead person, he appears to be unsympathetic and slightly bored as if it was a recurring event he confronts on a regular basis. “A train… it was packed with humans… a six-year-old boy died in the third carriage.” (19). However, as Death “knelt down and extracted his soul,” a little girl “caught him out” (21). Death realizes that he is not simply carrying a “six-year-old boy,” but the brother of a frightened, innocent, little girl (Liesel Meminger, a protagonist that Death follows throughout the story). He states, “her heart… was hot, so loud” and regrets that “stupidly, I stayed. I watched”, wishing to say “I’m sorry, child.” (13) This indicates that he begins to feel regret and sympathy towards a person, specifically to Liesel, yet he cannot because of his responsibility to simply collect the souls of dead people. Death’s unsympathetic behavior connects to the behavior of the Nazi Party as they executed millions of Jewish people, while his sympathetic side reflects to those who opposed Hitler’s rule. The Nazis’ execution of Jewish people brought attention to the German civilians (specifically the characters in the novel) the realization that these Jewish people are the reflection of them – human beings with feelings, emotions, and families that they are willing to protect with their lives and to care for. But, regardless of this realization, the civilians feel empathy but are unable to aid Jewish people because doing so may result in heavy consequences. Color plays another part in the reflection of the society in the Nazi era.
While observing the colors in the surroundings, Death takes great interest of it. He describes Germany as “the whole globe dressed in snow,” affirming that it is “white… of the blinding kind” (6) and is “the color of bone” (10) before addressing that “someone had died… There was one mother and her daughter. One corpse.” (7) He also describes an eclipse, “a signature black… the darkest moment before the dawn,” mentioning “I will often catch an eclipse when a human dies” (9) before referencing to the sky as “home-cooked red” from Germany’s bombings (12). Death claims that all three colors: white, black and red symbolizes the Nazi flag, but in further context, the colors ultimately represent the Nazis and their dictating society. The color white represents innocence, and since the “color of the bone” is white, it means the death of an innocent person such as the “one corpse” that was revealed to be the 6-year-old son of the mother and the brother of Liesel. This portrays the impact of how Jewish people suffered as they lost their innocent loved ones during the Holocaust. The color black also represents death since Death relates the eclipse to when “a human dies”; this can be compared to the execution of millions of Jewish people during the Holocaust. The color red represents rage, terror, and dictatorship that the Nazis expressed towards the Jewish people as well as blood that the Nazis shed to those that opposed their
belief. He also takes note of a plane that crashes down during the time of the eclipse, stating that “its wings were sawn-off. No more flapping. Not for this metallic little bird.” (9) The little bird at the time of the eclipse is similar to the little bird in a comic booklet that Liesel’s friend Max, a Jewish refugee, created. In this booklet, there is an image of a tall, big black bird hovering over a terrified, white little bird in which Max writes under the image that “I’ve been scared of men standing over me.” (224). The big black bird in his drawing is similar to the one above the swastika in a different version of the Nazi flag. What Max is conveying is that the black bird represents the Nazis while the little bird represents himself as an innocent, terrified being. His extreme fear of being taken away from the Nazis and executed by them reflects to how many people expressed fear towards the Nazis as they were terrified of being sent to concentration camps and annihilated simply because of their innocence and their beliefs. Death then observes the “three deep gashes were made in the earth…” (9); the number three represents the biblical symbol of resurrection -- the attempt to resurrect an evolved, society that supports in freedom and the right to have opinion, unlike the society that the Nazis controlled. The gashes “made in the earth” represent the impact the Nazi caused worldwide; not only did it affect the society in Germany, but the societies of other countries. The Nazi’s unethical rule affected other societies in a way that spread universal fear of limited rights and oppression, which would later result in World War II. Words are another symbol that affects the society. As Death catches Liesel stealing a book during the time of her brother’s death, he describes that the book “had silver writing on it.” (24) He later mentions Liesel’s observation of “her foster father’s eyes… like soft silver” and “upon seeing those eyes,” she “understood that Hans was worth a lot.” (34) The color silver on the writing symbolizes value; this enforces the idea that words were “worth a lot” which would be served as an importance for Hitler to send his message throughout Germany. Hitler’s words held value to the Nazis to the point where they aimed for one goal – to annihilate the Jewish people. His words, not guns or other weapons, are what killed millions of people during the Holocaust and brainwashed many citizens. The value in words allowed Hitler take advantage of it to illustrate his power and dictatorship towards the country -- it enabled the distribution of ideas to people that could be potentially dangerous and detrimental to their society. The usage of characterization is applied to portray the reflection of the Nazi society as well. Death speaks of a boy named Rudy, Liesel’s best friend. In one particular incident, Rudy “smeared the charcoal on until he was covered in black” (57) to imitate Jesse Owens, an American athlete who countered Hitler’s hopes of Germans winning the Berlin Olympics by winning them himself. Despite his father’s disapproval of his