The issue of war is one that is deeply etched into the history of humanity, previously proven to bring out both the good, and bad in human nature. Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief, set in Nazi Germany, and Steven Galloway’s The Cellist of Sarajevo, set in wartime Sarajevo, these aspects of humanity are explored. The theme of courage is explored by Zusak using symbolism and characterisation, with Galloway too using characterisation and the motif of water. Zusak uses the motif of books, with Galloway using the symbol of the cello to convey humanity’s ability to find beauty in times of great horror. The theme of evil in human nature is shown by both authors through setting, with each author using narrator to portray the idea of both good and bad
There have been thousands of books written about war, but none are like The Book Thief. In most war novels, the authors focus on either side. Markus Zusak takes a unique approach by focusing on the terror-filled childhood of a small girl named Liesel Meminger. Because the protagonist of the novel is a young girl in Nazi Germany, the portrayal of her childhood drastically shifts the focus of the work from World War II to Liesel’s growth and awakening in spite of the terrible times. As Liesel matures, she learns the power of words, confronts uncomfortable truths, and grows into a confident, brave young woman.
Andres Saeltzer Ms. Mclean English 9 Block E 27 March 2023 Lingering Effects of War “Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime.” — Ernest Hemingway, 1946 This quote is a very strong and meaningful quote. This quote really emphasizes that war is extremely unnecessary. No matter what, during war, there will always be death and violence that will negatively affect others.
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.
Lucy Schmitz Honors English Hour 5 Mrs. Shaske March 8th, 2023 The World and Words Words are powerful. Words are everywhere; from the posters in a classroom to a sign on the sidewalk, or even propaganda. In many ways, the world is molded by people's view of it and the words that they use to do so. Unfortunately, in history, the influence of words have not always been good- for example, the Holocaust and WWII. To be specific, leaders like Hitler, have used words to manipulate or brainwash the population in order to be in control.
The Book Thief is narrated by Death. Throughout the book he makes casual remarks about his job, but occasionally he puts the casual talk on hold, and that is when one can infer that he cares about something. Rudy Steiner was a talented boy, from running around a track, to soccer, to memorizing facts about ancient beings, he was the best of the best, and what is hard to like about that? Nearly all the time, death is associated with all objects depressing.
Life often entails societal changes that not only serve as obstacles, but also catalysts that coerce one to readjust one’s attitude. Likewise, the latter can be as simple as moving to a different geographical region, or as drastic as the arrival of a new, authoritarian governing body. Such is the case in the paths of Liesel Meminger in the novel The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and Martin Luther during the Protestant Reformation of 1517. Both figures are awakened by external sources that enable them to discern the injustices imposed upon their societies, and choose to adjust their perspectives accordingly, using the power of words to speak out against unjust societal changes. Liesel Meminger is a foster child who, in the midst of a war, comes to understand the dire situation that the Jews
Death is not afraid to show its face around others, especially during times of war or genocide. Both Liesel Meminger in “The Book Thief” and Elie Wiesel in “Night” can attest to this. In each story, Liesel and Elie undergo unimaginable hardships, but are able to overcome these experiences. Through these trying times, the authors of both “The Book Thief” and “Night” advance the theme of perseverance through grief.
Synthesis Essay A symbol is a thing that represent or stand for itself or something beyond itself as well. A symbol can be a color, a book, or a person. For example, Melissa de la Cruz used symbols when she stated that “Black is the color of night. White is the true color of death.”
In the film The Book Thief, the story took place in Nazi occupied Germany during WW2 where an illiterate girl, named Liesel learns to read and write discovering a whole new life. Symbolism is used in The Book Thief by showing the reader symbols in random objects such as books and street names. Heaven Street was the street that Liesel’s foster parents had lived on when she moved in with them and it symbolized Liesel’s so called Heaven. That is where Hans taught her how to write and read, which she had always aspired to do, for example in the scene when Hans turned the basement walls into Liesel’s dictionary so she can write every new word down that she learns.
You truly don’t know what you have until it’s gone. Everyday things are taken for granted. In “The Book Thief” It shows incredible examples of how loss transforms you for the better. “The Book Thief” Written by Markus Zusak is a novel based on Nazi-Germany during post World War 2. It Features the scary truth along with harsh humor, The story is told through the eyes of brave, Jewish girl named Liesel.
Liesel, known as the book thief to the audience has a distinct passion for books and how much they mean to her. Stealing book after the book becomes a hobby for the young girl whose love of books is fostered by her foster father, Hans Hubermann. As Hans teaches Liesel how to read and write they develop an
What do colors mean? Colors represent different things, trigger different memories. Colors have a wide variety of meanings for different people. Colors spark different things for people. Some relate the color pink to a girl and blue to a boy, other people may relate blue to sadness.
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.
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.
