Introduction:
“Our language is the reflection of ourselves. A language is an exact reflection of the character and growth of its speakers.” Those who access the great potential of literature and language attain widespread liberation and selfhood. This reward allows people to formulate and trigger defiance against the conscious subjugation to which they have fallen subject. Language also can be used as a form of mind and moral control, whether it be by oppressive reigning powers or as a moral code. Both these concepts reveal the true, exceptional and uncontainable power of language, the underlying notion in many highly accredited works of literature. Novels such as Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, 1984 by
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Liesel rescues Jewish-authored books from the infamous burnings, representing her reclaiming her freedom as she goes against the Nazi’s suppression of such works. Writing in her diary, words give Liesel a refuge from Nazism, creating a feeling of safety within her mind. As Liesel grows both mentally and physically, she has a perverse realisation that the suffering of her family has arisen from the words of Hitler …show more content…
Adolf Hitler’s language resonated with the German people, with calculated words he realized how twisting of the truth can turn simple words into a destructive tool of power, as he famously noted “Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it.” Research on this propaganda showed that it revolved around “The Protocols of Zion”, an antisemitic fabricated text was supposedly a secret account of how Jewish people were going to take over the world, cleverly this was deployed as a justification for the persecution of Jews. Max expresses “Hitler uses words and not guns or money or some other instrument” his attitude portraying the power in a violent society that in some ways prioritises language in the hierarchy of weapons used to maintain power. Liesel exasperates “The words. Why did they have to exist? Without them, there wouldn't be any of this. Without words, the Führer was nothing” with her disillusionment of the sheer power of language. Liesel herself realizes the power of words to inflict harm on others, as imagined “Blood leaked from her nose and licked at her lips. Her eyes had blackened. Cuts had opened up and a series of wounds were rising to the surface of her skin. All from words. From Liesel's words." Isla’s face becoming physically battered by Liesel’s cruel invective brings Liesel to regret her tirade as she
“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
In The Book Thief, author Markus Zusak tells the tragic story of Liesel Meminger and her experiences in 1939 Nazi Germany. Zuzak incorporates compelling literary devices such as toe curling foreshadowing, personification, and vivid imagery in the form of simile and metaphors to grasp the readers’ interest. Zusak’s use of various literary devices helps to deepen the text and morals of the story, and makes the dramatic historical novel nearly impossible to put down.
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.
Liesel experiences abandonment throughout her life, and the novel during a suppressed time in World War II Germany. Through her experiences Liesel’s learns to equate abandonment with love knowing that circumstance have forced her loved ones to leave her.
Throughout the memoir, Wiesel demonstrates how oppression and dehumanization can affect one’s identity by describing the actions of the Nazis and how it changed the Jewish people’s outlook on life. Wiesel’s identity transformed dramatically throughout the narrative. “How old he had grown the night before! His body was completely twisted, shriveled up into itself. His eyes were petrified, his lips withered, decayed.
The quote that stuck with me trough the book was one not so much about the emotions that can with the Holocaust, but more of the actions that people had to take during this time.
The Holocaust survivor Abel Herzberg has said, “ There were not six million Jews murdered; there was one murder, six million times.” The Holocaust is one of the most horrific events in the history of mankind, consisting of the genocide of Jews, homosexuals, gypsies, mentally handicapped and many others during World War II. Adolf Hitler was the leader of Nazi Germany, and his army of Nazis and SS troops carried out the terrible proceedings of the Holocaust. Elie Wiesel is a Jewish survivor of the Nazi death camps, and suffers a relentless “night” of terror and torture in which humans were treated as animals. Wiesel discovers the “Kingdom of Night” (118), in which the history of the Jewish people is altered. This is Wiesel’s “dark time of life” and through his journey into night he can’t see the “light” at the end of the tunnel, only continuous dread and darkness. Night is a memoir that is written in the style of a bildungsroman, a loss of innocence and a sad coming of age. This memoir reveals how Eliezer (Elie Wiesel) gradually loses his faith and his relationships with both his father (dad), and his Father (God). Sickened by the torment he must endure, Wiesel questions if God really exists, “Why, but why should I bless him? Because he in his great might, had created Auschwitz, Birkenau, Buna, and so many other factories of death? (67). Throughout the Holocaust, Wiesel’s faith is not permanently shattered. Although after his father dies, his faith in god and religion is shaken to the core, and arguably gone. Wiesel, along with most prisoners, lose their faith in God. Wiesel’s loss of religion becomes the loss of identity, humanity, selfishness, and decency.
