Book Thief Author's Craft Quotes

Death, the narrator of Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief is an imperfect character. He certainly has ideals for himself, makes them evident, and strives to fulfill them within the novel. Through the use of foreshadowing in The Book Thief, Markus Zusak, speaking through Death, transforms the reader’s emotional response to events in the book to be similar to Death’s ideal emotional response. This can be supported through examining Death’s ideals, his use of foreshadowing, and their combined effect on the reader’s emotional response to tragic events in the text.

Between the two books of different genres, a reader is opened up to different circumstances of two people. During the Holocaust, there were those who lived through the terror in Nazi Germany under Hitler's reign, and those who suffered from the work of Nazi’s ending up inside compact concentration camps. Within the book Night by Elie Wiesel and the book The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, the Holocaust period was a key factor. Both the books stress the idea of the Holocaust, however are portrayed in very different ways. With the stories being told from different perspectives the true feelings of the Holocaust are understood and the similarities between all people are shown.

The Holocaust was a brutal event in World War Two and millions of people were killed. Although this occurrence was brutal, beautiful things happened too. Beauty and brutality co-existed throughout the the Holocaust and changed people's lives. Markus Zusak used imagery to represent beauty and brutality co-existing in “The Book Thief” throughout the lives of Liesel, Hans, and Death.

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

The Book Thief is set in the time of World War 2 where the Holocaust is present and disaster is everywhere. Throughout the story, Liesel, the main character, learns that words are extremely powerful and hold the ability for people to use them for good or for evil. Among the disaster and altercations, Liesel uses her literature to comfort her and make herself more powerful due to her knowledge, which demonstrates the theme of the story, the comfort and power of literature and words softens the pain of loss.

World War II was a grave event in the twentieth century that affected millions. Two main concepts World War II is remembered for are the concentration camps and the marches. These marches and camps were deadly to many yet powerful to others. However, to most citizens near camps or marches, they were insignificant and often ignored. In The Book Thief, author Markus Zusak introduces marches and camps similar to Dachau to demonstrate how citizens of nearby communities were oblivious to the suffering in those camps during the Holocaust.

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.

From two different perspectives of the war, the author of this book showed that, depending on location and timing, everyone can be affected differently by warfare. It followed the story of two children who grew up on opposite sides of World War II. When their paths crossed, they developed feelings for one another, disregarding the fact that their historical circumstances placed them on opposing sides of the war. In the book All the Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr depicted how internal principles were able to overpower external pressures.

The acts of human nature can become a very difficult concept to understand. Markus Zusak uses Death throughout the The Book Thief to express the complexity of human nature. Death illustrates how complicated beings humans are and how they hold the capacity to act in both evil and beautiful ways. Throughout the novel Death helps give readers insight to the ignorance displayed and the pain it may cause a person. In the most troublesome and discriminatory times of the Holocaust, Death will point out the beautiful acts of compassion carried out by characters involved in the novel. Sometimes beauty and pain is mixed within the sacrifice some make for those they love and are loyal to.

World War II is an important key point in history that addresses to young adolescents. The novel, T4 is based on a true story, in which the author, Ann Clare LeZotte is portraying a novel that is based on the theme of survival. It appears to be that the author’s argument in writing this novel is to simply maintain awareness of the past. Generally speaking, a story about survival is a difficult genre for young readers, “The majority of war stories for children are about World War II and the Holocaust.” (Huck 482) The reason war stories are mainly about World War II and the Holocaust is because it was the most recent, largest, and horrifying war during the twentieth century in Europe. Our textbook also states that these historical novels help children experience the past. Meaning, that it is important for a child to learn about the past including all the wars, conflicts, sufferings, and great happiness that had occurred so they can apply that to the present and to the future.

The developmental stage of a young child’s life is very crucial and can be impacted by the media. In The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Liesel Meminger is a young girl living in a very important part of Germany’s history, the Second World War. Liesel’s childhood unfolds and develops against the backdrop of a time when words, books specifically were used for power and control. Liesel is someone who has a love for reading and, as such, books become very important to her, not only for her education but for her rebellion and discovering her true identity. Throughout the novel, books become a crucial symbol used to convey the desires and discovery of identity for the main character as her childish ignorance changes to her mature adulthood.

“Please, be calm, despite the previous threat. I am all bluster- I am not violent. I am not malicious, I am a result” (Zusak 6). The Book Thief takes place in Nazi Germany, and is narrated by Death. Although many think of Death as a morbid creature throughout the novel Death is portrayed as more of calm swift moving concept that shows care for those he transports to God.

this sets up the context and intent of the novel and implies that even though a young generation of men may have survived the war physically, they were undoupbtly destroyed by it mentally.

Markus Zusak’s compelling novel, The Book Thief, is a multilayered and intricately created text that embeds a multiplicity of meanings as it explores diverse ways of representing the complexities of trauma and the human nature. The incorporation of trauma into literature has enabled an enhanced explication of the power and complexity of the relationships among cataclysmic historical events. Zusak’s exploration into trauma and the various coping mechanisms employed by individuals is a poignant reflection upon the human condition and furthers our understanding of the German community within Hitler’s rule. Zusak’s novel demonstrates the presence of all the major concepts in trauma theory, most predominantly intergenerational transmission of trauma.

Markus Zusak’s compelling novel, The Book Thief, is a multilayered and intricately created text that embeds a multiplicity of meanings as it explores diverse ways of representing the complexities of trauma and the human nature. The incorporation of trauma into literature has enabled an enhanced explication of the power and complexity of the relationships among cataclysmic historical events. Zusak’s exploration into trauma and the various coping mechanisms employed by individuals is a poignant reflection upon the human condition and furthers our understanding of the German community within Hitler’s rule. Zusak’s novel demonstrates the presence of all the major concepts in trauma theory, most predominantly intergenerational transmission of trauma.