Welcome to the blog for our Day 1 Slot 3 students.
Welcome to our Book Thief Blog!
Amazon.ca describes this book as a "dark and powerfully absorbing novel, brilliantly executed". It's narrator calls it "just as small story, really." Jump in with both feet and surrender to one of the most gripping, unusual, hilarious books I've read in years. It's a book about books, about hate, about love, and about how words can be our most powerful weapons.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Themes
Remember, a theme is a big, universal idea the author wants to communicate to you. What themes do you see emerging as you read?
One possible theme for this novel that I've found is loneliness. Death comes off as very alone in life (if he is living at all). His day is very routine and he doesn't seem too happy with it. This could be because he is the only person who can do his job, so he does it alone everyday. Following Liesel in her life could be death's way of reaching out, trying to concur the lonesomeness he feels. Another example of loneliness is when Liesel tries to become closer to her new father Hans Hubermann after she's lost her brother and has been abandoned by her mother.
A theme I think can relate to parts of the book, is triumph. When Liesel trys to learn how to read, and spell, she gets bullied a little bit, and she needs to overcome problems, and issues that may occur.
The first theme I could see was leadership. on page 22 death made a comment that there where 2 train guards and 2 grave diggers.In both pairs there was a leader and a follower.Hitler lead Germany,Auther Berg lead the towns kids and rosa lead Liesel. One leader and people forced to follow regardless of if they truely want to or not. Leadership is a cycle. The leader gets more power as the group grows and the group grows as the leader obtains power.
One theme that I have found in the novel was making the best out of difficult situations. There are many examples of this such as when Liesel was sent to live with her foster parents, the death of her real mother and brother, the lack of food (and the hunger that follows)and just how difficult survival is when there is little money to go around.
So far a theme I've found is humanity. Throughout the book Death questions what makes picking up after humans worth the effort, and answers his own question many times by showing his interest in Liesel's life. The friendship between Liesel and Max in a time of war is an example of humanity and shows that even though people can be horrible and merciless, there are some occasions when they do small acts of kindness that somehow make the job worth it. Also Rudy, Hans, and Liesel's actions with the bread when the Jews were paraded through the town were examples of humanity, because Liesel tries to stick by Max no matter the consequence and Hans reacts without thinking to save a poor starving man. Rudy's stunt with the bread was more out of anger at the Fuhrer and the war than kindness, but all the same he never had enough food and was giving some away to people who could give nothing in return. Death is constantly touched by these small details of humanity and follows their stories even though he/she isn't supposed to.
A theme that stands out to me is resistance: the refusal to give in. Liesel shows this in her persistence to learn to read and her choice to face her nightmares alone later in the book. Hans refusas to become more involved with the Nazi Party than he has to because it goes against what he believes. Max fits this theme in a more obvious way but fits it none the less.
One of the themes that I think that is part of the book is the theme of hope. One of the reasons being is that the Jewish character Max, actually had hope to get to the destination of 33 Himmel Street which he did make it. If he didn't make the Nazis could have captured him. Another example would be that, when Leisel first attended school, she didn't know much about the language. It was specifically how to write, speak and read. But there was still hope for her. So then she worked hard and finally learned how to do all those things at an adequate level. By believing in herself through reading many different books. So you can see that throughout the novel, the theme of hope is always there and is something take away unless you don't believe you can.
Another theme I've found for the Book Thief is loneliness because Liesel always seems to be the survivor, the one left behind. An example of this is when her brother dies and then her mother leaves her with strangers. As well meaning as her mother was, she still left her with strangers and Liesel felt betrayed and lonely. Secondly, when Himmel street is blown to pieces everyone but Liesel is killed and she is alone once more. She is left to live and mourn once again. Another time, Max is forced to leave because of a stupid choice Hans made. He is alone as well but in the end he is able to come back when the war ends and end both his and Liesel's loneliness.
I think there is a theme of change because in many parts of the book, someone does something different for a reason(for a change to occur). For example, at the beginning, Liesel didn't like to talk to Max very much. But when she actually got to know him, she realized that he is actually a very nice guy. Later in the novel, she actually become very close friends with him, which is a very big change just because she got to know someone. Also, another example of a change would be when Max had to actually leave the Hubberman's home, because Hans almost jeopardized Max's secret to the Nazis by giving a Jew a piece of bread. Which then leads Hans on to think that people would assume he is hiding a Jew just because he helped one out. Later Max did leave, just in case the Nazis did come to look for him.
In my oppinion colours could be part of many themes in the book like bravery, fear, happyness and courage. I think all the coulors talked about in the book represent something like a message the different moods and events that occur in the book like black means something dark or scary or tragic, but yellow could mean something suddle, relaxed and calm. Red could represents fire, like an event that starts off small then gets bigger and worse like flames. I also think the colour black foreshadow's something bad is going to happen. Or when the author mentions silver i see silver as justice and purite. As i am reading the novel i kept on asking my self if the colours were just there to represent appearence but I think the colours represent more then just a look. I think death wants to comapare colours to things because he (Death) is compared to as black. Maybe Death is trying to tell us Death is not that bad and that we shouldn't be afraid, that everyone dies at some point, for some reason and it's nothing Death can do about it. Death states, "The queation is, what color will everything be at that moment when I come for you." This already proves to us as foreshadowing moods and events. Throughout as much of the book i have read so far colours is talked about alot for example the first lines in the novel, which was, "First off the colors./ Then the Humans./ Thats usually how I see things." This already shows us colors are going to be very important for this narrature.
Another theme in this book could be that strong words really have a big influence on things. I think that this could be a theme in this novel because in one part of the sketchbook that Max drew for Liesel, the girl(word shaker) climbed up the tree and said that this tree should stay here and no-one will cut it down. But a lot of the loggers didn't care, so they tried to chop it down with their axes. Each person tried and tried but no one could actually cut it down. So this goes to show that the words she said actually had a impact on how the trees condition was. Later another logger came and climbed up the tree. He convinced her to come down and when she did, the tree finally fell down. No one believed that he will be able to make the tree go down but he did, which also reflects on the theme.
