Blinding hate is more destructive to an individual than the act of being apathetic to their actions. A relationship is not affected by one's apathy unless you choose it to be, yet one that is bound by sheer hatred is oppressive. It is vital to not let mutual hate stem off hatred projected upon one, which in the end is more destructive. Markus Zusak sees a world revolves around the fact that outright dislike is more dangerous than one being indifferent to the unfortunate as shown in his book The Book Thief. Through the character Liesel, Zusak shows this through her relationship with her mum. Zusak also shows how being disliked is destructive through Max’s obsessive hatred towards his oppressed; the nazis. Zusak uses WW2 as the setting for his …show more content…
belief on the destructive nature of outright dislike yet also illuminates on how it creates a parasitic symbiotic relationship. We as a society need to change our ways by leaving behind our scrutinizing hatred and carve a new path for future generations to follow. Utter hatred is an oppressive force that destroys any relationship it touches.
Zusak demonstrates this through Liesel’s relationship with her mum. Her mom left her to fend for herself with an unknown family because she and her husband were communists that greatly disliked by the Nazis. “A gang of tears trudged from her eyes as she held on and refused to go inside.” This quote shows that Liesel’s has a strong relationship with her mother due to the fact that she doesn’t want to be apart from her. This is important because it contradicts the well-known statement that a mother's love in unconditional. Zusak uses this to challenge a point that most deem a fact. The relationships that are most important are those with our family members as we expect endless love, yet even abject hatred can destroy the strongest of bonds. One must be careful to not let the hate projected upon one to them to create a mutual hate. Zusak shows how dislike is destructive through Max’s obsessive hatred towards his oppressed; the nazis. Max’s relationship with the Nazi’s is filled with anger because of how the way his people were treated and hated by Hitler. “White light lowered itself into a boxing ring … Diagonally across, Adolf Hitler stood in the corner with his entourage” In this excerpt, Max’s true hatred is shown by him visioning a fight between him and Hitler. Zusak displays how the Nazi’s dislike of the Jews leads to Max sharing the same feelings for the Nazi’s. Hatred can start off being one
directional but will likely spread to all members in the relationship causing widespread chaos. Abject hate is much more hurtful to one than mere apathy. It is clear that Marcus Zusak sees how harmful hatred is and how it can spread like a wildfire. The relationships with Liesel and her mum as well as Max and the nazi’s showcase the destructive effects of hatred which even the strongest of connections can’t survive against. Bonds that are bound by dislike are tyrannical and that projected hatred will infect all the members in the relationship leading to a mutual blinding hate. This issue is a major roadblock in societies evolution and if it is not cleared then consequences will be paid.
Strong emotions towards another can cause one to act irrationally. In The Book Thief by Markus Zusak Rudy, Liesel, and her foster father Hans develop strong emotions towards others that cause them to act rashly. Rudy’s, Liesel’s, and Hans’s actions illustrate the unreasonable actions caused by strong feelings towards another.
A example why people are brutal in The Book Thief is when the bomber planes were dropping bombs on the small town killing many people. My thoughts on this is even though the Nazi started this doesn’t mean they should kill innocent families.
In the novel “Night” by Elie Wiesel, the author displays the transformation and the evolution of the average human being, through a horrible experience that he personally went through. When he is transported from one place to another, forced to leave everything behind, to go live in the ghettos, then in a horrible concentration camp. In the concentration camp Elie experiences numerous events that challenges his physical and mental limits. Some of these events made him question his faith, and whether there is such a thing as God, turning him from a conservative Jew to a reform Jew. Elie doesn’t love the concentration camps, yet he doesn’t hate it, in fact he does not care anymore. At a conference in 1986 Elie explains “The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference”. (Elie Wiesel), meaning that opposite of love is not hate, it’s getting used to use to the situation, to the point that the person doesn’t care whether what is happening is right or wrong. In the novel Elie experience physical, mental, and spiritual pain, that test his humanity and morality.
’’Liesel observed the strangeness of her foster father's eyes. They were made of kindness, and silver. Like soft silver…..upon seeing those eyes,she understood Hans Hubermann was worth a lot.’’ (Zusak,34) Liesel saw kindness in Hans Hubermanns eyes which made her feels more comfortable with him rather than Rosa Hubermann.
