Loss Of Innocence In The Book Thief

Narrated by Death, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is a tempestuous sequence of events portraying Liesel Meminger’s encounters furthermore the dreariness she is exposed to in the small town of Molching, Germany during World War II. Just before the Nazi regime, nine years old, Liesel Meminger, is sent with her younger brother, Werner, to live with their soon to be foster parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann, because their mother is being sent to a camp for being a Communist. Unexpectedly, Werner passes away on the train ride, leaving Liesel alone to adapt to her new life, fear and stress about her family’s safety put at stake, and experience an unexpected tragedy towards the end of the novel.

In ‘The Book Thief’, Markus Zusak uses the theme “dark times do not last forever”, to show human resilience and the will to find happiness. In this book, there are many low points of the characters’ lives, whether it be a dead relative or friend, or the hardships of war. However, Liesel Meminger, the main character, still finds a way to happiness throughout the book. She finds joy in the smallest of things, such as her words and the sound of her papa’s accordion despite the pain from the loss of her mother and brother. Other characters also find joy throughout the book and stay resilient such as the Hubermanns family and Max building a snowman in their basement, Rudy and other neighborhood kids playing soccer in the streets, and

Throughout history, humanity has had to endure many hardships. To help cope with these misfortune human nature can be observed in the many ways it has evolved in people to help them to withstand the perils that make up a war. In Markus Zusak’s novel The Book Thief, published in 2005, Liesel Meminger must survive the struggles she faces as a result of her life being in the middle of the grips of Nazi Germany. Faced with events like the loss of all her closest loved ones, the Holocaust, discrimination because of her ability to read, and her religion, Liesel’s instincts is forced to develop ways for her to survive. With some help from her new father and the power of word Liesel’s human disposition helps her live through the war. With her

What happens at the end of it all? Is your soul left to float in a boundless void of pitch black nothingness, or is there something, or someone, waiting for you at the end of your life? Well, “The Book Thief” written by Markus Zusak, allows you to come face to face with this event that many people are so afraid of, the personified version of Death itself. This masterpiece of historical fiction is written about the misadventures and tragedies facing a little blonde girl named Liesel, who is living in Nazi Germany throughout the devastating destruction of World War II. Her heartbreaking story is narrated entirely by Death. Throughout the course of this novel, the audience learns about Liesel and her story of love, and loss. They also learn about how her deep adoration of literature and her stolen books were the only thing that kept her going during this time of immense pain. But even with all that the reader learns about Liesel, there is also much to discover about our narrator, if one is willing to look deep enough. As one is introduced to Death, they take notice of his cold and blunt way of speaking, his respectful and gentle side, as well as his more pained and emotional personality, and how they all combine to create one of the most complex characters in the entire novel. Death’s character development in “The Book Thief” proves to the audience that people can be contradictory, and the most emotional soul can lie inside even the coldest exterior.

n The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Liesel Meminger is presented as an angry and distrusting person. However, as the work progresses, she evolves into a strong, morally driven character. The books that Liesel steals throughout the story symbolize each step in the evolution of her character and reveal important character traits. The first four books that Liesel steals are particularly important in understanding the development of Liesel’s character. Each book is significant and shows a key change Liesel goes through during her life in Munich, Germany.

In the real world everyone loses their innocence at some point and decides to grow up, others are either childish for their life or are forced to grow up. In section two of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, the author’s message about loss of innocence is that being forced to grow up and do things on your own is difficult, especially at such a young age.

Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief takes place during some key events of World War II, in Germany. The author tells of an orphan in Nazi Germany, named Liesel Meminger. She is adopted by Rosa Hubermann and Hans Hubermann, who are her foster parents. Liesel is known as the book thief because she steals various books. When she was enrolled in school, she felt powerless because she did not understand or how to read books. Though, her father starts teaching her how to read. With the words she is learning, it is giving her the power to influence and control people with her words. She shares her passion for books with a Jew evading from the Nazis, Max Vandenberg. The portrayal of life in Nazi Germany in The Book Thief is accurate, specifically regarding the events, the loyalty for Hitler, and the treatment of Jews.