A theme for this book could be overcoming obstacles because throughout the novel Liesel and her friends/family must continue to overcome their situations and problems.For example,Rosa has to make do with what they have even as people are firing her. She always manages to have just enough on the table no matter her circumstances. Also, Liesel overcomes her nightmares and grief for her brother by apologizing to Frau Hermann and reading at night with Hans and Max. She also learns to read very well despite all the teasing she received at first.
Another theme for this book would be caring because all throughout the novel there was at least one person that cared for someone else. For example, at the beginning of the novel, Liesel became Hans Hubberman's foster child. A lot of people wouldn't care about her and think that she could get a home with someone else. Another example, would be that when Liesel first came she didn't know how to read or write. But Hans was determined to help her, and he did. He helped her read every single day whenever he could to make sure she could learn. This takes a lot of caring to do something like this. Another example of caring was when Hans gave the piece of bread to the Jewish man in the parade. He didn't care at first what would happen so he helped him out. Later he realized that giving the piece of bread to the Jew could jeopardize Max so he told him to run away so that he would not be caught by the Nazi's.
A good theme for this book would be fear because the characters all feel fear at one point or another. Rosa fears not having enough money from the washing to make ends meet,both her and Hans fear being found out of hiding a Jew, Liesel fears her dead brother, Rudy fears for his life a couple times, and Max fears that the Nazis will find him in the basement when they check to see which ones can be used for air raid shelters. All through the book people fear something and sometimes their fears are realized like when Frau Holtzapfel finds out her youngest boy was killed in Russia with his legs blown off. All in all I think that fear is a good theme for this book because there is so much of it.
If fear is a suitable theme for "The Book Thief" then anger must be as well because when you're done being afraid, you get angry. Max is a really good example of this because in the basement, when he feels somewhat secure, he becomes angry at the Fuehrer and himself. This is shown by his imaginary boxing matches with Hitler. I think that his boxing matches show his anger in the most basic primal way because when people feel anger, for the most part, their first reaction is to strike out at the offense. So for Max to dream of beating the Fuehrer is his way of letting out some of the anger he feels. Also, I think that Max is angry at himself for being the only one of his family saved and for not at least looking back at his mother one last time as he left. Another person who I think represents the theme of anger well is Rudy. Rudy represents the theme well because a little more than halfway through the book, he becomes extremely angry at himself, the Hitler Youth, and the Fuehrer. The catalyst for his anger was 3 extremely stupid acts in which he was on the losing end every time, and only 1 out of the 3 was profitable to him through a bit of luck. Rudy's anger leads him to stealing books with Liesel in hope of a win and on a late night walk in search of the Fuehrer. I think that both Rudy and Max are the best examples of the theme anger in "The Book Thief". The book thief herself is quite a nice representation of the theme when she explodes in rage at Ilsa Hermann because she fires Rosa. Again, you see the transition from fear to anger; Liesel was first afraid of Ilsa because she saw her steal the 2nd book but after learning more about her her fear subsided and at the moment of the news that there were no more washing jobs left, it sparked into anger. The theme of anger goes with "The Book Thief" well because it occurs again and again within the story.
Another theme of this book would be the theme of happiness. This theme seems like it wouldn't make sense in a time of war but in some parts of the book there are examples of happiness. For example, when Liesel finally learned how to read, she and her dad became so happy and they continued to work at it all throughout the novel. Another example would be when Max saw Liesel in the parade. He was so happy that he actually got to meet one of his best friends from such a long time. He showed his happiness in tears and a kiss on the palm of her hand. Another example of happiness in the novel was when Liesel received the letter from Hans that he would be coming home from the war. When she read this, Liesel and her mother both got up and became very happy. Once Hans came home she gave him a great big hug. So you can see that through these different examples, there is a theme of happiness in this novel.
A theme for the Book Thief could be war because it is set between 1939 and 1943 in Germany where both the Holocaust and World War 2 are both happening in this time frame.
A theme i have noticed is when there is good there is evil because through out the novel there was never just a good time just the bad. Although i am not far in the book to notice but there is not exactly alot of happiness. The narrator mostly states the darkness and foreshadows bad things to happen. I know Death is the narrator and Death standes for darkness especially around this time set in the novel but there is only a few times in the novel were other such colours mean more than just darkness. And when those times came consequences always occure like rosa and Hans hidding Max in their basement. ALthough they are saving a life and helping someone out they are putting themself in great danger and could potentially die from their actions. Anothter point could be that Liesel has finally found a place that she loves to go to, the mayors library. The only bad thing is that she steals the books rather then just reading them, which could obviously have consequences. All the colours in the novel obviosly mean something but what i have noticed all the colours are not bright or make me believe something positive. There is many negative things about the events in this book like the book thief, the narrator being Death, the war happening, everyone slowly starving, and the kids steeling, and all the jews being targeted. This book most definitly shows nothing and know one is perfect and consequences and karma do exist.
A theme that I thought of when I was reading the novel was loyalty. When Hans Hubermann was in the war a man saved his life and he promised to do something good for him. When the man's son becomes in danger Hans says he can help and is loyal to his friend who died by doing so. He keeps the man's son, Max in his house and keeps him safe even though he's Jewish. Hans and Rosa are also loyal to Liesel and her mother because they told Liesel's mother that they'd take care of Liesel and they do as they said they would. The German's are also loyal to Hitler by following his rules and "hieling" to him.
The biggest theme that stands out to me is the power of words. Hitler built Nazi Germany on words and ideals; without these he could never have controlled all of the tangable things (armies, weapons, etc) that allowed him to do the things that he did. Another example is how Liesels reading in the raid shelter acts to calm everyone and soothe their fears. "Words have the power to both destroy and heal. When words are both true and kind, they can change our world." -the Buddha
Another theme that comes to mind is how little things can make a huge impact. When Hans gives Max and Max’s mother his information after he informs them of Max’s father’s death, he was probably thinking it would just be a nice gesture when really that little piece of paper ended up meaning the world to Max later on in life. If Hans had not given that paper to Max, he would probably have been found and captured early on in his life. Even though the Hubermanns barely know Max, Hans knows that he comes from a good father so they trust that he is a good man even though he is a Jew. This also makes an impact on Liesel’s life because most children growing up at that time sure didn’t see what a Jew had to go through and the length he was willing to go to survive (taking the risk of asking to stay in a German’s house).
