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Power Of Words In The Book Thief By Markus Zusak

673 Words3 Pages

In The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, words played a vital role to both heal and destroy in this time period of war. Words are used to either influence people and things in a positive or negative way. Liesel learns that she has the power of words on her side and that words can affect her life and what happens in it. On the other hand, words cause atrocious things to happen as well, like Hitler coming to power. Words also have the power to heal and create marvelous things in the bad world. The Holocaust occurred when Hitler came to power, caused by his power of words; as Death states: “The Fuhrer decided that he would rule the world with words.” (Zusak 445). Hitler manipulated the Germans to think that other people, such as Jews, are not the ideal human race and they need to abolish them. The Germans were oblivious to what Hitler was trying to accomplish because they were blinded by his wise and knowledgeable choice of words. Additionally, everything in this novel was caused by words, from Hitler coming to power, Max using Mein Kampf to get to the Hubermann’s house, Liesel saving Max when he got sick, Liesel and Max’s relationship, and Liesel living in the end of the novel from being in the basement …show more content…

She came to realize the amount of power and impact her words had on others when she read to everyone in the bomb shelter and she was able to calm all the trembling humans. Words have amazing abilities to bring optimism to some or damage things around oneself. Shortly after her arrival to Himmel Street the book burning occurred, she watched thousands of books and words being burned only because Hitler did not agree with what they were focused on or who wrote them. At the book burning, Liesel learned that her mother was a communist, and then on further Liesel hated Hitler because she saw all the words being burned and realized that it was Hitler who took her mother away and destroyed her biological

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Even though Liesel does not agree with Hitler his words captivate her to a point where he is in her dreams, “The book thief was dreaming about the Fuhrer…she was attending a rally at which he spoke,” (Zusak 20). Even in Liesel’s dreams words carry the weight to shift tides, but only because she and all of Germany are allowing them to. As Liesel realizes this she seems to understand that she can take value from words and that is continuously shown to be Liesel's gift, she can learn better than most how to use her words and this give her and her words power, “Once words had rendered Liesel useless, but now…she felt an innate sense of power,” (Zusak

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The Hubermanns are also hiding a Jewish man, Max, from Hitler and his devious Nazi regime. Hitler wants to kill off all the Jews, and create one supreme Aryan race. Throughout the course of the book, all of these characters have something to do with who lives or who dies, depending on the words they use. The power of words is so strong that they can save or destroy someone or something physically or emotionally. Max is saved by a collection of words by the book Mein Kampf when he is riding the train to the Hubermanns to try to get to safety from the wrath of the Naxi regime.

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The Importance of Words in the Book Thief The plot of The Book Thief if heavily influenced by words. Used by persons like Hitler, words are what turns a country like Germany into a horrible dictatorship. In the novel The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, words are important because they are more powerful than just pure force alone and can be used to convey emotions. In this novel words are used mainly in three ways.

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As a result of learning that it was the Führer who took away her mother, the hatred for Hitler truly began to burn insider of her. Throughout the book, there are many other scenes that increase the hatred for the said man, but the truth about her mother and the burning of the books was the things that truly started the fire inside of her. However, due to her feeling the need to fit in, Liesel hides all of these feelings inside of her, and pretends to respect and love Hitler just like everyone else. For example, later in the book, Liesel is caught saying, “’And you?’ She glared at Liesel, who promptly gave her a ‘heil Hitler’ of her own” (Zusak 155).

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In the beginning of the story Liesel mentions that she was at a boarding house when she first heard the word communist. -(pg 31) “At one boarding house, there was a healthier woman who tried to teach children to write using charcoal on the wall. Liesel was tempted to ask her the meaning, but it never eventuated. One day, that woman was taken away

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As Liesel Meminger manages to cripple the hearts of many and patch them over and over again. It makes them weep for the monsters that human beings can be, but rather delight in how wonderful we are capable of being. With that in mind, the power of words was, in fact, pivotal in the contribution to the survival and endurance of the major characters in the novel. Through the power of words, you can deceive and alter the perception of life and creation on others. In deduction, Mark Zusak effectively uses the power of words to demonstrate how crucial it was to the survival and growth of major characters, he also expresses this through numerous perspectives.

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“Once words had rendered Liesel useless, but now… she felt an innate sense of power.” (Zusak 147) Liesel was lost and did not fit in because of her non-ability to read. Words helped Liesel get a better view and grasp on the events occurring around her. She was able to

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According to Harmful and Undesirable by Guenter Lewy, “Hitler had argued in Mein Kampf that the Jews had “poisoned German culture,” including literature, and had “wrecked all the conceptions of beauty and dignity” (101). Words were important for Liesel. She stated, “I have hated the words and I have loved them” (Zusak 528). She hated the words because a powerful word “communism” had tore her away from her mother. She loved the words because they connected her with her friend Max Vandenburg.

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Liesel has realized she must respect the man who was the reason for her and her entire families suffering. She has realized she officially has lost her home, that she is completely isolated from the community. “It was quite a sight seeing an eleven year old girl try not to cry on church steps, saluting fuhrer”(Zusak 115). After losing all of these emotionally wrecking things Liesel learns and understands she needs to keep going forward. She refuses to give up she although times are rough manages to think, it could be worse.

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Both these protagonists happen to be political refugees avoiding Nazi persecution: Liesel’s parents were Communists and Max is a Jew. Max and Liesel alike have recurring nightmares about the last time they saw their families and these help Max and Liesel link themselves in areas where no one would understand their pain due to the loss of their family. Unlike most relationships theirs is based on their similar past and personalities as well as unspoken understanding along with the trust for each other. These similarities form a strong bond between Max and Liesel and this makes “The Standover Man”, a book compiled by Max using pages from “Mein Kampf” important, as Max helps Liesel realize that the power of words can be used to delight as well as harm others. “The best standover man I’ve ever known is not a man at all...”, a line within “The Standover Man” implies that Max believes that Liesel and he need each other and this friendship is unique to both of

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After Max left, Liesel went to the Mayor’s library frustrated at words and tore up one of the books. Angered with words, Liesel wonders, “The words. Why do they have to exist” (Zusak page 521) After this incident, Liesel realizes the value of words, and how they can manipulate your actions and

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His time spent with the Hubermanns was deathly desolate. The constant anxiety of being caught by Nazi officials, the abstract dreams concocted within his imagination were all results of the isolation. To combat this, Max looked to words, he knew the power of words, what they held and the potential they carry. He begins writing a book with the drop sheets littered about in the basement, day by day, word by word, the distraction of writing alleviates the pain of loneliness. Max finishes a book for the girl who looked after him

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He even tried to push her away, but the girl was too strong.’” (511) The time of the Holocaust was hell-like for the Jews. Just because of their religion, they were harassed and and abused by the Germans in inhumane ways. However, Liesel was a girl who stood up for humanity and justice.

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At first, Liesel is illiterate, but when she steals her first book at her brother’s funeral, and is abandoned by her mother, she turns to something she

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The Book Thief. MZ, 2005, p. 301. ). The author of The Book Thief , Markus Zusak demonstrates the idea that a person's survival or life may strongly depend on the power of words. In The Book Thief we learn that words have a lot of power, not only do we but throughout the story unfold Liesel also learns that also.

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