“Just as despair can come to one only from other human beings, hope, too, can be given to one only by other human beings,” wrote Nobel Prize Winner, writer, and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel. Wiesel’s writings reflect not only the horror lurking in history, but the power of human resiliency and compassion in the face of such atrocities. Markus Zusak, in his novel The Book Thief, explores one such story of hope through the relationships and education of his character Liesel Meminger as she grows up in Nazi Germany. Zusak’s detailed depictions of character and setting provide for truly engrossing delivery of continuously relevant themes. Told through pairings of blunt truths and figurative prose, immersive sensory details and introspection,

When the idea of a thief comes to mind one does not think of a book thief, but that is the description of Liesel Meminger. Set during Nazi Germany in World War II, political unrest is shown throughout Markus Zusak’s novel, “The Book Thief”. It is during this time that books are banned and burned in Nazi Germany under the direction of Adolf Hitler to suppress freethinking and ideas. Books are important to Liesel for numerous reasons. Liesel is compassionate, simple, and forgiving in her quest to acquire knowledge through books and survive the home front of World War II.

In The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Liesel Meminger discovers the power of words and how important they are in the lives of everyone. Young orphan Liesel makes a habit of stealing books before she even knows how to read. By learning to read and write she discovers a deeper understanding of herself and the world around her. Liesel uses stories to express herself and realizes how words can be used to manipulate the thoughts of others. By reading Liesel better understands herself and the writings of others. By reading books and stories Liesel helps contribute to her community and help others. Through communicating with Max and listening to his stories she starts to put together how Hitler rose to power and became so influential. Learning to read and write allows Liesel to better contribute to her community and herself. Liesel’s discovery of the influence and power words changed her life forever.

The Book Thief’s most important theme is; “Don’t ever take what you have for granted.” Zusak characterizes this theme in several ways throughout this novel. In this story Liesel finds joy in very few things, one being; stealing books from the library of Ilsa Hermann and/or any other location she may find one. In times today things come easy to most people, especially if you have money. A large amount of the world’s population is constantly out to eat, or getting the latest technology, and don’t realize back in the day people were constantly wondering if they would even live much longer or when they would see their next meal. The time of the Holocaust was a hard time, mainly for jews, and for a child at

The Book Thief divulges to viewers the life of different people and the transition of their society towards the Nazi regime. The film presents the story through the eyes of Liesel Meminger as she innocently witnesses the growing threat and aggressions of the Nazi ideologies starting on the piles of books being burned and it also shows the dangers and sacrifices of being a Jew during that time. Percival’s film adaptation of Zusak’s book paints a bigger picture of the various conflicts and behaviors of German civilians as they also try to survive in this era.

The Book Thief begins with Death, our narrator, telling us about a young girl named Liesel traveling with her mother and brother on a train to her new foster parents in Molching, Germany during WWII. Before they arrive, however, Liesel's brother dies. When they get off the train to bury the brother, Liesel steals a book from one of the gravediggers. Even though Liesel does not know how to read yet, this incident sparks her love of literature.

In the Book Thief we are introduced to an interesting character named Rudy. Rudy was a “bony legged, sharp teethed,blue eyed boy with blonde hair.” In chapter eight we are introduced to the character when Liesel plays soccer with the Himmel Street children. Since that part of the book we got to witness the ten year old boy grow and go through significant problems that eventually tore apart his life. Within the book we witness the characteristics of Rudy slowly change over time. When we first see the young boy we witness a young, full headed young boy with big dreams about being a sprinter like Jessie owen; all the way to the point where his demeanor completely changed and he awaits for death.

Change is good. However many of us may disagree to this. When change comes to our doorstep we stomp on it with fear or let it come in. Each and every one of us, has been through an obstacle that has affected and changed us how we see ourselves and others in this world. As we grow and become more exposed to our perspective of life, we let people in our lives that modify us, to who we are today. In The Book Thief, written by Markus Zusak; the main character, Liesel Meminger, goes through this transformation. Liesel Meminger enters The Book Thief as a morse, hurt 9-year-old German girl who lost her only family in less than 8 hours upon her arrival at Himmel Street, Munich, Germany. Trying to make sense of the horrors of World War 2, she transforms herself over a course of 6 years of her life, to a strong, yet sorrowful 15-year-old german girl. Liesel changes herself; by trusting others, learning to read; to understand the Nazi reign and learning the power of words.