A theme that stands out to me so far is the unknown. When Liesel's mom gave her up, she faced a world of unknowns. She had to live with new "parents", in a new town where she knew no one.
The theme is also evident through Max Vandenburg. On his journey, he didn't know if he was going to live, if the people he was going to were going to have turned or if they would keep the promise and accept him.
A theme that stands out to me is the theme of sharing. One example would be when Hans Hubberman shared his pieces of bread with the Jewish man in the parade. He was very thankful for the generosity of him. Another example would be when Ilsa shared her books with Liesel a number of times so that she could learn to read. This helped her out a lot, without her help she wouldn’t have been as good at reading as she is now. Another example of sharing was when Hans Hubberman let Max come in to his home. He shared the basement with him. This would be a decision that most people would not do considering he is Jewish and he could be caught by the Nazis.
One of the themes I've found in this book is hope. In the beginning of the book, Liesel's mother could no longer afford to raise Liesel and her brother. There was hope for Liesel with the Hubermanns, and there was hope for her illiteracy with Hans. Also, when Max Vandenburg was losing hope, he found the Hubermanns and they took him in. I also think that the Hubermann house is a symbol of this theme because throughout the book they have taken people in and given them hope for the future.
I think a possible theme for the Book Thief is couragesness because it takes courage for the Hubermanns to risk their lifes to protect a Jewish man because they know the consequences on what could happen to them. Also Leisel shows courage to teach herself how to read and write, and also by having to deal with her brothers death and her mother leaving her.
A theme that I have noticed throughout the book is the theme of giving. Throughout the story people continually give things to each other, even if it's not anything big, it's very meaningful. For example, Hans Hubermann stays with Liesel after she has nightmares, and he helps her learn how to read and stays with her through the night. That was probably the biggest gift she ever recieved, and because of that she was able to recieve another gift- the mayor's wife's books. Another example is when Max is in the basement, and Liesel gives him weather reports, and she brings him home newspapers. Then, when he is very sick, she brings him an assortment of knick-knacks, which showed Max that he was loved, and so he wanted to give something back to her. Also, once, on Liesel's birthday, when she gave him a hug, he resolved that he would give her a gift- which produced "The Standover Man" and later on "The Word Shaker". Another example is when the Hubermanns give Max a place to hide and eat, even though it puts them in danger. He later gives back to them when he decides to not return, because he feels badly for having put them in danger. Lastly (even though there are a lot of other examples) is when Liesel sees Max among the Jews walking down Molching and runs to him, and she talks with him and she gives him the words he gave her in "The Word Shaker", and takes a whipping for him, and he for her.
Another theme that I have found so far in this novel is change. There really is no option for the Hubermanns to not adapt to the situations that have been thrown at them: if they do not accept Max into their home, he will be killed. If they do not change their habits to conserve food and other necessities, they will starve. It is important for them to change with the events that are happening in their life.
I can see Comfort in the novel because death always tries to find some comfort for his lonliness in the colours he see's and lisiel. Also Lisiel finds comfort in hans's ways be it his acordian playing or the reading he does with her when she has her nightmares. Lisiel also finds comfert through her belonging and freindship with rudy and learning to read and finding new books.
A theme that i have noticed is words. In this book there is so many foreshadowing and different words that mean so much than there original meaning. Also books are very important and there content and the reason behind the books always have a lesson. Every book was important and ment something to the life of Liesel. There was sad words, words with hopeless, words with fear and every word ment something to death. The words helped the war start to end, but most of all taught everyone a lesson. That words can be really harsh and instently change a person or people. The words used in the book show the words used in the actually war and Hitler had the power of words and used that power against the jews.
Adding on to Kyle's comment, I think that courageousness is a very special theme of this novel. One example of courageousness in the novel, was when Liesel actually told Rudy what had happened with Max living in her home. She had to trust Rudy not to tell anyone about that matter. If he did tell someone, they could be in very big trouble. This took a lot of courage to tell someone a very private situation about your life.
Togetherness is a theme that stands out to me. The Hubermann's just let Max almost be apart of their family. When he first arrived, he told them he only wanted the left over scraps of food, but Rosa insisted that he would get an equal share.
The fact that Max and Liesel became best friends also demonstrates this theme. In my opinion, Max wouldn't have survived without Liesel. She gave him some happiness in his life, and she always visited him, hoping that he wouldn't feel alone.
I agree with Harley's comment because even when Hans gave the Jew on the street a piece of bread. It increased Max's chance for being caught in the Hubberman's home because people will then think that they could be hiding a Jew. Both Max and the Hubberman’s will be in big trouble. So when Max left the Hubberman's house to protect everyone’s safety. Liesel later found Max in the parades and they then came together again for a short little while. This is why I agree with Harley’s comment even though Max and Liesel were separated for a little while.
Taking chances to me would be a theme in this book because from right to the begining Liesel had to take a chance and move away from her mom. She livd with foster parents and took the chance to not give up because she had no choice. She became steeling books, she took the book without worry or regret. To me it seems like all of these characters have taken risky chances, like Max living in the basement. That could cause the family to be killed or taken away for hidding a Jew. Although Hans has a choice to join the Nazi party it has a risk for him to get hurt because the nazi party was very powerful. Also every time Rudy and Liesel would steel they took the chance and decided to just face any comsequences if any occured. I think the authur put this as one of the themes to show us to be strong even in dificult situations. That you have your own mind and thoughts and to just live the way you want without anyone telling you what to do, becasue during that time of year Hitler had power and was incharge. There is probably many more examples of taking chances in the book, but I just haven't read them yet.
Another possible theme could be "making do with what you have." As you can obviously tell most of the people in this book are dirt poor. But they do what they can to survive on the little they have.
