Rudy In The Book Thief Essay

The youth of Germany during the Nazi Regime played a great role in that society. Not only were they to make Germany greater for the future, but they also played a major role in the everyday lives of those living in that era. The novel The Book Thief by Markus Zusak provides a historically accurate representation of the roles of children to give a precise view of their lifestyle during the atrocities of the Nazi regime in Germany. The author is able to display this accuracy through the actions of Rudy and Liesel, Hitler’s use of the children of Germany, and also with the idea of fear for the consequences of being curious. The roles of children are accurately displayed through Rudy and Liesel when they perform actions like stealing due to the

They do not want curiosity getting the best of them because it can lead to serious consequences. This is clear when Liesel asks Hans, “‘Is my mother a communist?’” (Zusak 115). After finding the answer to her question, she fills with rage, making her say “‘I hate the Führer’” (115). Not only did the hard reality give her a good smack in the face, but so did Hans. Out of fear of facing more consequences of her inquisitive mind, Liesel find various methods to distract her mind. After this certain incident, she does not question many things as she is busying herself with reading, stealing, and being with Max and Rudy. This is a good representation of how children acted during the rule of Hitler, proving that the book is able to capture their true lifestyle using experiences of the characters within the novel. To conclude, the author uses the actions of Rudy and Liesel, the purpose of German youth, and fear in questioning as methods of displaying the roles of children accurately. Therefore, the novel The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is able to give a precise insight on the lifestyle of children during the time period of the Nazi