son’s actions due to his own favor of supporting the Nazi party, Rudy chooses to take actions on what he feels is morally right. This correlates to how many of the Germans who opposed the Nazi Party risked being taken away or sent to concentration camps to protest against the Nazi’s wrongdoings. They hid Jewish people in their home as refuge and also as part of their own family. Regardless of how the Nazis attempted to suppress them, they will do what is right for them and for others, and that is the basis of what a society should be. Rosa, Liesel’s foster mother, expresses hatred and disgust towards Liesel by insulting her with names such as “saumensch” (67) and “saumensch dreckiges” (70), both German curse words. Rosa’s vulgar behavior by insulting her own foster daughter portrays the Nazi’s ideal behavior – by being aggressive and superior. This also ties in to the superiority that the Nazi Party behaved towards their people. The Nazis believed that asserting aggression towards the people causes fear and thus exerting superiority and maintaining order over them, while threatening with death if they opposed. In a sense, the Nazi’s goal is to restrict people of their opinions and beliefs and convert them into to a controlled, submissive being. Another character that plays an essential role is Hans, Liesel’s foster father. With a personality opposite of Rosa’s, he was caring and protective over Liesel, much like an actual father figure. As nightmares of Liesel’s dead brother haunt her, Death observes that Hans “came in every night and sat with her” (36) and that he “would always appear mid-scream, and he would not leave.” (37) Death then comes to a conclusion that “not leaving” is “an act of trust and love, deciphered by children.” (37) His loving personality teaches Liesel to build trust in others, which in turn allows her to mature and think for herself – something that Hitler’s regime and his party attempts to prohibit. Hans’ supporting actions educate Liesel and indirectly challenge Hitler’s regime of people being infantilized by the prohibition of their freedom and rights. As a result of the Nazi Party’s control and oppression towards their people, it is what allows them to stand for what they truly believed in. Similarly to the concept that death is the result from life, the creation of a society where people fight for their beliefs is the result from the Nazi’s rule and oppression. The terror that Hitler and the Nazis expressed towards Germans, Jews, and the rest of the people that lived in Germany allowed Liesel, Hans, Rudy and other characters in the novel to take a stand against Hitler and his party’s oppression. Overall, Markus Zusak’s message is that the diversity of people’s beliefs and their background are what unites them to oppose the totalitarian government, and this is what truly forms the basis of its standing society.
“The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak is narrated by death and begins when Liesel’s brother dies on a train with her and her mother. At her brother’s burial, she steals her first book, “The Grave Digger’s Handbook” and soon after is separated from her mother and sent to live with foster parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann, in Molching, where the majority of the book takes place. At school, Liesel is teased because she can’t read so Hans teaches her to read when she wakes up from her frequent nightmares about her brother’s death. Hans is a painter and an accordion player and also plays the accordion for her after her nightmares. Liesel grows very close with Hans and also becomes close friends with her neighbor Rudy Steiner who constantly asks her to
Markus Zusak’s novel The Book Thief depicts the life of a certain young German girl named Liesel Meminger during World War II. Her story was told through the eyes of Death, who narrates both the blessings and devastation that occurred during that era. Liesel experiences living with her new foster parents and come across a boy named Rudy Steider who will later on become her best friend. As the story unfolds, Liesel gradually discovers the horrifying truth behind the Nazi regime as her foster parents take refuge of a Jewish man. Despite being in the midst of destruction and recently coping from her traumatic background, she undertakes on a journey of self-discovery and
Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief (2005), and Steven Spielberg, director of Schindler’s List (1993), both use their works to portray the theme of racism in Nazi-era Germany. Racism today affects millions of people daily, with 4.6 million people being racial discrimination in Australia alone. However, in Nazi-era Germany, Jewish people were discrimination because they weren’t part of the ‘master race’, causing millions to suffer and be killed. To explore this theme, the setting, characters, conflicts and symbols in both The Book Thief and Schindler’s List will be analysed and compared.
In the novel The Book Thief by Markus Zusak the narrator is Death, who shows itself as sympathetic and sensitive towards the suffering of the world and the cruel human nature, through its eyes, we can get to know the heartbreaking story of Liesel Meminger an ordinary, but very lucky nine-year old German girl; living in the midst of World War II in Germany. In this book the author provides a different insight and observation about humanity during this time period from a German view and not an Allied perspective, as we are used to.
An individual's morals are rooted in their personal views which may be contradictory to the principles manifested by society. In The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, characters living on Himmel Street who neglect Nazi ideology experience love for each other and humanity, thereby living a contented life in harsh conditions. The different types of love which individuals on Himmel Street encounter from refusing to obey societal ideologies and expectations is formed by supporting those in need and developing relationships with those that society has degraded.
