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The Book Thief By Markus Zusak

826 Words4 Pages

This devastating, while enlightening novel has a tremendous plot that is skillfully written and played out. In January of 1939, Liesel Meminger’s brother dies and she moves in with her foster parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann on Himmel Street. Hans is the first to create a close bond with Liesel when he teaches her how to roll a cigarette and plays the accordion for her when she wakes up from her nightmares about her late brother. Liesel lacks an education and does not know how to read, however Hans teaches her how to read and write, improving her skills. At her brother’s funeral, Liesel steals a book about grave digging, this is the first book she reads and steals. While playing soccer, Liesel meets Rudy Steiner, a boy her age who would soon …show more content…

“It’s about time you faced the fact that your son is dead . . . He’s dead and it’s pathetic that you sit here shivering in your own house to suffer for it” (Zusak 262). During the Christmas season, Max falls extremely sick and does not wake up for days. During the time he is unconscious, Liesel gives her thirteen, random presents. During a Jew parade, Han gives a Jew bread, he is caught and whipped. As a result of this, Max leave the Hubermann’s household because it is too risky to stay after Hans committed the offense. Max’s last words were: “You’ve done enough” (Zusak 398). Later on, the Gestapo went to the Steiner’s home to collect Rudy, so he could go to their elite school for German boys, due to his athletic ability. Rudy’s father refuses, which follows with consequences. Hans and Rudy’s father are drafted into the army as a result of their past choices. Hans was drafted into the Air Raid Special Unit also known as LSE. “As Hans soon discovered, there was also an alternative definition of the acronym. . . . —Dead Body Collectors (Zusak 432). While on the way to a camp, Hans switches seats with a young man, later on the drive, the car’s tire blows

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Rudy Steiner is Liesel’s destined best friend. Death says that Rudy was in love with Liesel the day he met her, and Liesel loved him only as a friend. Rudy wanted to be a runner just like Jesse Owens, but this caused problems for him and his family. Rudy is also described as a lemon haired boy with gangly blue eyes. 4.

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Liesel came out. They hugged and cried and fell to the floor” (Zusak, 365). This quote is when Liesel and Max are grown up. Max survived the concentration camps and came back for Liesel, even after all that time. This demonstrates their strong relationship and how much they meant to each other.

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Max became a close and understanding friend to Liesel. He struggles through many things, due to him being a Jew. He is a very bright young man and makes good works of art in books. Rudy: Rudy is Liesel's best friend. He sees through racial discrimination and is opposed

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Max writes short books in his time hiding in the cold basement of 33 Himmel St. about how her words, emotions and actions are able to provide him with hope as well as the strength to continue to brave the circumstances life has presented him with. In one of Max’s books, The Book Shaker, it describes how Liesel’s words were able to supply him with the determination and courage help him to topple the metaphorical forest full of hate. In his vivid day dreams, he talks of him boxing with Adolf Hitler, unceasingly observing how the Führer persuades the crowd to rise up with him against Max and all other Jews. He turns his hatred into words. He even begins an exercise routine that transforms his aggression into energy.

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Liesel is taught to respect Hitler which then leads her to believe in something that influenced her original opinion. Liesel is a vulnerable ten year old which makes

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“Your papa did.” (Zusak 440). At the beginning of the story, Rudy was stealing apples because he was starving but he later on decides to put his own hunger at risk to follow Hans Hubermann’s example and give out bread to the Jews. This shows that individuals can easily influence others to change their actions in a more positive way. Another example where this is shown is in a flashback of World War One, where Hans Hubermann was saved by Erik Vandenburg, Max Vandenburg’s father.

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In 1520, the Aztec civilization was faced with a severe outbreak of disease causing a significant impact on society. The Aztecs, who spoke Nahuatl, were known for their architecture, military, and agriculture, making them one of the most sophisticated cultures of its era. The illnesses that evolved at that time was in great severity destroying 80% of the entire population due to the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors, such as Hernan Cortes and his small band. The Spaniards had its final victory on 13 August 1521 as they brought diseases such as smallpox, measles, typhus, and cholera. For centuries, historians have engaged in a debate regarding how such an advanced civilization like the Aztecs collapsed within two years.

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In the novel, The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, “The Grave Digger’s Handbook” is a motif that causes character development throughout the story causing Liesel to have the book as her only memory of her mother and brother, learning how to read and write, and it leads to stealing more books. When Liesel, her mother, and her brother, Werner were going on a train to Munich, Liesel has a dream about Adolf Hitler, The Furer, who was reciting one of his powerful speeches and when she woke up she found her brother dead. The train stops for track repairs, and Liesel's mother leaves the train carrying Werner in her arms. When Liesel’s brother was getting buried by two grave diggers, one of them, an apprentice, who drops his book and Liesel picks it up.

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Near the end, there is a bombing and Liesel’s best friend Rudy dies. Throughout the book you can see their relationship grow and how they started having feelings for each other although Liesel wouldn’t admit it. Rudy would bring up a kiss multiple times in the book, but Liesel says she would never kiss him. When Rudy dies, Liesel finally kisses him. Death says “He’d have been glad to witness her kissing his dusty, bomb hit lips.”

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Everything Rudy does after that moment, when you know he’s going to die at the age of 14, everything is in the shadow of that.’ (Zusak, 2010). Max Vandenburg is the Jewish man who seeks refuge in the Hubermann’s basement putting their lives in great danger. Max’s father saved Hans’ life in World War II and caring for Max is Hans’ way of repaying Max for what his father did for him. Max and Liesel’s match of personalities and shared qualities enable the two to become such great friends, giving each other’s life purpose and the drive to survive the horrors of the war.

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“Look proud, he advised himself. You cannot look afraid,”(Zusak Ch 25). Max fought for the safety of his life for two years by hiding out. No matter how hopeless your situation might look, keep fighting because you never know what will happen unless you try. Having Max living in Liesel's basement teaches her first-hand how serious things are, and the dangers of what Hitler can do.

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Rudy: Rudy is the boy who seems to have a “crush” on Liesel. He is shown as a

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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.

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ntroduction Paragraph: The title of this book is The Book Thief, written by Markus Zusak, and this book is The extraordinary New York Times #1 Bestseller. The genre of the book is historical novel and the narrator is the Death, which describes not only all the main characters’ thoughts and emotions but also his own thoughts and feelings about the humans. Summary: The story takes place in the German town of Molching, a suburb of Munich during the World War II, from1939 to 1943. The story is about the book thief, Liesel Meminger, a German girl in age of 9, who was sent to her foster family, Rosa and Hans by her real mother due to some difficulties.

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Hans Hubermann, Liesel’s foster father, helped Jewish people in whatever way he could. When a Jewish shop named Kleinmann’s was vandalized, Hans asked the owner if he needed any help cleaning up, and promised to come back the next day and paint his door, which he did (Zusak 181-182). Hans delayed applying to the Nazi party because he didn’t agree with their beliefs, and by helping the owner he was put under more suspicion, however he felt that it was a proper action and didn’t allow danger to stop him. In addition to Hans act of kindness, the Hubermanns took a Jew named Max into their care, and allowed him to stay with them to be safe. In a book overview, Tabitha Hall observes, “Though not Jewish, Liesel and her foster parents struggle as they keep their Jewish friend hidden…” (“Overview: The Book Thief”).

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