Arthur Berg's Leadership Depicted In The Book Thief

Arthur Berg and Lieutenant Jabati are similar characters because they both are influential leaders who have the ability to inspire their subordinates and gain their loyalty. While Arthur was only the head of a gang compared to Jabati being the commander of soldiers, both characters were natural-born leaders able to become successful through their respective methods. In The Book Thief, Rudy became entangled on a wire fence and was nearly caught when Arthur "grabbed the wire and reefed it away from Rudy Steiner’s pants. A piece was left on the metallic knot, but the boy was able to escape" (Zusak 165–166). After Rudy and Liesel joined Arthur’s gang, he invited them to steal from a potato farm. But, their robbery went wrong when the farmer arrived, brandishing

However, upon hearing Rudy’s hollers for help, Arthur came to Rudy’s rescue along with Liesel, risking his safety. Because of Arthur, Rudy eventually fled and escaped capture. This act of charity illustrated that Arthur was loyal to his followers, making him an effective leader who would win the respect and loyalty of his group. Since he never left a man behind, he displayed his dedication to his followers; as a result, the group knew they could trust and rely on him to protect them. Thus, Berg’s faithfulness and attentiveness to the thieves persuaded them to be loyal to him. Gaining their dedication made Berg an effective leader who could guide and help his group be as successful as possible in stealing food. Consequently, it is clear that by winning their loyalty through kindness, Berg showed that he was a successful leader whom his followers could look up to. Similarly, in A Long Way Gone, Lieutenant Jabati is an effective leader despite using different methods to win loyalty. To exemplify, after he gave an emotional speech about the rebels, his soldiers became "more than determined to stop them from capturing the