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The book thief book analysis
The book thief character literary analysis
The book thief book analysis
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More handpicked essays just for you.
The book thief book analysis
The book thief character literary analysis
The book thief book analysis
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, is a story set in Nazi Germany, the protagonist, Liesel Meminger, gets taken to a because her mom cannot manage to take care of her. The central theme, the power of words, is demonstrated throughout the story by Lisel’s love for books, and ability to use words to relieve and connect with others. It also shows how words can be used to manipulate and control people. “When she came to write her story, she would wonder when the books and the words started to mean not just something, but everything.” (Zusak, page 30).
Liesel was the last one to part from her brother’s grave and upon walking back to her mother she notice that there was a book laying in the snow. It belonged to one of the gravediggers but she didn 't know that at the time so she took it. It was the first book that she had “stolen.” Later that day she was separated from her mother and taken to her new home on 33 Himmel Street to live with Rosa and Hans Hubermann, her foster parents.
In the novel, The Book Thief, a fictional story, author Markus Zusak demonstrates the power of words to save or destroy someone or something. The setting is WWII in Molching, Germany. Leisel is a foster child who went through a lot to get to where she is, Himmel Street. She is living with her foster parents, Rosa and Hans Hubermann. She also has a very good friend, Rudy, who is your typical Aryan boy with blonde hair and blue eyes.
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.
The power of words in “The Book Thief” and the endless strength they carry is a prime topic throughout the book. “The Book Thief”, a novel narrated by Death about Liesel, a young German girl who is given up for adoption to live with the Hubermann’s shortly before World War II. Liesel discovers the power that words, written or spoken, have to transform people, relationships, and lives. In the novel, Mark Zusak uses the relationship between characters to signify the power of words. Within “The Book Thief” the author suggests that words hold much power and have a major role in crafting the relationships between the characters.
“The Grave Digger’s Handbook” leads to her learning how to read and write. After the bedwetting incident and Hans finding the book, Hans helps Liesel with writing by writing the ABCs and giving an example, for example “S” for sausmench. Every night Hans would read the book to her and this would help Liesel and Hans with their reading skills. When she went to school, she felt embarrassed because she was in a lower class for her age.
In addition to glorifying Hitler, saluting symbolizes Hitler’s dominance over his citizens, which subconsciously indoctrinates them and ensures his reign. None of the main characters in The Book Thief stand by Hitler’s beliefs, however, unless they want to be disciplined, they are forced to conform. Due to outside forces, Liesel Meminger’s identity is formed and strengthened. Liesel is able to learn from her relationships, the major events she experiences, and even the culture she is surrounded by, to construct the person she becomes.
“‘Here.’... ‘Read some for me.’ But of course, she couldn’t.” (Page 56-57) Liesel worked very hard to read and even started to steal books and people wrote books for her just because she yearned for them so much and wanted to know how to read.
Liesel’s only connection to them is through The Grave Digger’s Handbook which is also her first act of book thievery. Han is Liesel’s silver eyed, accordion playing foster father who wins her over with his gentle humility, quiet nature and caring demeanour. ‘They were made of kindness and silver… Liesel when seeing those eyes understood that Hans Hubermann was worth a lot.’
Liesel and her father’s relationship grows each and every day they are together. She feels comforted by his presence. “Liesel observed the strangeness of her foster father’s eyes. They were made of kindness, and silver… Upon seeing those eyes, understood that Hans Hubermann was worth a lot,” (Zusak Ch 6).
Markus Zusak has assembled ‘The Book Thief’ using a variety of narrative conventions. These include a unique narrative viewpoint, plot structure and use of imagery, all of which provide meaning to the reader. (33 words) A narrative’s point of view refers to who is telling the story. In this case Zusak’s narrator identifies himself as Death.
Abuse. Abuse is a shapeshifter. It plays tricks on the victim, mocks them, and makes them feel crazy. It affects the way people look at them, because of the decisions they make from it. In Colleen Hoover’s novel, It Ends With Us, the protagonist Lily Bloom is raised by her abusive father.
Having no one familiar to turn to, she finds a passion for words and continues to steal more books and develops strength through her burgeoning intellect of words. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is about the power of words; in this novel Zusak reveals that one who truly knows the hidden strength behind all words, can dominate others because words are more powerful than any weapon. The importance of words is shown through the symbolism of certain words throughout the novel; the motif of hunger, how it leads to her hunger for words; and how different Liesel’s world would be without words. Simple words can have deeper meanings.
Her favorite thing to do with the stolen books was read with her father. Her Papa frequently read with her. “ ‘ Do you want to read it?’ Again, ‘Yes Papa’ “ (Zusak 64). One of Liesel’s friends, Max, is constantly filled with guilt as well.
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.