Summary Of Munich By Zusak

Setting:

Most of the book takes place in the small, and fictional, town of Molching. This town is just outside of Munich and it is on the way to the concentration camp Dachau. Himmel Street is where the Hubermanns and Steiner’s live and most of the action takes place here.

It’s obvious to us that there is a lot of Nazi activity in Molching but when we further look in to which city Molching is close to we can see why it is this much. Munich is where Hitler successfully took power in 1933 and Munich became the headquarters of the NSDAP. Aside from this Dachau, one of the first concentration camps, is established about ten miles from Munich.

These few facts show us why Zusak chose to write about a small fictional town close to Munich. Despite

When she is first introduced we don’t exactly trust her with Liesel. She is abusive to Liesel with her constant scolding and criticism.

When Max arrives to the household, we see a very different side of Rosa. She is very kind to Max and strongly believes that hiding him is the right thing to do. She shares her food, her love and everything she has without thinking twice. Helping to care for Max and seeing his suffering creates a change in Rosa, especially in her relationship with Liesel.

By the end of the book Rosa stops the abuse, but not the foul language that she, Hans, Rudy and Liesel all use. Although Hans will always be an extraordinary figure for Liesel, Rosa also becomes a beloved figure. We could say that in Liesel’s eyes she went from being a wicked foster mother to role model.

Hans Hubermann: Hans is Liesel’s foster father and is one of the most important people in her life. He is kinds, generous and patient. He is sympathetic from the very moment he meets Liesel and remains that way until the end of the book. There are only one or two instances when Hans is strict or harsh with Liesel and even then he is not acting out of anger but because he wants to protect

It first starts of as a symbol of comfort and hope. When Liesel is reading out loud during the air raids, she feels like she is giving them what Hans gave her when he played the accordion. For Hans, the accordion was a symbol of Max’s father. He saved Hans and the accordion was given to Hans after he died. For Max, the accordion symbolizes the possibility of his surviving the Holocaust. It is the link between him and Hans, the man willing to save him.

When Hans is taken to serve for the army, he leaves the accordion behind. Especially for Rosa the accordion becomes a symbol for Hans himself. When Liesel finds the accordion among the rubble of Himmel Street, it is a symbol of great loss. All of these are another huge part of the novels argument that arts can provide great aid in times of suffering.