A theme that stands out to me is trust. Throughout the story, and even just in that time, you either had no trust or very little of it. The little trust that people had was given very carefully, and it carried a huge weight. Several examples of this are 1) Liesel. She trusts Hans to be there for her and to keep her secrets and to help her out when she needs it. She is trusted by her foster parents to keep the secret of Max living with them. She later trusts Rudy with that secret. She trusts that Max will understand her after they share things with each other, like their nightmares and the importance of words. 2) The Nazis and most of Germany trusts Hitler will lead them to a be a better country. 3) Max. Trusts that the Hubermanns will not turn him in and that they will give him food and shelter. He trusts Liesel with his nightmares and stories. There are a lot more examples, but these are the ones I felt that were the most important.
Another theme I found was the theme of hiding. Things. People. Thoughts. I'm not entirely sure if this can be counted as a theme, but let's see where I can go with it. First of all, Liesel hides her book thievery from everyone except Hans, the mayor's wife, Rudy and Max. Secondly, Max was hiding from the Nazis, except for his friend, but then his friend had to leave, which led to the Hubermanns are hiding him. Lastly, in WW2, a lot of people had to hide their true thoughts and feelings about the Nazis and Hitler.
Another theme in The Book Thief could be determination. Many characters in this novel survive because of their determination such as Max, the Hubermanns, and Rudy. First of all, Max would not be alive if he hadn’t been determined enough to reach the Hubermann’s house. The Hubermanns are all determined to keep Max hidden because if they are caught hiding a Jew, the punishment is sure to be cruel. Finally, Rudy was feeling like a “loser” because he kept being put down by those around him, such as Viktor Chemmel and Franz Deutscher. He could have easily just given up, but instead he pushed through with determination.
A theme for the story could be courage many characters demonstrated this throughout the story. A few examples are Hans helping out Max and helping the Jewish man on the street, Rudy standing up to Franz Deutscher and taking beating for it, and Liesle helping Max get through all his hardships and keeping her mouth shut at school about having a Jew in her basement.
A theme I found within the story was protection. Examples of this are Hans protecting Liesel from her fears when she has her nightmares, from Rosa finding out about her stealing, and from falling into the traps of the Nazis and their propaganda. Rudy often protects Tommy Muller, mostly from Franz Deutscher, but I think also from a few other people. The Hubermanns protect Max from being discovered by Nazis and others, and protect him from the concentration camps. Liesel and Max protect their stories and ideas and thoughts, by sharing the knowledge of the power of words. The Mayor's wife and Liesel and Hans protect the books that are considered "un-German" and therefore illegal.
Another possible theme for the Book Thief is theft. Theft can be a possible theme because Liesel is always stealing books from the graveyard to the Nazi bonfire and also from breaking and entering Ilsa's house to steal books from her library. Also by Rudy and Liesel stealing food from other peoples property.
Another possible theme would be innocence. Liesel and Rudy, along with all the other children in Molching, grow up way too fast. It's not only that these children have to help out around the house because they are poor, but also that they have to experience harsh situations that are hard for even an adult to go through. These children lose their innocence, but at least they make the best of the situation because they have fresh, free, and hopeful minds.
Suffering is a huge theme of this book. Right from the beginning I notices suffering, with the death of Liesels brother, the coldness, the hunger, the physical and emotional pain caused by foster parents(mainly Rosa) and of course the horror of Adolf Hitler and the holocaust. All these things affect almost all the characters in some way. From what this book has shown me is that during the holocaust in Germany suffering wasn’t an option it was an order, no matter who you were. But oddly enough the book barely mentions the horrible things that happened in the concentration camps and all the innocent people that had died in them but instead this book focuses on the death of loved ones and the relationships they had
A possible theme for the novel is faith. I see faith happen alot in the book. From the begining of the book, for example when Leisels real mother dropped her off to a new family, she had faith in the Hubermanns that they would take good care of Leisel. Also when Hans was teaching Liesel to read, he had alot of faith in her and he knew that she would become a great reader. Also when Max was coming to live with the hubermanns, he had alot of faith in his friend that his plan would work out. Another time of faith was when Max was living with the hubermanns, he had faith that nobody would find out about him living there. He also had faith in Liesel that she wouldn't tell anybody.
Another possible theme for the Book Thief is colours because Death usually describes something using colours for example, Death describes the colour of the sky is white when Liesel's brother dies, and the sky was black from when the American pilot crashes his plane.
Another possible theme for this book could be Nazism because Adolf Hitler was the ruler of Germany the time the book is taking place and he was the ruler of the Nazi Party. In the book it tells us about concentration camps, Hitler's Youth Group which the Nazi people ran. Also they were against Jewish people which made Max hide for most of the book.
A theme for this story could be acceptance. Many characters had to learn to accept their fate during the story. Liesle came to terms with the loss of her brother and her family eventually, because she continued living. Hans Hubermann accepted Max into his home and upheld his promise made to Max’s father and as Death said, Hans accepted his own death, because he was sitting up when Death came for him.
A theme that I thought of when I was reading was love. This book takes place in times of hardness and sadness but the characters still find a way to love each other. Liesel comes into a new family and they love her and she loves them as if they were actually related. Rudy and Liesel also come to love each other, even though they fight and at times they didn't get along, they still loved each other. The Hubbermanns also showed their love to the Jewish people by hiding Max and keeping him away from the Germans for as long as possible. Liesel and Rudy also showed love by giving the Jewish people the simplest thing... Bread. Even though they were small pieces, they still showed love because at that time, bread was a sign of love. When the basement of 44 Himmel Street is crowded with people waiting to know if they're going to be bombed or not, everyone shows some love when Liesel reads her books and everyone becomes still. They love when Liesel reads because it calms their nerves and everyone just listens to the little girl’s voice. Liesel also showed her love of reading and writing by steal so many books and writing so many times. This is a different kind of love, but it is still love that is shown in this book.
