General
1.Title: The Book Thief
2.Author: Markus Zusak
3.Date of Original Publication: 2005 (in Australia); March 14, 2006 (worldwide)
4.Novel Type: Historical
STRUCTURE
1.Point of View- Death (third person omniscient)
2. Relationship to meaning- The fact that the story is told from the point of Death (who knows all) is significant because it gives the reader insight into much of the thoughts and feelings of many of the major characters as well as their internal conflicts in their parallel struggles to maintain hope and morality.
3. Plot Structure
a. Exposition: Death opens the novel with a brief prologue in which he introduces himself and an illiterate, nine year-old Liesel Meminger, the novel’s protagonist ,often referred to as “the book thief” by the narrator. He then begins the story with his first encounter with the book thief-at a railway line where Liesel and her mother, clearly impoverished, witnessed her brother Werner dies. Soon the historical backdrop of the Holocaust is revealed.
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Inciting Incident: Liesel is adopted by Hans and Rosa Huberman.
c. Events contributing to rising action: Liesel begins to adapt to her foster family and her new life in Molching. She makes close friends out Rudy and Max (who is secretly hiding in her basement). As World War II and the Holocaust progress, Rudy and Liesel are inducted into Hitler Youth and their fathers are subject to conscription (as punishment for resisting Hitler’s command). Eventually Max ,who Liesel had comforted and cared for, must leave and is sent to Dachau. Throughout these events, Liesel continues stealing