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Why The Gravedigger's Handbook Is Important?

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The wedding ring on her finger, the stack of letters in the corner of their room, the last flower he placed on her grave… all have meaning, all have a long, drawn out story that could bring tears to the bearer’s eyes; yet no one would know. A glance couldn’t explain the simple, yet complex reasoning of why objects mean so much to people. A glance or a long stare would never be able to tell the strong sentimental value that one person had to an object. It’s only for that person to keep, tucked away in the vast network of their mind. Objects, no matter how silly just tug at one heart. It might have saved them, helped them, or killed them. In short, objects hold a lot. To paint what is said above, Markus Zusak once wrote a book named The Book …show more content…

The book is called The Gravedigger’s Handbook, and it means a lot to her. But here’s the point, why is Liesel emotionally attached to a book about digging graves? It would make no sense if no one knew about why she loves it, right? To give some insight, The Gravedigger’s Handbook seems to be the last tangible memory Liesel has left of her mother and her brother. The Gravedigger’s Handbook seems to symbolize sorrow, loss, abandonment, yet also marks new beginnings of her life. “On her first night with the Hubermann’s, she had hidden her last link to him [her brother],- The Gravedigger’s Handbook- under her mattress, and occasionally she would pull it out and hold it….it didn’t matter what the book was about. It was what it meant that was more important… 1. The last time she saw her brother. 2. The last time she saw her mother, (Zusak, 38).” This quote is important to the topic sentence because it shows what the book means to Liesel, yet an unknowing eye would never be able to suspect so, and this seems to be one of the reasons why. Throughout, Nazi Germany many objects were left behind, particularly in concentration camps. Within the most infamous concentration camp, Auschwitz, many objects were left behind. However, one that sticks out the most is all the shoes left within the camp. In fact, during The Oprah …show more content…

Max is Jewish, and is trying to hide from the Nazis. He has to travel to the Hubermann's house, and an unlikely object helped him succeed. Not only is the object that saves him unlikely, but it is ironic as well. Due to the risk of being caught by the Nazis, Max needs to hide somewhere. But to get to a safe spot, Max needed to look German, or a non-Jewish German that is. One of the ways to do so was to carry Hitler’s book, Mein Kampf, around until he reached his destination. “For most of the journey, he made his way through the book, trying to never look up…. Strangely, as he turned the pages and progressed through the chapter, it was only two words he ever tasted. Mein Kampf. My struggle- The title over and over again, as the train prattled on, from one German town to the next. Mein Kampf. Of all the things to save him, (Zusak, 160).” To explain even further, Mein Kampf talks about how Jewish people are a disgrace to the human race (amongst other things). Max should feel disgusted and not see the book the way he does. Yet, he values Mein Kampf because without it, he would not gotten to take shelter at the Hubermann’s. Zusak wanted to make the reader understand the importance of objects, even if they’re as infamous as Mein Kampf. He also wanted to make a point that Mein Kampf in particular has a different meaning to Max than everyone else; Max should not see Mein Kampf in the light he does.

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260 Words | 2 Pages

Max has a very guilty conscience. Max’s conscience is so foggy because he is asking a lovely family, the Huberman's, to hide him; If he is found, they will be killed alongside him. Max thinks on page 169 “How could he do this? How could he show up and ask people to risk their lives for him? How could he be so selfish?”

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202 Words | 1 Pages

Quotation 1: “...and yet there it was- a black book with silver words written against the ceiling...) (Zusak 29) So far, this quotation marks the first book Liesel has stolen. The significance of this quote is that it represents the beginning of “an illustrious career” (29) which she will continue to carry out throughout this novel. It signifies Liesel’s everlasting love for her brother because she wanted to remember him someway, and that someway ended up being the book she “stole” when he was buried.