Another theme is inequality. Hitler does not treat people the same, he decides based on someone's background whether they are "good" or "bad". Being Jewish to some people could be great and it might be something they are extremely proud of but if you lived during the war, according to Hitler, it was not something to be proud of. In the novel there are some people who are against Hitler's ways and those people do some standing up for the Jewish people. The Hubbermann's hide a Jewish who is a stranger and even though this is wrong and they could be punished, the Hubbermann's still do it because they do not agree with Hitler's ways. Because people who are Jewish are not allowed to live a good life, they are forced to be ashamed of who they are and hide out instead of being free. This causes people to become someone who they probably never thought they would be. These Jewish people became starved, weak and insecure because Hitler didn't like them. Hitler does not see that everyone is equal and should be seen the same and this is clearly shown in the novel.
Defiance could be a possible theme it is shown by a couple of characters in the Book Thief. Rudy shows defiance to the German ideal right from the beginning by covering his body in charcoal and pretending to be Jesse Owens. This is also quite ironic because Rudy is considered to be the German ideal. Hans Hubermann shows defiance by hiding a Jew in the basement and he shows his defiance to Hitler’s treatment of Jews by helping a Jewish man in plain sight. Finally Liesle defies death in almost impossible odds being the only survivor on Himmel Street all because of her criminal ways. She also followed in Hans Hubermann’s footsteps and went out in the parade of Jews to join it.
Fear is a possible theme for the novel. I think most people during the Holocaust lived in fear, even if they weren't Jewish. When Hans job wasn't getting many costomers, i'm sure Hans was always afraid of things like not makeing enough money to supporting his family. Leisel experiances fear alot in the novel, for example when she gets dropped off at the Hubermanns. She must have been terrified because she was about to live with two people she had never met before. Also at night Leisels dreams are full of fear. Every night she wakes up because of the nightmares she has about her brother dying and her mother leaving her. Max has lived a lot of his life in fear, for example when he would fight against Walter Kugler, Im sure the first time they fought he was fearful. Also when the Halocaust started, fear was always on his mind, being a Jewish man. And when he went to live with the Hubermanns, he must have feared the thought of even getting caught living in their basement. Those are just some of the few examples of the possible theme of fear.
I guess I will just post 5 different themes that correspond to the book seperately.
One of the themes in The Book Thief was hope. Even though the situation was getting worse each day, the characters of the book stayed strong and had hope everything would end soon and everyone would be okay. Without hope, they would give up in the struggle and die. The characters even went out of their way to help another in need, such as accepting Max.
Another theme from the book is cowardice. Hans Junior accuses his father Hans of being a coward for not supporting Hitler, yet in Germany, it would take much more bravery to defy Hitler and defend the Jews than it would to go along with Nazi ideology. I think the real cowards are Hitler and his supporters because all they cared about was power and they hid behind a long list of soldiers.
The third possible theme for the book thief is thievery. Liesel's thievery is a way of describing herself. By stealing a book from a book burning, she defies the Nazi censorship and takes education into her hands. When Ilsa offers Liesel a book, Liesel refuses it because she is enraged at Ilsa for firing Liesel's foster mother Rosa. Instead, Liesel breaks into Ilsa's home and steals the same book, later stealing others. Ilsa realizes what Liesel has done and is amused by it; she "helps" Liesel steal from her library by leaving her window open and placing books in visible locations.
The fourth theme in the Book Thief is fear, which does not need much explanation. Everyone was fearful because they lived in Europe during WW2, death was a possibility for anyone.
The final theme found in the Book Thief is love. I know this may seem impossible during WW2 where even a smile was considered a act of kindness and was severly punished. The Book Thief focuses on characters who are learning to love in the face of great hatred. There is also romantic love in the novel. Of course, it's an innocent childlike romance that tragedy cuts short. Rudy and Liesel were torn apart because Rudy had died in a air raid.
Life is a major theme in this book because pretty much the whole purpose of this book is to survive but the problem with that is you can't die without living and people spent so much time hiding trying not to die that they never got to actually enjoy life. I think that because of this death would have had a hard time taking the souls of people because they never got to actually live. Considering life was what death saw every day and observed in great detail, I think he probably wondered how life could be so horrible and yet so beautiful at the same time.
I think growing up is a really good theme that this book has portrayed. At the beginning of this book liesel was a young girl who had just witnessed her brother’s death and watched as her mother left her forever. As the book continues liesel becomes very smart and well accustomed to her new town. Also Rudy grows up and matures throughout the book at the beginning he was just some little kid who had a meaning less crush on liesel but soon liesel and Rudy become great friends.
I think another theme could be, sticking up for what you believe in. Hans didn't think that Hitler's ways were right even in the beginning when he didn't want to join him. He also thought that even though they were Jewish, they were still human beings too. Hans took in a struggling Jewish man and he hid him from the evil Nazis. Rosa and Liesel also protected Max because they knew that it was wrong for him to be sent to a concentration camp. Rudy also took a stand with Jesse Owens by covering himself in coal and running the track in Molching for everyone to see. Even though mostly everyone was for Hitler, there still were some people sticking up for good things.
Another theme is bravery. It's a really simple and common theme but I really think that people show bravery in this book. Liesel is brave to go to complete strangers' house and come into their family, Hans and Rosa are also brave for taking her in though. Liesel shows bravery by going out into the town of Molching even though she knows no one. Her, Rudy and all the other thieves are also brave by stealing all the things they've stolen. Of course, the most common showing of bravery is by Hans and his family by keeping Max in their basement. Hans and Liesel are also both brave for diving into the parade of Jews to help a Jewish person in need. Liesel also shows bravery by facing all the dead bodies when she is the only one still alive and by facing Molching alone, with no more family or friends.
I agree with Vedran that thievery could be a possible theme. Through out the book, death has described Liesel as the 'book thief' because she has stolen quite a bit a books, even when sometimes she didn't know it was wrong, like when she got the grave diggers handbook, she didn't think it would be a big deal because she found it on the ground. Leisel steals books because she has such a passion for reading. She loves it so much, she reads the same books over and over again. Sometimes she thought stealing was her only way of getting books if she wanted them. The theme thievery was also shown when Liesel stole apples from the apple tree with the other kids because she was hungry. She knew it was wrong, but her hungry got the best of her mind.