This is where Liesel steals a book from a massive community celebration, where books, and other things, were burned as a form of censorship that went against the Party’s beliefs, which could be anything from cultural, religious or political opposition (Book Burning). “Any materials from such time --newspapers, posters, books, flags-- and any found propaganda of our enemies should be brought forward.” (Page 102) Many great works of Jewish authors and even American authors were burned. The point of the book burnings was to erase any form of non-German knowledge and to only allow ideas that supported the Nazi Party. In the book, Liesel steals a book from the fire, which turns out to be a Jewish book. The was caught for stealing by the mayor 's wife, but was easily forgiven and was even allowed to read books in her private library. If she was caught by someone else, she could have been turned over to the authorities, and she and her family could have been gotten in
In the novel The Book Thief, setting and point of view affect the theme and book a lot. The point of view of this novel is third person omniscient and a little bit of second and first person when the narrator talks about himself or to the reader. The setting of the story is Nazi Germany and it is based on a young girl named Liesel Meminger and what her life was like during this time. Her story is told by the narrator, death. Mark Zusak, the author, uses setting and point of view to express the theme of the novel because there was so much death happening, Liesel encountered him so many times, causing him to be able to tell her story; without this setting and the narrator, the theme story would have been different.
Liesel’s mom leaves her with foster parents because she wishes to protect her from the fate she is enduring. The words Paula, Liesel’s mom, uses go against Hitler because she is a communist which resulted in her being taken away and Liesel to lose her mother and experience the loss of her. This shows Liesel experiences unhappiness because of her mother’s disappearance which is caused by the words she openly uses that contradicts Hitler.
The tragedies of the holocaust forever altered history. One of the most detailed accounts of the horrific events from the Nazi regime comes from Elie Wiesel’s Night. He describes his traumatic experiences in German concentration camps, mainly Buchenwald, and engages his readers from a victim’s point of view. He bravely shares the grotesque visions that are permanently ingrained in his mind. His autobiography gives readers vivid, unforgettable, and shocking images of the past. It is beneficial that Wiesel published this, if he had not the world might not have known the extent of the Nazis reign. He exposes the cruelty of man, and the misuse of power. Through a lifetime of tragedy, Elie Wiesel struggled internally to resurrect his religious beliefs as well as his hatred for the human race. He shares these emotions to the world through Night.
Throughout life many people face difficulties. Depending on the person’s strength some will get through tough times, but some will fail to overcome them. Two books where characters have to face many challenges include: Their Eyes Were Watching God and The Book Thief. These two stories deal with people overcoming the difficulties faced throughout everyday life. Some difficulties include racism, religious discrimination, and dealing with others’ cruelness or kindness. Examples from these books prove that the characters have challenges throughout the stories to overcome. In the face of adversity what causes some individuals to fail while others prevail?
In The Book Thief, Liesel realizes quickly that people around her have a huge lack of intolerance. Liesel believes that what Hitler and the Nazis are doing is wrong and she notices their actions quickly. For example when she hides Max Vandenburg in her basement she realizes that punishing Jewish people for their religion is wrong.
She sprayed her words directly into the woman’s eyes. “You and your husband. Sitting up here.” Now she became spiteful. More spiteful and evil than she thought herself capable.” (262) Where is she finding the courage to stand up to the awful woman who fires her mother from her job. Liesel demonstrates the same level of courage when she catches a glimpse of Max again in the Jewish “parade”. She attempts to reach out to Max. But, she is called names by the German soldier and thrown to the side. Liesel is not scared of the soldier, she got up and courageously goes back to Max telling him how much she misses him. This time both she and Max are beaten by the German soldier. She would have gone back yet again if her friend, Rudy stops her. Throughout Liesel’s young life she shows courage, going before her class to read after being teased, challenging the German soldier, and standing up to the woman firing her
Nazi Germany was a time of great suffering and cruelty and the only way to overcome these injustices was with help from friends and family. Marz Zusak’s The Book Thief depicts Nazi Germany as a time of great pain and struggle to survive in life in the characters daily lives. Hans Hubermann and Liesel Meminger are especially affected by these struggles, but they cope with struggles and help other people cope with their struggles by showing sympathy, offering a sense of safety and security and by showing affection. Ultimately, these characters teach us ways to cope with overwhelming grief and suffering.