Why Change Did Not Occur In The Book Thief

When looking at the Holocaust, most people agree that it was atrocious and one of the worst marks on the history of our planet. However, what they don’t realize is why people did not help those in need. As it turns out, there were valid reasons why change did not occur. In The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, these thoughts are explored as the main character, Liesel, learns about her country. Liesel and her foster family take in a Jew, something that shows their allegiance with the anti-Hitler cause. Events that proves this point include Hans slapping Liesel, Hans being denied membership with the Nazi party, the parades of Jews not being stopped, Jews feeling attacked and ashamed of themselves, and Max (among other Jews) disallowed from

They were scared of being taken prisoners and being tortured, like the Jews. During the Holocaust, Jews who were being imprisoned were paraded through towns. This was to both humiliate the prisoners as well as to warn common folk of the consequences of helping the “scum” that Nazis thought Jews were. In the midst of one of said parades, Hans Hubermann could no longer stand to see the suffering of the prisoners, and steps in, abruptly and spur-of-the-moment. When Hans Hubermann stepped up to give one man a piece of bread, he is of the tiny majority willing to help the suffering people. “It happened so quickly. The hand that held firmly on to Liesel’s let it drop to her side as the man came struggling by. [...] The Jew stood before him, expecting another handful of derision, but he watched with everyone else as Hans Hubermann held his hand out and presented a piece of bread, like magic. (Zusak, 394) It was unheard of and frowned upon for somebody to defy Nazi forces and stand up for a person who was really not considered a person at that time. As Hans Hubermann takes it upon himself to act for the minority, he is undertaking the responsibility of not submitting to the cultural standards. Even in this case, where the person who stood up was fully persuaded of the cause he was fighting, his action was still quickly muffled and put down. This goes to show that those who try to affect change can’t alway achieve it because they simply don’t have the social and political means to be allowed to freely pronounce their beliefs, however true they may be. Hans was not given the opportunity to preach his opinions, which truly is oppression at its