Critique Of The Book Thief

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 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.

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.

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, a work of historical fiction, written by Markus Zusak introduces the main character Liesel Meminger, the reader starts to see how she keeps having many conflicts but always stays positive. Liesel has many conflicts, for example her brother dies early in the book and that shapes the way she is. Later on Liesel steals books and that makes her happy because the first book she stole was the grave digger's handbook and that is how she remembers her brother. Liesel steals and reads books this is how she finds happiness with all the bad things going on around her. In the end of the book most of the people she loves die and it is hard for her to find happiness again. The author uses the setting and point of view to express theme and to make the reader feel sympathy; He uses this because with the theme of finding light in the darkness, deaths perception, and the setting of Germany makes the theme clearer.

Historically, people have used literacy to obtain political power. In the novel The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, it is evident that books, reading, and words themselves represent power for different characters in different ways. Close analysis of Liesel Meminger and Max Vandenburg reveals that power can be achieved through literacy in a context where literacy is severely limited.

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.

Crises are inevitable. However, dealing with a crisis is not always arduous 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.

explores her love of books and her thrive to steal she is acquainted with a Jew, who comes to

“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.” This is a quote said by Death in the novel The Book Thief. Death says this quote while witnessing a young boy named Rudy giving a stuffed teddy bear to a dying enemy fighter pilot. In this quote, Death is stating that he sees many people come and go. And through his time, Death sees that people can be both good and bad. While saying this quote, Death wonders how humans can possess two completely opposite characteristics. To me, this quote means that humans can show both positive qualities and negative qualities. Throughout the text, we see both the ugliness and beauty in characters such as Liesel, Hans, and Rudy.

“‘Rudy Steiner - the boy next door who was obsessed with the black American athlete Jesse Owens,” described Death. Rudy is a young boy in Markus Zusak’s death-narrated novel, “The Book Thief”. After befriending and falling hopelessly in love with the main character, Liesel, the two endure countless adventures together. Living in Nazi, Germany this pair spent their time delivering laundry, playing soccer, stealing, and even feeding parading Jews on an occasion. Rudy loved his partner in crime until his tragic death. Rudy Steiner was Liesel's trustworthy sidekick, a romantic, a kindhearted, and impartial young man.

In this episode, Rudy decides to impersonate his favorite Olympic runner, Jesse Owens, by painting his entire face with charcoal. He runs a race with being painted black, no one was more embarrassed than Rudy’s father, who explained to him why doing what he did was unacceptable. Rudy however, didn’t understand what he was doing wrong he just wanted to be like his favorite runner.

The Book Thief focuses on a girl named Liesel Meminger who stays with her foster family in Munich, Germany after her biological mother didn’t want to risk Liesel and her brother’s life. Their mother was a communist, something that wasn’t well-tolerated at the time, especially in Nazi-Germany. Sadly, her brother died on the train to Munich and had to be buried next to a train track. This is where Liesel Meminger started her criminal record by picking up a book that one of the grave diggers had dropped called, ‘The Grave-Digger’s Handbook,’ and keeping it all the way to Munich. Liesel’s foster parents quickly become more her own parents than anything else.

The value of words and their meanings are tremendous. In human lives, words are able to cure and to kill. As everything in this world, words are one of those attributes that we use daily almost as a reflex. Unfortunately, many people usually forget how powerful words are and use them without a second thought. Words can also change people and not only them. The story was presented in the book called “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak is an excellent example of how words can be meaningful and life changing for a 14-year-old girl and for the Death himself. This meaningful story takes place from 1940 through 1945 throughout World War II; its disasters and horrors. Everything happened in the town called Molching, in Germany

It seems sometimes like the market for young adult literature is written down to the readers, almost in a condescending manner. That is why a book like The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is so refreshing in this sea of cookie cutter romances and fantasies. While classified as a young adult novel, it deals with very serious themes. The book’s cover comes printed with this label: “It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.” It is a dark allusion to what is to come. But Zusak makes this story more accessible to the audience he is writing to and does this by creating identifiable characters, by bringing humor into