Analysis Of The Book Thief

The Book Thief, written by Markus Zusak, outlines the tragedies and events that take place in Liesel Meminger’s life, in Nazi Germany. Throughout this young girl’s struggle of living in the oppressive Nazi regime, she is able to learn crucial lessons about life and the art of survival- some that follow her to the grave. The most important lesson she learned and the pivotal theme of the novel is that rebellion can be and beneficial in certain situations.

The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, takes place in 1940s Nazi Germany in the small town of Molching. The main character, Liesel Meminger, takes on a role as the foster child of Hans and Rosa Hubermann. She also meets a young boy named Rudy Steiner, who goes on to be her best friend and lover. In the book, Liesel faces many challenges big and small. From hiding a Jew in the basement to a thieving lifestyle, Liesel has to learn to overcome all of life's problems. Through all of this, she is supported by her foster father Hans Hubermann who is caring to people he barely knows, intelligence despite his lack of education, and generosity even when he has little for himself.

Death. To many, it is the end of life and start of a new beginning from this world, but in The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Death is our narrator. He is the one who guides us through the life of a young German girl named Liesel during Nazi Germany. Death manages to see her three times, and soon enough, becomes fascinated by her and the trials she must face in her life. Liesel manages to change Death’s character, surprising him in a way he thought humans never could and changing his viewpoint on them forever.

One of the main characteristics of war is its ability to take away individuals’ feelings of strength. Such individuals will become unable to feel a sense of identity unless they find some source of power, no matter its form may be. The main characters in The Book Thief and Between Shades of Gray use art and literature as a means for empowering themselves within the conflict-ridden setting around them: World War II. The “testimony [of these characters is produced] to create an absolute record, to speak in a world where [their] voices have been extinguished” (Sepetys 338). Liesel, the main character in The Book Thief, and Lina, from Between Shades of Gray, create testimony of their endurances by leaving behind writing and drawings that tell their story to future generations after being forced into silence during their own lifetime.

In The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, words can be very powerful. Words can either break a person down or build them up. There are several examples in this story where words either bring people together or tear them apart. While words prove to both heal and hurt in this story, the healing words leave a longer and lasting mark on the person that is being healed, while the damaging ones do less to hurt than the comforting ones do to help.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak tells the story of Liesel Meminger and her life during World War II. It is told from the point of view of Death through his interactions near her and others in her life. Zusak uses imagery, language, and tone to share his theme of the beauty of humans.

Books can sate, motivate, and inspire a reader without standing the test of time. There are a multitude of books released today that can change a reader’s life without making their mark on history. Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief is a prime example of this. Most critics agree that The Book Thief is a quality read, but there is no telling whether it will last throughout the ages of literature. Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre is a novel that has lasted since its release in the nineteenth century, and critics continue to praise it. Jane Eyre shares similarities to The Book Thief; however, The Book Thief will not stand the test of time because of its lack of completely original themes and ideas.

Picture, you are child, in Nazi occupied Europe. You have just returned to your village, after only a short trip away, to see it burned to the ground, and the bloodied corpses of your friends, your family, your loved ones, litter the ground. Picture you are a young African child, who as you hid in the forest, just watched your village burned to the ground and its people, everyone you have ever known, slaughtered, by a rival tribe. Picture you are an Armenian child, who just snuck away from one of the infamous death marches, in which you saw men, women, and children, forced to march through the desert until they either died of exhaustion, or were shot by Turkish soldiers for being too slow. There are many things you could be feeling in these situations.