In The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Liesel Meminger, an orphaned little girl living in Nazi Germany, evolves partly through her numerous literary thefts. At her younger brother’s gravesite, she steals her first book, The Grave Digger’s Handbook, which teaches her not only the method to physically bury her brother, but also lets her emotionally bury him and move on. The theft of her next book, The Shoulder Shrug, from a book burning marks the start of Liesel’s awareness and resistance to the Nazi regime. As a story with a Jewish protagonist “who [is] tired of letting life pass him by – what he refer[s] to as the shrugging of the shoulders to the problems and pleasures of a person’s time on earth,” this novel prepares her both for resisting 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 are historically accurate. Although The Book Thief was not written during World War II, Zusak was still around people who had been there to witness it.
Crises are inevitable. But Crises can be dealt a number of ways, due to their prevalence. However, books seem to be a popular choice, why? What makes them special and useful in times of crises? Some of the most well-known books involve a description of crisis or a character going through the crisis. In Night, Author Elie Wiesel describes his experience in Nazi Hungary and in concentration camps such as Auschwitz and Buchenwald to bring awareness about the horrors of Holocaust and warn the people about any future atrocities. Furthermore, in The Book Thief, The main character, Liesel Meminger, describes her experience with stealing books and how it helped her survive and stay courageous during the Nazi regime. Lastly, in The Dairy of a Young Girl, Anne Frank
The Holocaust is marked as one of the most horrifying events of the 20th century.The person who was responsible for the Holocaust was Adolf Hitler, the leader of the Nazi Party. The question is, how, and why was Hitler able to do this? The actual truth behind all this is that, Hitler could make the world his, just by using words. In The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, it tells a story about a young girl growing up when Nazi Germany was invincible. The author explores some very meaningful, yet, controversial themes for the most part of the novel. Out of all themes, he believes that words hold a remarkable power. He explores how words manipulate, divide, and connect people.
"I am a result," claims Markus Zusak's Death in his novel The Book Thief (Zusak 8). This state of being for the persona commonly seen as malicious and destructive provides a good view of the unique image of Death presented in the novel. Far from the scythe toting, black hooded robe wearing Death of culture's common perception, the Death here is amiable, affable, and agreeable (1). He poses to the readers wishing to find out what he truly looks like to "find [themselves] a mirror" while he continues to narrate the tale. The being here hold much more of a resemblance to a beleaguered old man with an exhaustible deep supply of dry gallows humor. He is not taking joy in the deaths of humanity, or even causing them. He is the result of our dying. Someone (not just something) to clean up the mess we leave behind. And after millenia of witnessing humans at their best and worst, Death has developed a special love for them.
Death is a very well-known figure that is feared by many in all countries. He is suspected of being cruel, disturbing and all synonyms of horrifying. Death is inevitable and that is the most fearing aspect of his persona. In Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief, Death is made to seem or resemble humans. Effectively using the narration role, Death introduces a unique description and definition of colors in which he uses as a tool to effectively engage the readers to the events occurring throughout the book. He also demonstrates him personal and different experiences as well, mostly about soul gathering and the implications of WWII that have affected him. On the contrary to Death’s dead, appalling and scary nature that many interpret him to be during the book, Death shows many emotions and features to his personality that reasoning would declare otherwise. One of those feature would be the colors.
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 cultural context that motivated the actions of the Nazis and the people of Germany was defined by the spirit of the time, or in other words, the zeitgeist of Post World War II, which focused greatly on the vulnerability experienced by the Germans and the promise of greatness and restoration of national pride that the Nazis were offering. Schlink captures this through the use of symbolism, allegory, analogy and characterisation and allows readers to view the time period from the perspective of an adolescent German. He also gives the reader an opportunity to develop a sense of empathy for the characters and subsequently for Germans during that time, who may still carry the guilt and burden of their World-War past.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is written in 1939, Nazi Germany. Parts 1-3 of The Book Thief are set over the time span that starts at the Winter of 1939 and ends on November 3, 1940. Zusak uses real life events in his story to set the plot and follow a timeline. The historical events lay out a road map on which Zusak basically follows as he writes this story. Zusak's usage on nonfiction events in a fiction story creates a mood in the story that makes in more believable.
If you were a German citizen during World War II, do you think you would be a Nazi? Most people would say no even though, in actuality, most people would be. It is because people need to succumb to societal expectations to survive in a society such as that of Germany during WWII and in the book, The Book Thief, this theme of individual versus society is explored with people complying and fighting social expectations. Sometimes people side with the Nazi Party out of fear of being targeted and other times fight against Nazi Party because of love for their family and fellow man with usually terrible consequences. In The Book Thief, the theme of the individual versus society is shown many times with characters conforming and defying social expectations.