Humanity Is Lost Because People Have Abandoned Using Their

The Book Thief is a historical fiction novel by Markus Zusak set in Munich, Germany during the Nazi reign from 1936-1943. The novel incorporates a main character that is, in the beginning, an innocent child who doesn't understand the world and takes her on a journey where she grows up and matures through the hardships and challenges of her life. The story is narrated by the character Death, who is a fresh take on the Grim Reaper, only wearing the black cloak when it's cold and never carries a syte. Death describes the life Liesel Meminger, an orphaned girl who witnesses her brother's death and burial and finds herself being adopted by the benevolent old couple, the Hubermanns. The rest of the story follows Liesel's journey through her incredibly challenging life with the Hubermanns and characters such as Rudy, The mayor's wife, and Max helping her along. Symbolism in The Book Thief deepens the story by conveying many different ideas and emotions that supports the reader's understanding of the story. This is especially apparent with the use of the gravediggers to help the reader remember characters, the use of color to help the reader feel the proper emotions and remember the correct events, and the use of Liesel's changing feelings about Rudy to convey how Liesel grows and matures through the book.

There is a part where we watch as humans are so ugly that it is hard for us to imagine that what they had done is possible. Liesel is playing soccer in the park and all of a sudden all the kids stop because of a noise they hear coming down the street. They think it could be a herd of cattle, but that not what it is. It is a group of Jewish people being led, or forced, to the death camps by German soldiers. On there way we watch a man die “He was dead. The man was dead. Just give him five minutes and he would surely fall into the German gutter and die. They would all let him, and they would all watch”(Zusak 393). This is talking about how when a Jewish person would die, the Germans wouldn’t do anything. They wouldn’t care that a man died right in front of them. While the Jews are walking Hans, Liesel adopted father, gives them bread. While Hans is giving this man bread a German soldier notices what is going on. He walks over to the man and, “The Jew was whipped six times. On his back, his heart, and

Hope and courage are two feelings that are only powerful when used together. To be courageous and not hopeful is a suicide mission; on the other hand, having hope and no courage will never give one the urge to oppose the problem. In Markus Zusak’s novel The Book Thief, the whole story is the epitome of courage and hope. During the second world war, the young Liesel Meminger is adopted by the Hubermann family, Hans and Rosa Hubermann, who teach her the power of words, as well as the importance of kindness. Moreover, one of the themes of this novel is the creation of hope from courage, and it is shown through the author’s use of symbolism, allegory, as well as irony.

“The Book Thief,” is a No.1 International Best-selling novel by Markus Zusak. In the two chapters: “The Long walk to Dachau” and “Peace,” the themes of cruelty and kindness are strongly portrayed through many literary techniques and other ways. My analysis on this question is to see how and why these two themes are illustrated in the two chapters, and under what circumstances they chose to behave like that.

This itch that death references is fear, Rudy’s father is afraid to tell his son the exact reasons why he should not have done what he did.The itch is the fear that his son won’t understand or will slip up and tell the wrong person about what his father had said, so his father decides rather to keep quiet and allow Rudy to figure it out on his own through his own experiences. This also associates to the fear of death, Rudy’s father is afraid to tell his son the real reason behind his scolding because he is afraid that in some shape or form it will lead to death. As the book goes on Rudy eventually gets his soul taken away by death. Death then again references how many humans see it and how that vision is amiss. “On many counts, taking a boy like Rudy Steiner was robbery -- so much to live for--yet somehow, I’m certain he would have loved to see the frightening rubble and the swelling of the sky on the night he passed away. He’d have cried and turned and smiled if only he could have seen the book thief on her hands and knees, next to his decimated body. He’d have been glad to witness her kissing his dusty, bomb-hit lips. Yes, I know it. In the darkness of my dark beating heart, I know. He’d loved it alright. You see. Even death has a heart” (Zusak

Contrary to popular belief, Markus Zusak paints death as a sympathetic character. No matter what kind of person, death treats all of them with care. One particular person is Rudy Steiner. Rudy Steiner is the boy next door, physically and mentally. In one chapter, death foreshadows Rudy’s death. “...about Rudy Steiner. He didn’t deserve to die the way he did.” (Zusak 241) “On many accounts, taking a boy like Rudy was robbery – so much life, so much to live for - yet somehow, I’m certain he would have loved to see…” Death feels bad for Rudy Steiner and the way he died. Throughout the book, Rudy is constantly