“Even death has a heart” (Zusak 242). Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief is a novel of love, death, and survival. This novel consists of the love of a parent, the death of a friend, and the survival for those who are strong willed. Many were not compatible with the traumatizing events throughout the history of World War II, resulting with population decreases. Zusak’s The Book Thief is a story, narrated by Death, of Liesel Meminger and all her accounts with death and how she coped through it all; her survival was all through words. Throughout the novel, Death repeatedly adds his own thoughts and feelings of Liesel and the events around him. The Book Thief makes readers realize the power that words can have; we as readers just have to pay attention

The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak takes place in 1940s Nazi Germany in the small town of Molching. The main character, Liesel Meminger, takes on a role as the foster child of Hans and Rosa Hubermann. She also meets a young boy named Rudy Steiner who goes on to be her best friend and lover. Throughout the book Liesel faces many challenges big and small. From hiding a Jew in the basement to a thieving lifestyle, Liesel has to learn to overcome all of life's problems. Throughout all of this she is supported by her foster father Hans Hubermann who is caring to people he barely knows, intelligence despite his lack of education, and generosity even when he has little for himself.

Throughout both exerts the both include descriptive use of colors. “For The Book Thief” by author Marcus Zusak, describes mainly the setting of the novel using the colors he describes. When the narrator is “Death” itself then the descriptive words have the same meaning, but sound different. For instance, if you were to compare how someone not knowing the narrator to someone knowing it is Death narrating the readings would most likely not be the same because of this reason. Death as a character sounds more diabolical and evil meaning. Throughout the story they describe something nearly every line. From soup to how the sky was colored. The imagery in this reading is insanely real when imagined. Humans dropping bombs from the clouds above with

Death collected every small portion of these people’s lives into one robust story; from the passing of Liesel’s brother, to the departure of her foster parents, death was continuously an influence. The different personalities that Liesel encountered throughout the story all shared something in common with her, death. Either these people have experienced a catastrophic loss or they were slaughtered themselves. Regardless of what was the cause or how it occurred, the connection was the consequence. The irony of this is that Death, the storyteller is also the biggest reoccurring themes of the entire story, therefore, it can be said that he is telling a story that revolves around him. Death’s words are very sturdy and touching. He doesn’t fall far from the other theme which is the power of words. His words consist of disappointment, greed, and sympathy, for example, “Still, they have one

Quality adolescent novels are becoming increasingly available in today's society; nonetheless, some easily rise above while others prove less effective. Markus Zusak’s novel, The Book Thief, proves exceptionally phenomenal, but why was it saved for last? Is it truly more substantial than other young adult literature? Five-hundred and fifty-two pages takes a considerably longer time to read than the average adolescent novel; however, the extensive reading is not the only reasoning behind saving The Book Thief for last. At first glance, The Book Thief is an ordinary Holocaust story from the perspective of an adolescent German girl who fell in love with books, her foster parents, and an extremely fortunate Jew. This novel has a dynamic presence, covering most of the common factors present in young adult literature. Death, the narrator, tells the story of Liesel, a young girl who is left in a foster home after the death of her brother when her birth mother can no longer care for them. Life at this time is overwhelmingly difficult, and with being behind in school and not able to read, Liesel sets out to master reading, encouraging her book stealing. The right, the wrong, the black and white, everything turns grey and muddy. Death is justified, giving is looked upon with disgust, and morals are questioned. A truly brilliant story is present, intertwined with quality concepts and perspectives that commonly cannot be covered in a single novel.

    The Book Thief, a thrilling yet sad novel and movie. Both hit the subject of World War II, but somewhat in different ways. One might ask how, being as the movie was based on the book. Well that’s very simple; the director of the movie left out several key factors. In the basic story line, there is a young girl who gets put into a foster home. Throughout the story she makes friends, family, and even begins to befriend a jew. Although there is a war going on throughout Germany, the family manages to keep everyone safe. Then, the worst happens. An unannounced air raid, and it kills almost everyone the young girl loves. She ends up getting put in with the mayor of the town and his wife, and lives a happy life after. Even though the story line is the same, one could argue that leaving out the key aspects changed enough of the story to make a difference.

The Messenger is a young adult novel by Australian writer Markus Zusak who also wrote The Book Thief. Ed Kennedy is a very normal 19 year old; he has no major achievements and he works as a cab driver. After he saves a bank full of people being robbed he starts receiving playing cards but only aces with addresses and clues in the mail. As he figures more out about these card he start to realize what he has to do to help the people in his community whether or not this hurts him. The book was also written in a very interesting format.