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Liesel And Her Father's Identity In The Book Thief

1222 Words5 Pages

1. What is the difference between a. and a. Societal expectations, politics, fear, desire, and justice all shape the character's identity in the book Thief. We can see how politics defined Liesel and her fathers identity, when she discovers a “label she did not understand. Kommunist'' (31). Her father's identity was determined by this label, which likely caused Liesel and her father's separation. Identities are defined by other individuals through their actions and their perception of others. Liesel's identity is also largely shaped by Hans, who protected her, took care of her and introduced her to her passion, books. He teaches her to read, after finding that “she couldn’t read or write” (39). Liesel uses this knowledge to read to others, …show more content…

What is the difference between a.. Some of the allusions used include Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party, Jesse Owens, the Hitler Youth, and Dachau concentration camp. These references provide insight on the time period of the novel, occurring during World War II, as well as the oppression and pain during this era. For example, we know that this story occurs after the 1936 Olympics due to the fact that Rudy “was obsessed with the black American athlete Jesse Owens” (45), who won multiple events that year, causing outrage from Hitler. We understand the beliefs of the German citizens through this, such as the fact that Alex Steiner “was a member of the Nazi Party, but he did not hate the Jews” (59), deviating from the normal beliefs of those in the Nazi …show more content…

Marcus Zusak writes about what a normal German citizen's life is like, and how their environment can influence them. The Book Thief showed me how important courage is in any situation, and how even a little courage can change your own life or someone else's. Multiple characters show strong courage throughout, for example when Rudy fed the Jews being transported or when Hans protected Max. The novel also showed me how kindness can change someone. Through the Hubermanns kindness, Max manages to survive with them for two years without persecution, allowing him to eventually survive to the end of the war. This kind of kindness and community is also seen in the relationship between Ilsa and Liesel. Ilsa supporting Liesel with her reading became a benefit for both of them, allowing Liesel to read more whilst providing Ilsa a chance to find solace in her son's death. Ilsa, as an upper class citizen, continually allows Liesel to steal books and food, which not only benefits Liesel, but Rudy as well. Overall, The Book Thief showed me how small actions can influence another person and how important one's community is to their identity, as well as the duality of the human

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