Guilt is a prevalent theme throughout The Book Thief. Liesel endures guilt multiple times, when she steals laundry money from Rosa, gets Max sick, verbally attacks Ilsa Hermann, and experiences the guilt of surviving. All of these acts caused Liesel to experience some sort of guilt which later causes her to perform questionable tasks.
Human nature has many elements that reveal the growth and personality of a person. In Markus Zusak’s “The Book Thief”, the author successfully portrays various aspects of human nature through Hans’ conflicts that originate from the tough reality that he lives in. Elements of human nature can be seen as a result of Hans’ constant struggles with guilt, kindness, and love.
Throughout time, children have read stories of brave knights, running into battle with their swords ready to defeat the invader. They have read tales of everyday girls turning into princesses by kissing a frog or wearing a glass slipper. Also, some of these stories contain accounts of historically poignant moments. For example, the novel The Book Thief written by Markus Zusak takes place during World War II. It gives a lasting impression on what this time was like for everyday people and the impacts the war had on them. The author does this through the many storytelling elements incorporated into the book. Also, Zusak displays how people respond to changes within their lives during these taxing times. For instance, the main character, Liesel
...s that surviving a tragedy, such as the holocaust, can cause survivor’s guilt, which influences both the survivor’s life and his/her relationships with others. Every day, Vladek and Anja suffer from the survivor’s guilt and from the memories of the war. Their character, which was affected by the war, exhausts their family and friends and eventually chases them away. Vladek is heavily influenced by the war in numerous ways. Ironically, even Vladek, a holocaust survivor deeply affected by the war and racism, continues to be racist. If a holocaust survivor cannot change his perspective on racism, then what can possibly end racism?
Words hold great power and when used correctly can influence what people believe and how they act.
One’s past affects the way one views unjust behavior that will continue to occur in today's society. In “Hope, Despair, and Memory” Ellie Wiesel repeats, “it would be enough” to express his frustration that words are not “enough” to explain the time of hate he lived through. Wiesel’s point of view differs from Solzhenitsyn oration in “One Word of Truth Outweighs the World” because Solzhenitsyn believes lying and violence are inseparable. However, Wiesel and Solzhenitsyn compare in that they are both frustrated with our society not learning from past mistakes. In “Children Without Pity” by Nancy Traver, her work contrasts to Wiesel’s oration because she demonstrates how humanity continues to hurt each other. Traver, Solzhenitsyn, and Wiesel all choose to cope with injustice differently or in a
Jewish American writer, Elie Wiesel in his reflectional speech, The Perils of Indifference, argues the danger of Indifference. He evolves his message through emphasizing the importance and danger of what indifference can do to a society. Specifically, Wiesel mentions, “So much violence, so much indifference.” Wiesel explains that freedom and equality were difficult to be found with so much hate in our world. Finally, he mentions, “Indifference, then, is not only a sin, it is a punishment.” He further describes that during the holocaust is different meant sinning. Wiesel’s purpose is to inform why indifference is inhuman to create awareness that being different than others is wrong and a sin. He establishes a thoughtful tone for readers by using stylistic devices such as syntax, imagery, and word choice to develop his message. Wiesel’s message about the inhumanity of indifference and the importance of resistance is still happening today.
Elie Wiesel once stated that “More dangerous than anger and hatred is indifference. Indifference is not a beginning; it is an end-and it is always the friend of the enemy.” Wiesel was a survivor of a German concentration camp called Buchenwald during the Holocaust and later dedicated his life to groups suffering from persecution for their beliefs and discrimination against their national origin. He had first hand experienced of the horrors that anger and hatred are capable of, yet still believed that indifference was worse. This is because indifference shows no emotion, fails to take action against existing anger and hatred, and cannot be used to promote growth within the world.
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?
Irish Playwright, George Bernard Shaw, once said, “The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them; that's the essence of inhumanity.” Inhumanity is mankind’s worse attribute. Every so often, ordinary humans are driven to the point were they have no choice but to think of themselves. One of the most famous example used today is the Holocaust. Elie Wiesel’s memoir Night demonstrates how fear is a debilitating force that causes people to lose sight of who they once were. After being forced into concentration camps, Elie was rudely awakened into reality. Traumatizing incidents such as Nazi persecution or even the mistreatment among fellow prisoners pushed Elie to realize the cruelty around him; Or even the wickedness Elie himself is capable of doing. This resulted in the loss of faith, innocence, and the close bonds with others.