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Courage In Markus Zusak's The Book Thief

718 Words3 Pages

Markus Zusak’s coming-of-age, historical fiction novel, The Book Thief, tells the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster child brought to live with a family in Molching, Germany during World War II. Throughout the novel, Liesel meets many characters who show tremendous courage in the face of the circumstances they are forced to endure like Hans, Rudy, and Max. However, the courage that they exhibit is not always the kind where they run out into battle with guns blazing but something else. Hans Hubermann, Liesel’s foster father, is at first glance, an unceasingly kind, yet ordinary, man. Even Death says so when we first meet him: To most people, Hans Hubermann was barely visible. An un-special person...Somehow, though, and I’m sure you’ve met people like this, he was able to appear as merely part of the background, even if he was standing front of a line. He was always just there. Not noticeable. Not important or …show more content…

“In the basement of 33 Himmel Street, Max Vandenburg could feel the fists of the entire nation. One by one they climbed into the ring and beat him down. (254)”. Max’s courage is the kind that shows through everything he does, even in the smallest of ways. He gets up each morning and keeps on going despite struggling with the survivor’s guilt of leaving his family. He fights the nazis by painting over the pages of Hitler’s Mein Kampf and writing his own stories over Hitler’s words. Lastly, Max has the selfless courage to not come back to 33 Himmel Street even after Hans said that he could because he did not want to endanger their family any more than he already had. No matter what challenges he faces, Max makes the ultimate decision whether to let the things that happened to him affect him or to instead persevere through any means that he can, even if it does not seem to amount to much in the grand scheme of

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Also, Hans gave bread to the Jewish man, even though he knew that the Nazis would punish him, but he had to do what he knew was right. He was not a coward for standing up for the Jewish people. Liesel knew that harboring a Jew was extremely dangerous and against the law, but Liesel and Max both have lost people due to Hitler, so they had something to bond over. Rosa also shows courage by allowing her husband keep Max safe in their basement, and having a soft spot for Max, even though he is a

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493 Words | 2 Pages

Walter ignored the teachings of the Nazi party because he knew that Max was a human being just like he was; no more and no less. 1. “Don’t go, Papa. Please...first we lost Max. I can’t lose you now, too.”

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Jews were being put in Concentration camps, but because of his knowledge he goes into hiding at the home of the Huberman’s. The book describes him as an introvert because in the book it states, “He was the type of person who worked quietly away for very little reward. He kept to himself...”(Zusak 188). Max has positive solutions that he wants to fulfill in a negative way. We can can determine this because Zusak expressed in his writing, “Punches are thrown, the crowd

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Max finally answered and denied his identity. He was then taken and beaten twice before being sent off to Auschwitz, a concentration camp, when he was 19. They were packed into cattle cars; people were crying, it was dark, it was scary. When Max arrived, he separated from the women and given a number, which they tattooed on his arm. He went through many tough situations, very similar to what happened to Elie Wiesel in the book Night.

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Hitler took many things away from Max, including his parents. Max’s book The Standover Man was about a “bird” (man) that was always being told what to do. Max helps Liesel to understand how he was treated, and that he was afraid of loosing his life. However, Liesel helps Max to understand that he should not be afraid of “The Standover Man”.

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: This passage is significant to the novel because it reminds the reader that no matter how much pain and suffering Liesel feels, she lives in a safer “world” than characters like Max. But death migrates from Liesel’s pain and travels to Max’s. Max has lost his entire family and faces persecution, but his true pain lies within him. He left his family to die; he is risking another family’s life, and is constantly belittled for being Jewish. This is why this quote is important, it shows the reader not only the physical, but mental pain that the citizens of Germany

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456 Words | 2 Pages

What’s happening in the story is that Max is acting tough but he’s not. In paragraph 50/51 the text says The boys asked Max if he had been crying “Naw” he said “there was the water dripping from the tunnel roof but you said don’t move right?” “Well I was just being obedient.” This shows that this is important because it’s showing that he’s acting tough

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2095 Words | 9 Pages

This quote is emphasizing how the life of a Jew was during this time throughout the novel. No matter what these Jews did they would always get punished and sent away. In the novel, Max is an important character because he is a Jew and was being hidden in the Hubermann household until he knew he needed to leave to stay safe. This shows that you knew what these people were going to be like if they were in the Nazi party because they were all the same and all there to do the same thing, making Jew’s lives miserable. “With tears in her eyes, she saw the man slide farther forward, pushing Papa back to cry into his ankles…

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The next example occurs when Max, a young Jewish man, shows up at the Hubermann’s doorstep. On page 196 the text says, “Max made his way to Munich and Molching, and now he sat in a stranger’s kitchen, asking for the help he craved and suffering the condemnation he felt he deserved.” During this period of time, harboring a Jew was incredibly dangerous, as it was punishable by being taken away to labor camps, or worse, getting handed over to Death. The Hubermanns were committing an almost inconceivable act of self-sacrifice by hiding Max. This is furthered when, following Max’s arrival, the Nazi Party begins checking basements to see if they would make a good air raid shelter.

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749 Words | 3 Pages

Although humans may originally behave due to innate reasons, much of literature argues external forces shape character and possess the power to influence the way societies behave. Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief exhibits how individuals may react in times of discrimination, and demonstrates the love and hate accompanying war. Difficult times challenge morality, and tests one’s limits; Liesel Meminger perseveres through arduous events, namely due to her identity as a creative and brave adolescent. Liesel’s identity is shaped and ultimately strengthened by outside forces.

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840 Words | 4 Pages

“Look proud, he advised himself. You cannot look afraid,”(Zusak Ch 25). Max fought for the safety of his life for two years by hiding out. No matter how hopeless your situation might look, keep fighting because you never know what will happen unless you try. Having Max living in Liesel's basement teaches her first-hand how serious things are, and the dangers of what Hitler can do.

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880 Words | 4 Pages

Developing Friendship through Justice, Love and Humanity Human relationships break or develop depending on the circumstances. The values that creates a stable relationship may vary on historical setting or the characteristics of each person. The novel, “The Book Thief” written by Markus Zusak shows justice, love and humanity through the friendship Liesel and Max developed during the time of the Holocaust.

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712 Words | 3 Pages

Courageously, Liesel went ahead and befriended Max. Liesel made Max feel wanted and his whole attitude changed. Instead of feeling like an unwanted Jew that represented everything wrong with Germany, Liesel made Max feel like a human. In other words, Liesel took Max how he already was and left him better than he was previous to their relationship. Liesel courageously developed loyalty toward Max in a time when she could have seen him as an enemy.

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862 Words | 4 Pages

One by one they climbed into the ring and beat him down. They made him bleed. They let him suffer." (Zusak 254). Max is struggling to understand that he's a Jew, doesn't understand why people hate him and why people follow Hitler.

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767 Words | 4 Pages

“He - if there’s anything you ever need” (179). Hans Hubermann made a promise to Erik Vandenburg’s wife to help out in any way he could. He stuck to this promise and, consequently, agreed to house Max twenty years later. This shows how Hans kept to his promises and people could trust him. Housing a Jew in Nazi Germany could have lead to severe punishment, nevertheless, Hans decided to help Max in his time of need because he knew that he needed to stick to his commitment.

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