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The Book Thief Essay

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Recommended: Critical Analysis Of The Book Thief

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, narrated by Death, is the tale of Liesel Meminger, a nine-year-old German girl who was abandoned by her mother in 1939, just before World War II, and sent to live with Hans and Rosa Hubermann in the little town of Molching. Liesel's younger brother Werner passes away on the journey to Molching, leaving her traumatized and plagued with nightmares about him for months. Hans is a kind man who comforts her and teaches her to read using a book Liesel stole from the cemetery where her brother was interred. Hans is sent to fight in WWII. He is sent back after his work bus crashes and he breaks his leg. Hans consents to shelter a Jew named Max Vandenberg in his basement as part of a promise he made to the person who saved his life. In the Hubermanns' basement, where she miraculously escapes an air raid that claims the lives of Hans, Rosa, Rudy, and everyone else on her block, Liesel chronicles her life. Both Liesel and Max make it through the war. She continues to live a long life and passes away at a mature age. The …show more content…

I think a lot of the success of this book came from the historical accuracy that came with this fictional novel. I liked that Zusak included events that happened in world war two and incorporated them into the plot of his novel. For example the book states “The bombs came down, and soon, the clouds would bake and the cold raindrops would turn to ash. Hot snowflakes would shower on the ground (Zusak 498).” This section refers to in WWII when the Allied air forces dropped nearly two million tons of bombs on Germany. A key part of the book was when Himmel street was bombed, and Liesel was one of the only people who survived because she was writing her story in her notebook in the basement. Even though this is a very sad section, I enjoyed the way Zusak used the historical events to make the fiction characters seem like real people in WWII and their

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Max Vandenburg is Jew trying to escape his fate of the Nazis by asking the Hubermanns to take him in and protect him. Max’s father, Erik, and Hans were best friends in World War I, and Erik saved Hans’s life by volunteering him for writing letters. Erik taught Hans to play the accordion, and Hans returned the accordion left behind to the family and told the Vandenburgs that if they ever needed help to call him. Max was hoping that Hans would keep this promise and shelter him. Max was also a fist fighter, who had always loved fighting.

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This was the time when Hitler started to take over and orders Jewish stores, homes and anything Jewish be destroyed or vandalized by the Nazi. Liesel’s new foster home was located on Himmel Street where she met her best friend, Rudy. In the basement of the house, they kept Max down I the basement because they could risk him being seen in the house by other people from the outside of the house. The basement was small and disorganized but Max made living down there bearable. There were writings on the walls and paint cans all around.

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When I first started reading it, I thought that it was going to be really boring because it was about history. But as I got further along in the book, I realized that it was not just a typical history book. Michael Shaara had written the book in a way so that it was easy for us to experience the American Civil War with the soldiers on the field. The different sections of the book were written so that it was from each individual’s point of view, which I found quite interesting. Michael Shaara approached this book in a different manner and I think it really did the book some justice.

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She thoroughly explains her research in a clear and concise manner, which is nice. She uses humor to lighten the mood and is quite good at telling the stories of everything she encounters. Usually nonfiction books tend to be dry, but this was quite the opposite. The main motif of the book is, of course, a comparison between the past and the present, which shines through in many aspects of the book. It is a brilliant book that serves as a call to action and a proof of the devastating effects humans have on the

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(444). These stories that he wrote for her gave her courage and confidence to carry on with reading and writing in these tough times, He would make her describe stuff as “if your eyes can talk” to help more with writing. The way he really cared for Liesel showed how much kindness and love he had. Near the end of the book it says “Max walked up Himmel Street with a suitcase full of clothes and warm food”(397), For he has left Himmel Street after Hans had given a jew a piece of bread and has led him to get in trouble by the soldier. Which he could just stay in the basement and hoped for the best, but he chose to put his life at risk so that The Huberman would be safe from getting killed or sent to a camp.

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The novel is alternating chapters between three different children, they may be fictional characters, but their stories are based on historical events. Josef’s tale was during the 1930s of the Nazis when Jews were either put into concentrations camps, hide from all the danger or escaped to freedom. Isabel’s story took place in 1994 when there was a protest of hundreds of Cubans against the government policies of Cuba. Mahmoud narrative was during a Syrian war in 2015 of Bashar al Assad's large group of rebels fighting against his own people. Reflect: Questions: Was there any specific historical event(s) that inspired you to write this novel?

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At some point in this book, Liesel’s family would try to hide a Jewish man from Nazi. The Jewish man, Max, and Liesel form an unlikely friendship through their interaction in the basement. Lisel would sometimes describe the weather to Max because he wasn’t able to go outside. Max would give Liesel stories as gifts that he wrote in papers from Hitler’s book.

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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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“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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Liesel has been, since her arrival to the Hubermanns’, haunted by sleepless nights, nightmares, grief, etc. because she feels unloved and neglected “Not leaving: an act of trust and love, often deciphered by children. ”(37). After all, we can conclude that Max was the most affected by war, because of course he was a Jew, and Zusak describes how he suffered by

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In the novel, Liesel’s behavior shows justice and love through her friendship with Max. Although her relationship with Max in the beginning of the book was rather awkward, soon her perspective towards Max soothes and their relationship bonds to a friendship. There are some times when Liesel’s actions were unbelievable, especially during the Jew parade. “ ‘ You have to let go of me Liesel.’

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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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Max and Liesel gain a very strong friendship until he must leave for the family’s safety. In the end, the Allied Powers bomb the city, leaving Liesel as the lone survivor, leaving Liesel to face an extremely difficult time. In the end, the narrator, Death, reunites her with Max. Liesel lives a wonderful life and passes peacefully. In the novel, The Book Thief, Zusak proves the satisfaction found in corruption and harmful choices

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