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The Book Thief Words Analysis

529 Words3 Pages

Words in The Book Thief demonstrates that words and language have immense power. Words can be used in a negative or positive ways. Hitler used words to spread propaganda in a fallacious way which led to deleterious human beings. The people (Germans) that lived during the war were credulous about what Hitler said therefore their life turned out to be debacle. Hitler used words to deceive and outsmart the others, he implanted words and images into the Jews heads to think a certain way(Zusak, Markus Frank. 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. There are many ways words can be used, they can be used in a negative or positive way. For example, a positive way that words were used in The Book Thief is when Liesel reads out loud in the basement during the air raid. She thought of the accordion how it comforted her when Hans …show more content…

Words can also influence you in a good or bad way. Liesel states, “I have hated words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them “right” (Zusak,528) she says how she feels about words like her relationship with them. The quote reveals that Liesel wants to use words in a positive way and that she wants to use the words “right” and for good reasons rather than deleterious reasons. The language and words were used as negative in The Book Thief numerous times. Using words in a negative way is useless, why use words to bring people down or to obfuscate others? Well as said in my thesis statement, Hitler used words to conquer the world and control everyone which is a negative use of words. In The Book Thief Liesel yells at Ilsa for firing her mom because they couldn't afford it

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In The Book Thief the words and how they are used play an important role in the novel. The main character, Liesel, learns how to read when she arrives at the home of her foster parents in Molching, and from there learns the meaning of different words and the power they hold, in which she uses it for good. However, Hitler and the Nazis use the words for evil; to spread propaganda and hatred across Germany. In this way, does Zusak also show juxtaposition between words being used for good and words being used for evil. In The Book Thief, it states, “He (Hitler) invited his people toward his own glorious heart, beckoning them with his finest, ugliest words …

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Writer Markus Zusak’s number one best-selling book The Book Thief written in 2005 demonstrates a story about a young German girl living in Nazi Germany. Zusak’s purpose of the story is to describe life growing up in Germany during World War II. He uses a serious tone to describe his reader's rhetorical devices that can have a deeper meaning. This can be demonstrated through the use of Symbolism, Imagery, and even Liesel herself.

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Death, our narrator, tells the story of Liesel Meminger. We begin with her at age nine, right after losing both her mother and brother. Liesel goes to live with foster parents Hans and Rosa Hubermann in Molching, Germany. When Liesel arrives, she is made of fun in school for not being able to read. She feels powerless, so Hans teaches her how to read at night in their basement, reading from a book Liesel stole from her brother 's funeral:

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“The word - is a great instrument of life” Words are the garb of people’s thoughts. Words can be very powerful and influential both in the society and among people, because whether or not someone choose the right words could change someone's life forever. Brilliant examples of power of words took shape in world’s history. A holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel, who survived the concentration camp, wrote a book ‘Night’, as well as he introduced his acceptance speech to different people all around the world. He sought to restore the amicable and tolerate society where there is no place for such a word as ‘hate’.

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Without them, there wouldn’t be any of this. Without words, the Führer was nothing... What good were the words?” Liesel realized how words made Hitler powerful. She hated Hitler and his power.

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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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483 Words | 2 Pages

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.

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“It’s just a small story really, about, among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist fighter, and quite a lot of thievery…” (Zusak, pg. 5) The novel, The Book Thief written by Markus Zusak in 2005 explores the theme of family relationships. It is through nine-year-old Liesel Meminger, the protagonist, that the idea of a broken family during the era of Nazi Germany is explored. The Book Thief depicts the struggle of young German girl, Liesel Meminger, living in Germany during the time of Hitler’s reign.

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1208 Words | 5 Pages

Therefore, in The Book Thief, Markus Zusak's develops the theme the theme that humans are often capable of both good and/or evil depending on the experiences they face. These experiences will then groom them for the future. Through Liesel Meminger , Zusak explores the effect of setting on one's future self. Firstly, living with the Hubermann’s has a lot of effects on Liesel’s actions.

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Growing as a Character Every event in our lives happens for a reason, whether it is to learn from our mistakes or to gain experience from them. In Markus Zusak's novel “The Book Thief,” Liesel Meminger uses her experiences with living in the 1940s to learn life lessons and experience first hand the many terrible things Hitler is doing to people around her. She learns how to deal with the many obstacles that are thrown at her. Liesel grows as a character by following her step-father’s footsteps in being a kind and generous person, going through childhood with her best friend Rudy, and being aware of what is going on around her by learning from Max.

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628 Words | 3 Pages

The truly pivotal point which arises from Liesels love of reading happens once she uses the power of her words to soothe the residents of Himmel Street while they are stuck in the bomb shelter. Liesel thus surpasses her fear of reading for a crowd along with demonstrating her maturity as she focuses “only [on] the mechanics of the words” (pg.381, Zusak). All together the simple act of Liesel reading to soothe everyone nerves, thoroughly reveals how her education and maturity have drastically grown since her arrival on Himmel

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880 Words | 4 Pages

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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880 Words | 4 Pages

He even tried to push her away, but the girl was too strong.’” (511) The time of the Holocaust was hell-like for the Jews. Just because of their religion, they were harassed and and abused by the Germans in inhumane ways. However, Liesel was a girl who stood up for humanity and justice.

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978 Words | 4 Pages

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.

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894 Words | 4 Pages

The Book Thief, directed by Brian Percival, is a film adaptation of a book by Mark Zusak centred around adolescent girl Liesel Meminger (Sophie Nelisse). Set in Germany during the early-mid 1940’s, leading up to the war, Liesel is sent away from her family to live with foster parents since she is at risk of being killed due as her parents are communists. Percival uses skilfully chosen aural and visual elements as well as cinematic techniques such as lighting and camera angles to communicate and explore the central theme to the audience: the power of human spirit, especially when dealing with adversity. Percival designs the aural elements in the scenes that make up the film The Book Thief to communicate and allow the audience to explore the power of the human spirit when dealing with adversity. Percival does this by using the aforementioned techniques to create juxtapositions, contrasting the power of the human spirit against adversity.

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