The Book Thief

Words: 1193
Pages: 5
Open Document
“Words have the power to both destroy and heal. When words are both true and kind they can change our world” a quote by Gautama Buddha. Throughout The Book Thief, readers see how the power of words changed every character's life, whether it was for good or for the bad. Liesel Meminger, the protagonist of the story, shows how the power of words helped her connect with new people and ultimately live life. Max Vandenburg, “a Jewish fistfighter”, uses the power of words to find happiness in a tough time. Hitler and The Nazi party use the power of words to take control and brainwash many people into believing what they think is the perfect human. The Book Thief illustrates the power of words and how they can bring beauty or cruelty into a person's …show more content…
Throughout The Book Thief, readers see many conflicts arise from what Hitler and the Nazi party are saying. For example, in the text, the reader sees a broken relationship between father and son, with Hans Junior and Hans Hubermann, when Hans Junior decides to stop talking to his father after finding out Hans lack of allegiance to the Nazi Party. This demonstrates how the power of words can be used for bad because Hitler and the Nazi party are using them to brainwash people into believing what they think is right, which as the reader sees can affect relationships. In addition to this, the words of Hitler and the Nazi’s also had the power to affect an entire group of people, the Jews. In the chapter “The Long Walk To Dachau”, readers see a clear example of just how cruel the words of Hitler can be, when Jews are being marched down to the concentration camps at Dachau in complete misery. On page 301 it says, “When they arrived in full, the noise of their feet throbbed on top of the road. Their eyes were enormous in their starving skulls. And the dirt. The dirt was molded to them. Their legs staggered as they were pushed by soldiers’ hands - a few wayward steps of forced running before the slow return to a malnourished walk.” This shows the dehumanization of Jews and the rise in power of Hitler and the Nazi party. The power of words from Hitler and the Nazi party brought cruelty into the life of
Show More

Related Documents: The Book Thief

The Book Thief

The Book Thief Every book tells a story and one girl is eager to know them. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is about little Liesel Meminger who up to her ninth birthday has not lived a normal childhood. She is living in Nazi Germany during WWII which obviously, was not a pleasant era for children because of how traumatizing it was. Lucky for Liesel, she managed to find a way to escape the terror. Her escape was stealing books but most importantly, it was the people she was exposed to that helped…

Words 606 - Pages 3

The Book Thief Book Report

The Book Thief Belongs The Book Thief describes the struggle of identity between German and Jewish people during the time period of the Holocaust. Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany oppresses the Jewish race, believing that they are inferior to his “pure Aryan race” which leads to a genocide of Jews and other members of society. The Book Thief centers around a young girl, Liesel Meminger, who lives in Germany. She develops an exquisite love for literature and risks her life to be able to read. Also, Liesel…

Words 767 - Pages 4

Book Thief Themes

Analyzing the Themes of The Book Thief Were the Hubermanns and Max Liesel’s true family even though they were not related to her through blood in anyway? This is one question that relates to one of the many themes shown throughout the Book Thief by Markus Zusak, which is family can go past blood. There are many other themes that are just as important in the Book Thief; for example, words have tremendous power, and during weak moments, people show their true selves. The themes show the characters’…

Words 1250 - Pages 5

Symbols In The Book Thief

meaning behind an object's physical form. Throughout The Book Thief, Zusak uses elements of symbolism to create a novel layered with hidden values. Possessions in the book soon become representations of the memories and emotions the characters live with. This is why the theme of The Book Thief is simple objects can have complex meanings. An example of objects having bigger meaning is The Gravedigger's Handbook. Throughout the beginning of the book, The Gravedigger’s Handbook becomes a recurring object…

Words 1390 - Pages 6

Loyalty In The Book Thief

Loyalty is a theme demonstrated multiple times throughout The Book Thief, that includes loyalty to leaders and friends. Written by Markus Zusak, The Book Thief is a historical fiction book about World War II and the Holocaust and how the citizens of Germany experienced it. The book follows Liesel Meminger, a German girl who just went to live with her foster parent, Rosa and Hans Hubermann. Liesel makes friends, and experiences bombings of her hometown. Loyalty is demonstrated towards Hitler and the…

Words 482 - Pages 2

Mortality In The Book Thief

often trigger deeper thought from the reader. An example of this comes from the prologue of the book, during which the narrator comments, “You are going to die.” (Page 3). Later on the same page, it adds, “Does this worry you? I urge you- don’t be afraid.” When the narrator makes such a sharp comment, one cannot help but to be drawn in by the thoughts of death presented by the author. This causes the whole book to have a looming sense of what’s beyond life, just because of the ways that the narrator speaks…

Words 927 - Pages 4

Personification In The Book Thief

Toward the beginning of the chapter, “Liesel’s Lecture”, in The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Max’s arrival reveals the fear of dictatorship. His appearance in the Hubermann’s house creates a sense of anxiety as the daunting idea of the unspeakable arises. By harboring Max in their house the concern of the possible consequences is substantial. Through personification, Zusak adds visual context as to what Nazi Germany was like during World War II. With the use of personification Zusak adds visual and…

Words 235 - Pages 1

Book Thief Symbolism

the written texts". Three of Liesel's books (both stolen and gifted) where chosen to symbolise three different ideas. The books were written in a specific order similar to that of the novel – firstly, Liesel is mourning and grieving the loss of her family, secondly, her passion for words then grows as she learns to read and write, and thirdly, what she does to overcome…

Words 1821 - Pages 8

Motivation In The Book Thief

saying them. In The Book Thief, during school, Liesel’s entire class had to read in front of everyone, one by one the teacher would call their name but, the teacher intentionally skipped over Liesel because she wasn’t at a certain reading level. However, Liesel wanted to prove that she could read, so she told the teacher and eventually got the chance to read. She flipped open to a random…

Words 1226 - Pages 5

Kindheartedness In The Book Thief

Markus Zusak’s heartrending novel The Book Thief recounts the experience of a young German girl living amid the horrors of World War II. Orphaned under tragic circumstances, Liesel Meminger witnesses the senseless and horrific atrocities of the Holocaust as she and her companions endure the wretched actions of the Nazi regime. Despite the constant presence of hatred and violence, Liesel discovers strength and resilience through the love and friendship of those who surround her during the darkness…

Words 448 - Pages 2