A theme that I've found in this novel so far is the refusal to give in; resistence. There are many strong examples of this in the story, including events such as Hans hatred for the Nazis and his refusal to join their party. Also, Rudy's stand against performing the Hitler Youth tasks and Liesel's attempts to read in front of the class though she is not up to their level. All of these events show that even though it may be difficult to stand up against something or someone that is in your way, if you persevere you may be sucessful.
A theme that I've seen throughout the book is survival. The Hubermann's and many other families they associate with or are mentioned in the book, have been getting by with just enough. This particular time in history was hard on everyone and many people were forced to just survive. No one in this book is thriving whatsoever except for Hitler and the Nazis, but when you're living like them and constantly taking the lives of others, is that really living or thriving at all? Many families and characters in the book have to try so hard and struggle to get just enough which is heartbreaking.
The book has 10 parts to it each having its own identity and meaning that brings the book together. A possible theme for me is that the parts are like doors, a bad thing that happens in one part is somewhat resolved in the next one to an extent so for me a theme would be when one door closes another one opens
I might sound like a broken record when i say this but obviously in Nazi Germany from 1939-1945 there where super hard times and in hard time togetherness and family is huge. Rosa hubermann may have seemed like a real *itch at the beginning but when the times got tough everybody looked out for everybody and Rosa showed a side of her that not even liesel thought she would see and that side and theme can be expressed in more than one word like love, family, togetherness, trust and kindliness mean the same thing.
Another theme that I found was the value of life. The book was really about living on Himmel street, about the hundreds of tiny connections between the people and each unique individual. No characters were tha same; each one had their own characteristics and personalities that defined them and set them apart. It only took one second to destroy all of these people on Himmel street. In that second all of those individuals were lost and cannot be replaced. There would never be another Hans Hubermann or Rudy Steiner, etc. This is an expression of the price of such a war and the true impacts of our actions. I think that it was an excellent demonstration of how we can destroy ourselves and why we can never let it happen again.
I think that a possible theme for the novel would be foreshadowing. The reason for this being Death almost always reveals or hints to something that will happen later on in the story. For example, in the prologue, Death explains that the novel will include, "a girl" (Liesel), "an accordionist" (Hans), and "a Jewish fist fighter" (Max) along with other things. Death also describes Leisel as a “perpetual survivor” hinting at the fact that she will be one of the only people that survive the novel because he doesn’t say it about anyone else.
One of the many themes in this book is stealing. Right from the beginning of the book liesel has been stealing things, such as books and fruit. I think that she steals books so that one she can have something to do in her many hours of boredom. Also I think that she has realized that her life has had many horrific things happen to and her stealing books makes her happy and she thinks that she deserves to be happy for at least once in her life. When liesel and Rudy join the gang and start stealing fruits and vegetables it was for almost the same reason, she was board but she was hungry instead of being sad.
I think that bravery is a possible theme for the novel. An example of why I think bravery for a theme is because of a few occasions. One occasion is when Hans goes and gives the Jew the bread. This is a very brave move on Hans’ part because of everything that was going on at that time to the Jewish people. He took a MAJOR risk by doing this, but was able to pull it off without anyone knowing. Another example of bravery in the novel is when the Hubermann’s take in Max. This is a huge risk on both of their behalves. If the Hubermann’s are caught for hiding Max in the basement, the family will be killed. If Max is caught then he will also be killed instantly for trying to hide.
Empathy is a big theme in my opinion. Right from the beginning, I think Hans tried to understand how Liesel was feeling, and that is why they became so close. Empathy between Liesel and Max also contributed to their friendship. The both understood how each other felt about the nightmares and having to leave their family behind. One final example is at the end when Ilsa Hermann came to take her home. She obviously knew how Liesel felt to lose people very important to her and wanted to take care of Liesel.
A theme I noticed was to never give up. I have thought of this theme because this book was very powerful and at this time everyone was going through hard times and to live they all had to be strong and do there all to stay alive and avoid trouble. Hans and Rosa and Liesel never gave up on Max or even thought of kicking him out for their own safety. Hans never gave up on Liesel for steeling books. He never treated her differently after knowing she steels. Liesel went through a lot and she obviously never gave up and was strong. All the Jews and anyone that was judged never gave up. I think by everyone fighting for their rights had a huge impact on this book and during the World War because it showed that the Jews and others were not weak. This world war has been a lesson and so has this book. It takes courage and strength to go through what the Jews went through during the war.
A possible theme for the novel could be survival or sacrificing. It is shown a lot throughout the novel. For example, even though Hans didn't agree with Hitlers book and the Nazi party, he still tried to be apart of it so people weren't against him. He needed more costumers for his job and that would mean he needed to make some sacrifices. Also when Liesel stole apples from the apple tree, she did it so she wouldn't be hungry anymore. She wanted to stay alive. When Max went to live with the Hubermanns, he sacrificed the possiblility of getting caught. He did it for his own survival, he wanted to find the best way to stay alive through these hard times. Those were just some of the few examples to relate to the theme.
Happiness is also a possible theme. Even though everyone is going through some sort of difficulty and it is a harder time, you never hear of anybody complaining. They all try to make the best of what they have and try to stay happy.
While reading “The Book Thief,” the theme of consequences came to mind. Many characters in the novel made decisions which affected their lives, either adversely or positively. When Liesel said, or did something her foster mother Rosa did not like, she would receive a verbal and physical beating as a consequence for her actions. If she would have chosen not to do those actions, she would have never received the verbal and physical abuse. Hans Hubermann chose to accept a Jewish man (Max) into his house to hide him. As a consequence, the rations had to be shared with one more person and their life style was different. They had to stay tight lipped about their stowaway, they could not tell anybody. The Hubermann family was always concerned that someone would find Max in their basement. They were concerned for Max when they had to go to the air raid shelter. Their basement had not been certified as being safe in the event of an air raid. In general, the Hubermanns lived their lives in greater fear and worry as a consequence of hiding Max in their basement. Adolf Hitler chose to lead Germany into thinking they were the superior race and that the Jewish people were the causes of their problems. He went to war to try to gain control of more land. As a consequence, most of the world rebelled against him and eventually defeated him and his Nazi party. The novel was filled with consequences, these are just a few.
