In the novel, The Book Thief, a fictional story, author Markus Zusak demonstrates the power of words to save or destroy someone or something. The setting is WWII in Molching, Germany. Leisel is a foster child who went through a lot to get to where she is, Himmel Street. She is living with her foster parents, Rosa and Hans Hubermann. She also has a very good friend, Rudy, who is your typical Aryan boy with blonde hair and blue eyes. The Hubermanns are also hiding a Jewish man, Max, from Hitler and his devious Nazi regime. Hitler wants to kill off all the Jews, and create one supreme Aryan race. Throughout the course of the book, all of these characters have something to do with who lives or who dies, depending on the words they use. The power of words is so strong that they can save or destroy someone or something physically or emotionally. Max is saved by a collection of words by the book Mein Kampf when he is riding the train to the Hubermanns to try to get to safety from the wrath of the Naxi regime. Mein Kampf is the book that almost every Nazi or Nazi supporter possessed during the reign of Hitler. It was almost like a sign to people that you were German or a Nazi supporter if you were reading it. Max, …show more content…
Death switches between first person and third person, so the stories are told in a pretty somber way. Most of the time, the words spoken are of how certain things destroyed and killed, or how they saved and really helped someone out. Overall, the power of words is very strong in The Book Thief, and each word spoken or read by Liesel, Hans, Max, or any of the characters can really be a matter of life or death. Zusak 's motivation to use words in this manner really shows how every single thing done and spoken in life can have a big impact. Words can change someone 's life, kill someone, save someone, or lead a revolution for better or for