Preview

The Book Thief: A Brief Analysis

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
126 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Book Thief: A Brief Analysis
Death’s point of view as the narrator allows the reader to comprehend the story with a deeper understanding that Death was around for the entire story and will continue to be around, giving more meaning to what happened and who it affected. The passage, “There’s a multitude of stories (a mere handful, as I have previously suggested) that allow to distract me as I work, just as the colors do… The Book Thief is one such story.” from page 549 shows that Death both participated in and observed Liesel’s story. It would show that Death’s job affected the entire book because he was a larger part of the time period the book takes place, and also that the people affected were ones that he would remember.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    This passage reminds me of the scene where Napoleon steals the milk and apples from the animals without asking in Animal Farm. Similarly, in The Book Thief, Rudy and Liesel are also stealing vegetables from many farms. However, the reason that Napoleon steals the milk and apples is because of his greed, while Rudy and Liesel are stealing to "extend their thieving repertoire" (Zusak 161). Also, from my interpretation of this passage, I feel that the law enforcements are not strong enough to stop thievery at that time in Germany because, if the law enforcements were powerful, then Rudy and Liesel wouldn't take the risk to extend their thieving…

    • 110 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The power of words have a big impact in this world. What would be appealing without words? Even actions are worth a thousand words. Books wouldn’t exist without words. Markus Zusak, the author of The Book Thief demonstrates throughout the book the power of words.…

    • 61 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Think of Germany as a heads and tails coin. The book Thief is about a girl named Liesel who lives with her foster parents Hans and Rosa Hubberman. Liesel has a friend named Rudy. They both go around stealing food, but Liesel not only stole food, she stole books. Death (Narrator) was soon fond of Liesel and he then gave her the nick name The Book Thief. This novel is great to understand the other side of Germany. Unlike other stories that talk about Jews, concentration camps, Nazi’s, this novel talks about how a family were not influeced by Nazi propaganda. In addition your see that Germany has two sides to it; one that obeys Hitler, and one that goes against him.…

    • 1816 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The presence of death reveals itself to the book thief within both celebration and mourning as her life of words cycles on. In a state of partial sleep, Liesel “could see without question that her younger brother, Werner, was now sideways and dead… [for] his blue eyes stared at the floor seeing nothing” as Death tenderly “knelt down and extracted his soul” (20-21). The book thief’s primary encounter with Death would always stay with her as she watches her sickly but beloved brother depart from this world in a train carriage. Liesel senses Death’s presence as she gazes at the dying pilot and the two “recognized each other at that exact moment” from the scene of “a train and a coughing boy [as Death] slowly extracted the pilot’s soul from his ruffled uniform and rescued him from the broken plane” (400-401). An intimate sharing of identity occurs as Liesel faces the sight of death’s mark on humanity alongside Rudy and recognizes a sense of solemn passing in this occurrence. This passionate adolescent witnesses death at its climax as she sees “the bodies of Mama and Papa both lying tangled in the gravel bedsheet of Himmel…

    • 395 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Children these days worry about many things, from having the newest style of clothing, to fitting in with friends. Liesel Meminger from The Book Thief by Markus Zusak had many more serious things to worry about. Being a foster girl from Munich in Nazi Germany during World War II also treats Leisel horribly, for she runs into many problems. Not only is World War II terrifying for Liesel, but it is also terrifying to many people in her life. This book is considered a classic because Liesel’s life as a righteous Gentile is relatable, captivating, and universally accepted.…

    • 669 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Book Thief Passage

    • 1717 Words
    • 7 Pages

    This passage was chosen because throughout the entire book the characters are tragically dying, especially at the end after the bombing. We see everyone that Liesel associated herself with die, and this one haunting sentence foreshadows the events. This statement makes it known to readers that death, is basically inevitable and that there will be a great deal of it in the text. The passage contributes to the work as a whole because it focuses in on one of the major themes in this novel, death. It uses death as a unifier, conclusively…

