Character Analysis: The Book Thief By Markus Zusak

In Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief, suffering can be seen throughout the book.”Individuals can endure great suffering if they have something to live for”. There are various types of sufferings presented in the book like physical and emotional. Max Vandenburg a Jewish man who hides in the Hubermann’s basement and the conditions and distress he had to go through to stay hidden from the Nazis. Also suffering is shown when Max had lost his family was very miserable and cruel.

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

C-The main character is a young German girl named Liesel that lives with her foster parents in Nazi Germany.”Wirelike shins.Coat hanger arms. She did not produce it easily,but when it came, a starving smile. Her hair was close enough brand of German blond, but she had dangerous eyes, dark brown” Told her physical appearance. One of her thoughts that describes her interests is “There were all different styles of books with different sized lettering on the spines of the black, the red, the grey, the every colored books. It was one of the most beautiful things Liesel had ever seen” The fact that she was originally very paranoid is supported by “Every night Liesel would nightmare,

Mahatma Gandhi once said “An unjust law is itself a species of violence. Arrest for its breach is more so. Now the law of nonviolence says that violence should be resisted not by counter-violence but by nonviolence. This I do by breaking the law and by peacefully submitting to arrest and imprisonment.” Markus Zusak’s novel, The Book Thief clearly demonstrates the positive outcome from acts of resistance through exchanges between characters. For instance, Hans displays resistance through his acts of kindness. In addition, Max’s courageous actions portray defiance. Lastly, Liesel uses the power of books and words to defy the Fascistic beliefs. Through exchanges between characters, acts of resistance against the Nazi regime are performed.

Over time, they find things that draw them together and they become close friends. This is amazing because at the time Germans were completely against Jews and the only thing most of them wanted for them was for them was to be sent to concentration camps. Sharing the fact that they both “lost” their families, they realize that both have misfortunes, but they also realize that they can never give up. Eventually, they overcome their fears and nightmares. Liesel also teaches Max that he can express how he feels about everything through words. Liesel and Max both had some kind of a passion for reading and writing which created another strong bond. In times of hardship, they were both the quiet man, and the outgoing girl that were able to support each

In the beginning of The Book Thief, the reader meets Liesel Meminger, her mother, and her brother, Werner Meminger. The father is never introduced. It is only said that he is a communist. Werner dies on the train to Himmel Street, the place that Liesel is left with a couple, Hans and Rosa Hubermann. Liesel’s mother is never seen again, but the reader assumes that she was taken away for being one of the Nazi’s targets. According to The Book Thief, “What came to her then was the dustiness of the floor, the feeling that her clothes were more next to her than on her, and the sudden realization that this would all be for nothing—that her mother would never write back and she would never see her again.” Nazis were the epitome of evil. They tore families apart and killed millions of innocent people.

Markus Zusak’s Book Thief chronicles the life of Liesel Meminger and those who crossed her path. Through his use of Death as a narrator, a profound underlying message of the wondrous complexity of the human world is presented, balancing the ever-present forces of evil and good.

Themes are inserted within literature by the author in an attempt to provoke readers to think about the topic provided. In the novel, The Book Thief, written by Markus Zusak, many topics are presents, such as, courage, suffering, and human behavior. The most prevalent, however, is the courage possessed by certain individuals. This theme, bravery, is evident throughout the entire course of the novel in Liesel Meminger, the Hubermanns, and Max Vandenburg.

There is always some kind of conflict that is happening to humankind, as is depicted in The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak. Liesel and Ilsa are both haunted by the death of their loved ones, but throughout the novel, both Liesel and Ilsa work to get over their losses and become empowered. The mentor/pupil archetype and symbolism cooperate to reveal how Ilsa and Liesel help one another confront their pasts and move on to a more positive future in spite of the tremendous losses they have experienced. Their library sessions and shared love of words empower each of them; they both conquer fears and overcome griefs during one of the darkest time in history, WWII in Nazi Germany.

Rebelliousness is the desire to resist authority or control. Teenagers often develop rebelliousness. There is no exception for Liesel, Rudy, and Max. they are main characters within The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. At some point in the The Book Thief, Liesel, Rudy, and Max Rebel against some form of power, control, or authority. Liesel, Rudy, and Max have done at least 2 Things within The Book Thief.

A poet named Rumi once said that “Grief can be the garden of compassion. If you keep your heart open through everything, your pain can become your greatest ally in your life's search for love and wisdom”(Rumi). In Markus Zusak The Book Thief, the theme that even though people are surrounded by hatred, compassion from others can transform the hatred into love is shown when Hans protects Max and hides in the basement, and Ilsa Hermann’s sharing of the books in the library, and when rudy jumped in the river for Liesel's book. In this novel, The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, a girl named Liesel overcome the powerful dictatorship of hitler, through her papa’s help, and many friends. The Hubermann household helps with many of the Jews persecuted by Hitler. The Hubermann family gets through the hardest times together.

The word struggle is given a whole new meaning in Markus Zusak’s, ‘The Book Thief”. Throughout life, several humans go through struggle one way or another, but have overcome them.

Best known for his book the Book Thief, Australian born author Markus Zusak has been writing for young adults since the age of seventeen(Grade Saver). Born in Melbourne, Australia to German and Austrian immigrants, Markus Zusak lived a very humble and quite life. However being the youngest of four, Markus sometimes was the forgotten child alongside his brother (“ My Life”).Growing up in a family was the oldest two siblings were idolized, led to some actions that his older brother and he got into. Some of these actions were stealing street signs, store signs and gambling at the local dog track (Underdogs). Also the two brothers got into a lot of trouble at school with other students. These actions caused Markus to not focus on his

If you believe in yourself and have dedication, pride, and never quit, you will be successful. Markus Zusak, the author of The Book Thief, creates a story of a young orphan named Liesel Meminger, who is living with her new foster family. She learns the wonders of reading from her foster father and grows to love books. During Liesel’s time with her new family, she shows determination through her efforts and kindness with her encounters with other people. Liesel in The Book Thief expresses her traits, such as hardworking, and bravery.

Hey everyone. For those of you who don’t know me, I am Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief amongst other books. Every book that I write has its own journey that comes with it and this applies for the Book Thief. This journey includes things like the writing process, my inspiration for the particular novel and the lessons that I hope my audience learns. More often than not, this journey is a more personal than public experience for the author, but today I thought it would be interesting if I share some parts of this journey with you. But before I get into all of that, let me start with a brief overview of the book.