John F. Kennedy, American politician and former 35th President of the United States once stated “Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.” JFK is absolutely correct in saying this because although effort and courage are important in various situations throughout life, they are meaningless without a purpose backing them up. Some of the most prominent examples of how we use courage and effort for a purpose is when we defend our certain beliefs and virtues. People around the world are using courage, whether it is a simple statement or an unexpected action to stand up for their true beliefs. Literature, movies, and the media also praise taking a stand against the enemy using the protagonist as an example. In the novel, …show more content…
As it shown through several situations in life and literature, such as “The Book Thief” , this can have a positive or negative effect on the child’s life based upon their role model and who their true “leader” is. Markus Zusak selects Hans for Liesel and Rudy to look up to and emulate through their actions. In many circumstances, Hans decides to defend his true beliefs and the children look up to him. Jewish people would ironically parade through the streets of Germany and other European countries on their way to concentration camps. While the Jews are making their way through Molching, on their way to Dachau, Hans intervenes and tries to supply a dying Jewish man with a piece of bread. He has to brave through the consequences of his actions, with many children in the crowd, and makes a good impact despite being punished. Rudy and Liesel attempt to recreate Hans’ actions, “They pedaled ahead of the parade, toward Dachau, and stopped at an empty piece of road. Rudy passed Liesel the bag. ‘Take a handful.’ ‘I’m not sure this is a good idea.’ He slapped some bread into her palm. ‘Your papa did.’ How could she argue? It was worth a whipping. ‘If we’re fast, we won’t get caught.’ He started distributing the bread. ‘So move it, Saumensch.’ Liesel couldn’t help herself. There was the trace of a grin on her face as she and Rudy Steiner, her best friend, handed out the pieces of bread on the road” (440). Markus Zusak is displaying the seemingly innocent actions of children after witnessing Hans perform them himself and how the children are defending their own beliefs in a way that seems convenient for them. The author incorporates the children copying Hans to demonstrate how easy it is for them to make hazardous decisions just because they’ve seen someone they trust and respect make the same ones. Rudy and Liesel both have expressed a loving, compassionate side