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Character analysis on two kinds
123 essays on character analysis
123 essays on character analysis
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More handpicked essays just for you.
Character analysis on two kinds
123 essays on character analysis
123 essays on character analysis
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
People with lack of acceptance have differences in personalities, experiences, and behaviors. There are many major similarities and differences concerning the characters in “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keys and The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Even though The Book Thief was based on a little girl named Liesel, another character, Max, in the book experiences a lack of acceptance. The setting of The Book Thief is during World War II, when Jews were being persecuted for their religion and beliefs. Max has a worldly personality, so he is knowledgeable of the series of events happening around him.
The statement in Markus Zusak’s piece, The Book Thief, states World War II was the result of the Germans’ love of burning things should not be taken literally at face value because the act of burning was seen as purification through the Germans’ eyes. “The Germans loved to burn things. Shops, synagogues, personal items, and of course, books. They enjoyed a good book burning, all right…” (Zusak 84).
Dehumanization is the process by which the Nazis gradually reduced the Jews to little more than "things" which were a nuisance to them. The Jews in these concentration camps were greatly disrespected. They experienced several beatings, were undernourished, and overworked. Elie and the other Jews eventually lost faith in God, and witness unpleasant events never to be seen again. Elie and his family not only had to survive the sickening ride to the concentration camps, but then had to endure the pain every day after that.
Eleven million people murdered by Hitler and his Nazi’s. Of that six million were Jewish, five million were not. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak touched on topics about what it was like for most Non-Jewish Germans and their experiences during WWII. Night by Elie Wiesel talked about the scenarios that Jews faced during the Holocaust in a concentration camp. In fact, Night is an autobiography of Elie's experience in the concentration camp, Auschwitz, during 1944-1945.
Max had barely escaped his former town only because his mother chose to accept capture to save Max. Between that point and his arrival in Molching, he had arguably the roughest journey of the characters. “The young man’s voice scraped out like it was all that remained of him.” In this quote, the emptiness of voice symbolized his lack of hope and lack of sustenance in the last month. “He had eaten only the foul taste of his breath for what felt like weeks, and still nothing.
The unbreakable, Max Vandenberg, Max Vandenberg is a Jewish fist-fighter who ends up hiding in the basement of the Hubermann’s residence. Max windups there because Max’s father saved Hans’s life in World War I, as a way of repaying Max’s father Hans takes Max into care, however, this inevitably positions the Hubermann’s life in grave jeopardy. Max also feels ashamed of his burden towards the Hubermann’s, since he knows that his presence means that the Hubermann’s are no longer safe. Besides from their deep hatred for Hitler, Max, and Liesel connect in plenty of ways, they both suffer nightmares about their bygones, as well as imagining themselves literary fighting Germans. They also use Hans Hubermann as a way to relieve themselves from problems
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
To love is to risk. Whether that is risking life, belief, health, or reputation, it is still a risk at any rate to give devotion to another. No era in history knows this better than during the Holocaust. Still, the most unexpected of people would die trying to help Jews escape persecution, they would help others who didn't share the same moral foundation as they did, they would share food rations when they barely had enough for themselves, or they would risk their public standing and forever be labeled as a sympathizer just to help a suffering soul regain his balance. Similarly, Markus Zusak's The Book Thief demonstrates a complete comprehension of how humans act against self preservation and individual comfort when challenged with harrowing situations that appeal to their own personal connections.
Max not only is in danger himself, but puts Liesel's whole family at risk. “Now I think we are friends, this girl and me. On her birthday it was she who gave a gift to me,”(Zusak Ch 12). Liesel gave Max the gift of friendship, and that meant a lot to Max. Liesel hugs Max as an act of pity, but Max sees it more than that.
Developing Friendship through Justice, Love and Humanity Human relationships break or develop depending on the circumstances. The values that creates a stable relationship may vary on historical setting or the characteristics of each person. The novel, “The Book Thief” written by Markus Zusak shows justice, love and humanity through the friendship Liesel and Max developed during the time of the Holocaust.
What is a friend? A common response to this question seems to be someone who accepts another for who they are. Another less used response to the same question is someone who leave another better than they once were. These two half definitions of friendship come to gather to explain that friend is someone who takes another how they already are and leaves that better than their previous state. True friendship often adds loyalty to ones character resulting in acts of courage.
Humans lie and steal without hesitation to survive. That is how man is. However, human nature does not allow for cruelty to exist without the other end of the spectrum - kindness. In his novel, The Book Thief, Markus Zusak reveals the extreme malice possible in humans, along with the tenderness that stems from it. In times of hate and paranoia in Nazi Germany, ones who live morally are rare.
The theme of this book is learning to love and care for the people around. How I came to this conclusion is by how Liesel acts towards Max, her foster parents, Rudy, and her neighbors. Liesel cares for people even if they weren't like her and she doesn't understand why there is hatred in this world. She wanted the world to be a happy place for everyone including Jews to be friends with one another. On page 426 in ‘The Book Thief’, when Rudy’s father went to war Liesel could relate to Rudy because “her mother.
One of the most important recurring themes throughout The Book Thief was Liesel’s relationships with all of the people in her life. She grows close with several different people, and trusts, loves, and cares for them all differently but equally. Three of those relationships will be explored more deeply; Liesel’s relationship with her foster father, Hans Hubermann, the Jewish man her family takes in, Max Vanderburg, and her best friend, Rudy Steiner. Liesel’s relationship with Hans is one of the most important, if not the most important, relationships in the novel. Hans is the first person Liesel trusts, and the person who stays with her and loves her until the end.
Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Hans Hubermann stood strong through moments of adversity. He stuck to his beliefs and personal opinions under the unrelenting reign of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. In The Book Thief Hans Hubermann displayed his morals, a comforting essence, and trustworthiness under horribly negative conditions. First off, Hans Hubermann kept to his own moral beliefs despite the ever-changing society that surrounded him.