    • 1717 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In The Book Thief, guilt can be found as a recurring theme, especially in the cases of Hans Hubermann and Max. In a deeper analysis, the reason as to how and why can be answered.…

    • 459 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Markus Zusak is an Australian author best known for writing The Book Thief. The Book Thief is narrated by Death and is the story of Liesel Meminger, a nine year old German girl who goes to live with her foster parents, Rosa and Hans Hubermann in Molching. The Book Thief takes place in 1939, right before the beginning of World War 2. One of the many themes shown in The Book Thief is the theme of identity and belonging. The book portrays the struggles the characters go through to find their sense of belonging. After Liesel loses her parents to “communism” and her brother to sickness, she finds herself in a foster home very lost and alone. Being a Jewish person during World War 2 meant that you were an outcast. Max Vandenburg, a Jewish man, had…

    • 2213 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Essay On The Book Thief

    • 1162 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Her brother died halfway the trip and had to be buried somewhere nearby the railroad; that’s when Liesel stole the first book about how to dig a proper grave and when death and Liesel took a first glimpse of each other. After all the commotion, Liesel and her mother got to the designated train station and greeted her mother goodbye to never see again and head towards her new Mama and Papa on a new street; Himmel (Heaven) Street. There she meets her new best friend Rudy, a lemon haired boy that loved Liesel within at first sight; a new home and family for her, new surroundings with new people to like or dislike.…

    • 1162 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the Historical Fiction novel, The Book Thief, author Markus Zusak illustrates the importance of words and friendship during the Nazi rule in Germany. The first spark of friendship between Hans and Liesel ignites when they learn to read and write together. Because of Liesel's ability to read, Max and Liesel become instant friends. The importance of words and the kinship that comes with proves relevant throughout the entire story. The author uses the relationship of Hans and Liesel to demonstrate how reading and writing can bloom into a thriving friendship and the relationship of Liesel and Max to demonstrate how words can provide the ability to survive in a crisis.…

    • 537 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Red. Book. Family. Coward. Jew. Death. One may say that they are just words, but is that really all they are? Throughout The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, words bring joy and comfort as well as rage and heartbreak. Liesel Meminger is devastated by the loss of her brother and feels that nothing will relieve her of her agony, until she picks up a book that was left in the graveyard by a gravedigger. This is just the beginning of words playing a major part in Liesel’s life. Words have more power than one could ever imagine.…

    • 532 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, one theme the author includes in the work is the power of knowledge.…

    • 554 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.” (Article18). In the book thief by Markus Zusak this article was violated many times by Hitler and other characters. Hitler and the torture that he brought to characters such as Max, Liesel, and Hans violate many articles such as article 18 in the UDHR. These characters were not given the right to freedom of religion. Or given the chance to stand up for what they believe is right. Or even given the privacy they deserve in their own homes. However all of these characters must learn to change and adapt to life in this new cruel world.…

    • 695 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Book Thief

    • 659 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Liesel has a great passion for books and it is first shown when her brother dies and she steals her first book The Gravedigger’s Handbook. The second time Liesel steals a book, she is seen by Ilsa who is one of the clients of Liesel's mother Rosa Hubermann. Liesel faces an argument with Ilsa and this is how she used the power of words: “It’s about time,” she informed her, “that you do your own stinking washing anyway. It’s about time you faced the fact that your son is dead. He got killed! He got strangled and cut up more than twenty years ago! Or did he freeze to death? Either way, he’s dead! He’s dead…

    • 659 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Liesel has lost and suffered so much in life. She was raised without a father, and later given to a foster home. Being raised by a single mother, their family was very poor and didn’t get a lot of food. Sadly, on the train ride to the foster family the two kids would live in, Werner, her brother, passed away. Leisel could see “without question that her younger brother, Werner, was now sideways and dead. His blue eyes stared at the floor. Seeing nothing,” (20).…

    • 757 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays