Literature And Art During World War 2 Essay

Every time Liesel steals books from people, she consistently places the lives of others at risk. An example of this is when Liesel is worried about Max dying and wants to steal a book and read it to him

To begin, in The Book Thief, books seem to provide Liesel with hope in many ways . First, Liesel reads her books in hope that they will distract her from her harsh reality of living during a war, and having Hitler as a leader. This is displayed in the following quotation,”Liesel opened one of her books and began to read. The book on the top of the pile was The Whistler and she spoke it aloud to help her concentrate,” (Zusak 381). Within this quotation, one sees that Liesel reads her books to in the hope

Her enthusiastic attitude can only be calmed down by the sound of Papa’s accordion. Nothing can come in between her and her words, not the darkness of the room, and of course not even the Nazi Germans. Furthermore, in the book A Girl Made of Darkness, it is shown that Liesel is intrigued by the smallest thing in life as she questions her parents about her Christmas present (Zusak, 89). Understand her family situation, Liesel is not expecting for any present for Christmas, however her dad has been able to trade cigarettes for some books . To most of us, when we receive presents we will just accept the present, no questions asked. On the contrary,many questions have been proliferating in Liesel’s mind when Papa gives her the gifts. Not to mention another obvious evidence is when Max first arrived at the Hubermann’s house. As can be seen, Zusak has portrayed Liesel as the book thief because her inquisitive characteristic indicate those who questions the Nazi German

3). In addition, literacy empowers Liesel when she reads to others to comfort them, and to feel in control of herself. During a bomb raid, Liesel reads to her frightened neighbours to help calm them down: “everyone was silent but Liesel…for at least twenty minutes, she handed out the story. The youngest kids were soothed by her voice, and everyone else saw visions of the whistler running from the crime scene” (Zusak 381). Liesel also begins to read to Frau Holtzapfel which helps console her during her time of grieving over her lost son. Frau Holtzapfel even offers to “‘stop spitting on [Rosa’s] door’” in exchange for Liesel to read to her. Being literarily educated, which is restricted during World War II, results in great power for many people. For Liesel, the power of words, writing, and reading help comfort her during her emotional trauma. Literacy “ultimately save[s] [Liesel]” (Smith para. 3) in the sense that books give her a strong purpose to her life. As Grace Lee has said, “not only does Liesel steal books, but she also steals her life back from death itself” (Lee 21). During a time where she is distraught and

From what has been established so far in The Book Thief, I believe that Liesel is hungry for knowledge and the power of literacy. Since the beginning, she has longed for this ability which is why she stole books in the first place. It just so happened that Hans was willing to teach her how to read and to teach her the things that she wouldn’t learn at school. I think that she has many longings for things throughout the book, but this is the most important in her mind. Along with just the ability to read, I also think that she wanted the chance to show that

When Liesel steals books, it is an act of defiance towards all of what society has taught her. The irony is present in how Liesel uses the words that she learns from these books. It is ironic because Hitler uses the same vocabulary and words that Liesel used in order to cause hate and cruelty amongst the Jewish people, while Liesel seemed to use her words

Books are one key element in both The Book Thief and Fahrenheit 451. Books both made Liesel and Montag criminals by stealing them. Although books almost ended Montag's life with it starting a chain reaction ending with a mechanical hound almost killing him. It saved Liesel's life keeping her in the basement during a bombing killing everyone else. Also in Fahrenheit 451, books were supposed to be burned and many people hated them and are example of what Montag wanted but people didn't want to keep people happy.

Theft is never right. The world would be in chaos and panic if we all took what we wanted, like liesel did. For liesel, stealing books excited her and gave the books more meaning. “Although something inside her told that this was a crime, her three books were the most precious item she owned” (Zusak 109). This shows how she loved books and even if getting them by stealing was a crime she would still do it.

Liesel also very curious. A prime example of her curiosity is her very strong desire to learn how to read. At the beginning of the book,on page 13, it says “Apart from everything else, the book thief wanted desperately to go to the basement, to write, or to

American literature at first was perceptibly a colonial writing by authors who were Englishmen. American writing began with the work of the English adventures and the colonists in the new world principally for the interest of readers in the mother country. The World War II which involved a vast majority of the world’s nations began in 1939 and lasted in 1949 (Meredith, pg. 67). This conflict led to a severe worldwide economic depression also referred to as The Great Depression in the decade preceding World War II. This condition caused many people to search for jobs in America. These concepts had a compelling force

From what has been established so far in The Book Thief, I believe that Liesel is hungry for knowledge and the power of literacy. Since the beginning, she has longed for this ability which is why she stole books in the first place. It just so happened that Hans was willing to teach her how to read and to teach her the things that she wouldn’t learn at school. I think that she has many longings for things throughout the book, but this is the most important in her mind. Along with just the ability to read, I also think that she wanted the chance

After WWII many people had no art or literature of any sorts that was not purely educational, the people craved for something to ease their minds from the sorrow and suffering and reality of war. The

Liesel loves to read and it doesn't take her long to withhold her title as Book Thief. She starts with The Grave Digger’s Handbook which is the book she picks up after her brother’s death. Hans teachers her to read and painted her a “chalkboard” in the basement so that she can write down the new words she has learned. There ends up being a town “parade” which is really a book burning event where Hitler and the Nazis are commemorated, during this time Germany was looking towards invading new countries. Liesel is handed a book and pressured to throw it into the fire, to which she eventually does so. However, once the fire has been put out and everyone has gone home, she notices a book that is only slightly charred, not destroyed by the fire and picks it up. A car drives by and a woman, who is Ilsa Herman, the mayor’s wife, sees her take the book, but Liesel hides it under her coat and runs away quickly back home.

According to the Visual Art Encyclopedia, Surrealism sprang up in Paris and became rooted in the avant-garde art world. Surrealism was the fashionable art movement after World War I. Surrealism is and the last major art movement to be associated with the Ecole de Paris. The writer Andre Breton (1896-1966), nicknamed "the Pope of Surrealism", was the movement 's founder and chief theorist. He introduced and defined the new style in his initial 1924 manifesto (Manifeste du Surrealisme) and later in his painting bulletin (Surrealisme et la Peinture). Breton deplored the radical and destructive character of Dada, nevertheless he built on many Dada ideas to create a movement with a coherent though unbending philosophy. He aimed at nothing less than a total conversion of the way people thought. Surrealism was less overtly political and advocated a more positive philosophy. The main focus of the surrealism movement was literature but this rapidly broadened to painting, sculpture and other forms of contemporary visual art. Surrealist strived to bring forward the imagery of the unconscious mind. Surrealist philosophy believed that nongovernmental and irrational art were preferable for life and civilization. Surrealism was responsible for a host of incredibly innovative but strange art. Surrealism was meant to free the unconscious mind from reason. Breton and other surrealists were strongly influenced by the psychological work of Sigmund Freud

World War II was a war that was forever etched in history as a result of it destruction and overwhelming body count. But who would have thought that this war would have found a way to impact art before it’s time. Before Hitler rose to power, he used the civil war in Spain around 1936 as his personal field test. In response, arts took to their trade to cope with their frustration and express their opinions. Then as war was on the verge of beginning, Hitler stole modern art from Jewish artists and put them in his own show. His show was titled “Degenerate Art,” and it portrayed the artist as demented people who were a hindrance to society. He felt sane people were incapable of producing such abstract art. He went on to sponsor another