Death is a fitting theme for this book, Death is the Narrator, plus several of the characters die, without Death, (the narrator, and the verb) there wouldn't be a story.
One theme that came to mind while I was reading this book was the theme of metaphors. This book is full of beautiful metaphors, I believe not only in the text but in the pictures the author chose to include. There are many words and descriptions used, as well as people an objects in this novel that are used to portray a bigger picture of what is going on. One example could be of the objects that Leisel gives to Max while he won't wake up from his sickness. I think that these symbolize the hope that still remained in Nazi Germany for the Jews, and that not all Germans were against the Jews. Even that the objects are things that are simple and really not worth much I think shows how the simple hope of a child can be the most precious thing when times are hard. Another hope metaphor I found in the novel was that of Leisel reading in the raid shelter to calm everyone. This again showed that what Germany needed in that time was hope, simple hope.
Another theme I have found in the novel is relentlessness. Every character in the book has this quality at one point in time whether what they want is really small or really big. Liesel especially has showed this many times in the story, from when she wanted to be literate, to her book thievery, to picking up and dropping off the laundry to her best ability for Rosa, to making sure Max could be healthy and happy. Hans showed relentlessness too when he wouldn't give up on Liesel's illiteracy or her nightmares. Rudy showed this when he wanted to win all four races at the track and field meet and also his stubbornness towards authority throughout the story. Also, this whole story and many others like it wouldn't exist without Hitler's relentlessness that started the Holocaust.
The themes of selflessness and selfishness have appeared many times in the novel. Many characters including Hans, Rosa, Liesel, and Max have shown selflessness in their love for others. Hans, Rosa, and Liesel took in Max despite what the consequences may be if he were discovered by the wrong people. Max chose to leave the family and the comfort of refuge and a home when he realized he didn't want them in a position where they could be taken away, reflecting selflessness through his love and compassion for the Hubermanns. Selfishness was also showed in the story by the Nazis. Some of them reflected this quality through the act of taking the lives of innocent people, whether they believed those people deserved it or if they were just scared for their own lives. Hans also showed selflessness when he ran out to one of the Jews and offered him bread, right in front of the Nazi soldiers. Even though Hans regretted this later, he showed compassion for someone else and the fact that he would do this instinctively and without thinking, shows good character.
One possible theme for this novel that I've found is loneliness. Death comes off as very alone in life (if he is living at all). His day is very routine and he doesn't seem too happy with it. This could be because he is the only person who can do his job, so he does it alone everyday. Following Liesel in her life could be death's way of reaching out, trying to concur the lonesomeness he feels. Another example of loneliness is when Liesel tries to become closer to her new father Hans Hubermann after she's lost her brother and has been abandoned by her mother.
ReplyDeleteA theme I think can relate to parts of the book, is triumph. When Liesel trys to learn how to read, and spell, she gets bullied a little bit, and she needs to overcome problems, and issues that may occur.
ReplyDeleteThe first theme I could see was leadership.
ReplyDeleteon page 22 death made a comment that there where 2 train guards and 2 grave diggers.In both pairs there was a leader and a follower.Hitler lead Germany,Auther Berg lead the towns kids and rosa lead Liesel. One leader and people forced to follow regardless of if they truely want to or not. Leadership is a cycle. The leader gets more power as the group grows and the group grows as the leader obtains power.
One theme that I have found in the novel was making the best out of difficult situations. There are many examples of this such as when Liesel was sent to live with her foster parents, the death of her real mother and brother, the lack of food (and the hunger that follows)and just how difficult survival is when there is little money to go around.
ReplyDeleteSo far a theme I've found is humanity. Throughout the book Death questions what makes picking up after humans worth the effort, and answers his own question many times by showing his interest in Liesel's life. The friendship between Liesel and Max in a time of war is an example of humanity and shows that even though people can be horrible and merciless, there are some occasions when they do small acts of kindness that somehow make the job worth it. Also Rudy, Hans, and Liesel's actions with the bread when the Jews were paraded through the town were examples of humanity, because Liesel tries to stick by Max no matter the consequence and Hans reacts without thinking to save a poor starving man. Rudy's stunt with the bread was more out of anger at the Fuhrer and the war than kindness, but all the same he never had enough food and was giving some away to people who could give nothing in return. Death is constantly touched by these small details of humanity and follows their stories even though he/she isn't supposed to.
ReplyDeleteA theme that stands out to me is resistance: the refusal to give in. Liesel shows this in her persistence to learn to read and her choice to face her nightmares alone later in the book. Hans refusas to become more involved with the Nazi Party than he has to because it goes against what he believes. Max fits this theme in a more obvious way but fits it none the less.
ReplyDeleteOne of the themes that I think that is part of the book is the theme of hope. One of the reasons being is that the Jewish character Max, actually had hope to get to the destination of 33 Himmel Street which he did make it. If he didn't make the Nazis could have captured him. Another example would be that, when Leisel first attended school, she didn't know much about the language. It was specifically how to write, speak and read. But there was still hope for her. So then she worked hard and finally learned how to do all those things at an adequate level. By believing in herself through reading many different books. So you can see that throughout the novel, the theme of hope is always there and is something take away unless you don't believe you can.
ReplyDeleteAnother theme I've found for the Book Thief is loneliness because Liesel always seems to be the survivor, the one left behind. An example of this is when her brother dies and then her mother leaves her with strangers. As well meaning as her mother was, she still left her with strangers and Liesel felt betrayed and lonely. Secondly, when Himmel street is blown to pieces everyone but Liesel is killed and she is alone once more. She is left to live and mourn once again. Another time, Max is forced to leave because of a stupid choice Hans made. He is alone as well but in the end he is able to come back when the war ends and end both his and Liesel's loneliness.