In the middle of the book death says, “He didn’t deserve to die the way he did...on the night he passed away. He’d have cried and turned and smiled if only he could have seen the book thief on her hands and knees, next to his lifeless body.” Through this hint the narrator, death prepares the reader in advance for Rudy’s death. Maybe for some people this is helpful, but for some others it will ruin the story. In another instance where we get a hint of things to come is evidenced in, “Of those ten, six were stolen, one showed up at the kitchen table, two were made for her by a hidden Jew, and one was delivered by a soft, yellow-dressed afternoon.” This tells me how Liesel got all her books and it took the surprise away from the fact that a Jew was going to live in their basement. Even these hints hold a sad fact in them of human beings having to hide in basements or losing their loved

Over the summer I read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. The novel contains many memorable quotes, with powerful meanings that can be applied to the reader’s life. The novel is the story of Liesel Meminger’s journey through the eyes of the narrator, Death. Liesel has many hardships in her life, but also a lot of good fortune. The novel shows both Liesel and Death’s reactions to each situation she encounters.

Relationship to meaning: Death is important to the story because he provides a detailed explanation of what is going on with all characters and he isn’t bias towards any specific character.

In The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Death, the narrator is trying to understand humans. To accomplish this, he follows the life of a little girl named Liesel Meminger. Throughout the book, he learns from her and others that humans can be both beautiful and ugly. He sees both the goodness of Liesel and others, and he sees the evils brought about by Hitler and the Nazi party. Throughout the book, Death’s understanding of humans and their ways is heightened by his study of Liesel and of other people.

Words are everywhere, words make up books, and the power of words make The Book Thief which will never be able to be improved upon. Words help us communicate with others, but mainly they have positive and negative sides to them. In the novel, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Death narrates the story while Liesel Meminger also tells her story of living in Nazi, Germany. We will discuss how there are many people such as Max Vandenburg and Liesel Meminger who choose to use to use their power of words in the positive way. We will also discuss how people also like to use their power of words in the negative way such as Adolf Hitler. The power of words are very effective especially in Markus Zusak’s writing, and we’ll discuss the main parts of the book which have been effected with the power of words.

When a human has strong beliefs based off of lack of information or knowledge this may cause them to be ignorant. Although these acts of ignorance may disregard the humanity of another person, those who act ignorantly do not choose to view another's perspective. Throughout the novel Death brings recognition to those who have spoken and acted in ignorant ways (ignorance). Franz Deutscher is a perfect example of ignorance: as he did not take the time to understand why Tommy Muller was unable to properly follow along in the Hitler Youth marches, chanting, and training with the other students. While the group of young men in Hilter Youth were practicing their marches and halts Tommy's "...ear infections and nerve damage were still contorting the marching

Throughout the novel, a miniscule act of heroism goes a long way. While working for Oskar Schindler, a Nazi, at his factory, Schindler portrays kindness. Leyson informs us that, ‘A true Nazi observing such an action, such humane treatment of a Jew, would have murdered them both’ (141). By simply making

Markus Zusak in his novel, 'The Book Thief', explores ideas about human beauty and human brutality using the narrative voice of Death. Beauty expressed through the power of words and acts of kindness. Brutality is illustrated through the concept of Nazi leadership as well as the destruction of society. Death narrates the novel and is perplexed by humanity's attitude to beauty and brutality.

Words can influence the mind in many ways that thought may not be able to. They are carefully placed and shared in different ways by each and every individual. Words have powerful impacts and can majorly impact how one may think, feel, or even lead others to feel. Written by Markus Zusak, “The Book Thief” describes a story of an innocent foster girl, Liesel Meminger, who resides in Munich, Germany at one of the most troubling time periods in history, Nazi Germany. A tale narrated by the one and only Death himself, shows the perspective from his point of view, as well as others, describing how Liesel had been seized away from her birth mother at a young age, and put into a foster family. Her new family, the Hubermanns. As she matures and grows into a more critical thinker, understanding and analyzing everything that carefully happens around her. Her foster-father, Hans guides her and teaches her how to read, which little does she know sparks her journey, the art of stealing books. Liesel soon discovers that words aren 't simply lines on a page, they are strong emotions packed into a form that merely is held in her delicate hands. Not only did she hold the pages of emotion, she held a power, a dangerous weapon of words, a weapon of control, and every book that she had stolen was giving her unimaginable power that made her think in ways that she would’ve never thought she could have. As with Nazi propaganda, and a gift that enabled her to broaden her worldview. Liesel evolves