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236 Words | 1 Pages

The book was drawings that summed up his past life for the one he lived in now. The importance of drawing on the pages of "Mein Kampf" showed that Max had no respect for Hitler, as Hitler had no respect for Max. While Max read the book, he saw the hate that the Nazi 's had for him, and why he had to remain hidden from Germany. By

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788 Words | 4 Pages

The connection between Max and Hitler comes from Max being a Jew and Hitler’s public hatred for the Jewish people creates a sort of social connection between the two of them. This connection deepens between Max and Hitler as, “Max had cut out a collection of pages from Mein Kampf and painted over them in white,” Max ironically uses Mein Kampf, a work of hatred against his people, to create his own art and in this he takes the power away from Hitlers words (Zusak 223). This adds a new dimension to the power of words, this power can be taken

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801 Words | 4 Pages

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.

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452 Words | 2 Pages

Jews were being put in Concentration camps, but because of his knowledge he goes into hiding at the home of the Huberman’s. The book describes him as an introvert because in the book it states, “He was the type of person who worked quietly away for very little reward. He kept to himself...”(Zusak 188). Max has positive solutions that he wants to fulfill in a negative way. We can can determine this because Zusak expressed in his writing, “Punches are thrown, the crowd

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527 Words | 3 Pages

Hitler took many things away from Max, including his parents. Max’s book The Standover Man was about a “bird” (man) that was always being told what to do. Max helps Liesel to understand how he was treated, and that he was afraid of loosing his life. However, Liesel helps Max to understand that he should not be afraid of “The Standover Man”.

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1485 Words | 6 Pages

Imagine smiling after a slap in the face. Then think of doing it twenty four hours a day. That was the business of hiding a Jew.” (page 211) B. I think the message that the author is trying to convey is that there was so much pressure put on the Hubermann’s and Liesel when it came to keeping Max safe. They were completely selfless and put Max before themselves and I think one of the book's themes is courage.

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483 Words | 2 Pages

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

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571 Words | 3 Pages

In the novel, The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, “The Grave Digger’s Handbook” is a motif that causes character development throughout the story causing Liesel to have the book as her only memory of her mother and brother, learning how to read and write, and it leads to stealing more books. When Liesel, her mother, and her brother, Werner were going on a train to Munich, Liesel has a dream about Adolf Hitler, The Furer, who was reciting one of his powerful speeches and when she woke up she found her brother dead. The train stops for track repairs, and Liesel's mother leaves the train carrying Werner in her arms. When Liesel’s brother was getting buried by two grave diggers, one of them, an apprentice, who drops his book and Liesel picks it up.

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888 Words | 4 Pages

An important role model in Liesel’s life is Ilsa Hermann. After seeing Liesel steal a book at the book burning, she gives her the ‘window of opportunity’ (Zusak, pg. 155) inviting her into her library and sharing her own love of books with Liesel. The reader eventually learns that Ilsa is still mourning the loss of her own son many years before. Ilsa takes Liesel into her care after the tragedy of the bombing raids that results in the death of Hans and Rosa leaving Liesel traumatised and

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840 Words | 4 Pages

“Look proud, he advised himself. You cannot look afraid,”(Zusak Ch 25). Max fought for the safety of his life for two years by hiding out. No matter how hopeless your situation might look, keep fighting because you never know what will happen unless you try. Having Max living in Liesel's basement teaches her first-hand how serious things are, and the dangers of what Hitler can do.

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978 Words | 4 Pages

At first, Liesel is illiterate, but when she steals her first book at her brother’s funeral, and is abandoned by her mother, she turns to something she

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862 Words | 4 Pages

One by one they climbed into the ring and beat him down. They made him bleed. They let him suffer." (Zusak 254). Max is struggling to understand that he's a Jew, doesn't understand why people hate him and why people follow Hitler.

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1301 Words | 6 Pages

Her favorite thing to do with the stolen books was read with her father. Her Papa frequently read with her. “ ‘ Do you want to read it?’ Again, ‘Yes Papa’ “ (Zusak 64). One of Liesel’s friends, Max, is constantly filled with guilt as well.

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