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ReplyDeleteI think there is a theme of change because in many parts of the book, someone does something different for a reason(for a change to occur). For example, at the beginning, Liesel didn't like to talk to Max very much. But when she actually got to know him, she realized that he is actually a very nice guy. Later in the novel, she actually become very close friends with him, which is a very big change just because she got to know someone. Also, another example of a change would be when Max had to actually leave the Hubberman's home, because Hans almost jeopardized Max's secret to the Nazis by giving a Jew a piece of bread. Which then leads Hans on to think that people would assume he is hiding a Jew just because he helped one out. Later Max did leave, just in case the Nazis did come to look for him.
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ReplyDeleteIn my oppinion colours could be part of many themes in the book like bravery, fear, happyness and courage. I think all the coulors talked about in the book represent something like a message the different moods and events that occur in the book like black means something dark or scary or tragic, but yellow could mean something suddle, relaxed and calm. Red could represents fire, like an event that starts off small then gets bigger and worse like flames. I also think the colour black foreshadow's something bad is going to happen. Or when the author mentions silver i see silver as justice and purite. As i am reading the novel i kept on asking my self if the colours were just there to represent appearence but I think the colours represent more then just a look. I think death wants to comapare colours to things because he (Death) is compared to as black. Maybe Death is trying to tell us Death is not that bad and that we shouldn't be afraid, that everyone dies at some point, for some reason and it's nothing Death can do about it. Death states, "The queation is, what color will everything be at that moment when I come for you." This already proves to us as foreshadowing moods and events. Throughout as much of the book i have read so far colours is talked about alot for example the first lines in the novel, which was, "First off the colors./ Then the Humans./ Thats usually how I see things." This already shows us colors are going to be very important for this narrature.
ReplyDeleteAnother theme in this book could be that strong words really have a big influence on things. I think that this could be a theme in this novel because in one part of the sketchbook that Max drew for Liesel, the girl(word shaker) climbed up the tree and said that this tree should stay here and no-one will cut it down. But a lot of the loggers didn't care, so they tried to chop it down with their axes. Each person tried and tried but no one could actually cut it down. So this goes to show that the words she said actually had a impact on how the trees condition was. Later another logger came and climbed up the tree. He convinced her to come down and when she did, the tree finally fell down. No one believed that he will be able to make the tree go down but he did, which also reflects on the theme.
ReplyDeleteA theme for this book could be overcoming obstacles because throughout the novel Liesel and her friends/family must continue to overcome their situations and problems.For example,Rosa has to make do with what they have even as people are firing her. She always manages to have just enough on the table no matter her circumstances. Also, Liesel overcomes her nightmares and grief for her brother by apologizing to Frau Hermann and reading at night with Hans and Max. She also learns to read very well despite all the teasing she received at first.
ReplyDeleteAnother theme for this book would be caring because all throughout the novel there was at least one person that cared for someone else. For example, at the beginning of the novel, Liesel became Hans Hubberman's foster child. A lot of people wouldn't care about her and think that she could get a home with someone else. Another example, would be that when Liesel first came she didn't know how to read or write. But Hans was determined to help her, and he did. He helped her read every single day whenever he could to make sure she could learn. This takes a lot of caring to do something like this. Another example of caring was when Hans gave the piece of bread to the Jewish man in the parade. He didn't care at first what would happen so he helped him out. Later he realized that giving the piece of bread to the Jew could jeopardize Max so he told him to run away so that he would not be caught by the Nazi's.
ReplyDeleteA good theme for this book would be fear because the characters all feel fear at one point or another. Rosa fears not having enough money from the washing to make ends meet,both her and Hans fear being found out of hiding a Jew, Liesel fears her dead brother, Rudy fears for his life a couple times, and Max fears that the Nazis will find him in the basement when they check to see which ones can be used for air raid shelters. All through the book people fear something and sometimes their fears are realized like when Frau Holtzapfel finds out her youngest boy was killed in Russia with his legs blown off. All in all I think that fear is a good theme for this book because there is so much of it.
ReplyDeleteIf fear is a suitable theme for "The Book Thief" then anger must be as well because when you're done being afraid, you get angry. Max is a really good example of this because in the basement, when he feels somewhat secure, he becomes angry at the Fuehrer and himself. This is shown by his imaginary boxing matches with Hitler. I think that his boxing matches show his anger in the most basic primal way because when people feel anger, for the most part, their first reaction is to strike out at the offense. So for Max to dream of beating the Fuehrer is his way of letting out some of the anger he feels. Also, I think that Max is angry at himself for being the only one of his family saved and for not at least looking back at his mother one last time as he left. Another person who I think represents the theme of anger well is Rudy. Rudy represents the theme well because a little more than halfway through the book, he becomes extremely angry at himself, the Hitler Youth, and the Fuehrer. The catalyst for his anger was 3 extremely stupid acts in which he was on the losing end every time, and only 1 out of the 3 was profitable to him through a bit of luck. Rudy's anger leads him to stealing books with Liesel in hope of a win and on a late night walk in search of the Fuehrer. I think that both Rudy and Max are the best examples of the theme anger in "The Book Thief". The book thief herself is quite a nice representation of the theme when she explodes in rage at Ilsa Hermann because she fires Rosa. Again, you see the transition from fear to anger; Liesel was first afraid of Ilsa because she saw her steal the 2nd book but after learning more about her her fear subsided and at the moment of the news that there were no more washing jobs left, it sparked into anger. The theme of anger goes with "The Book Thief" well because it occurs again and again within the story.
ReplyDeleteAnother theme of this book would be the theme of happiness. This theme seems like it wouldn't make sense in a time of war but in some parts of the book there are examples of happiness. For example, when Liesel finally learned how to read, she and her dad became so happy and they continued to work at it all throughout the novel. Another example would be when Max saw Liesel in the parade. He was so happy that he actually got to meet one of his best friends from such a long time. He showed his happiness in tears and a kiss on the palm of her hand. Another example of happiness in the novel was when Liesel received the letter from Hans that he would be coming home from the war. When she read this, Liesel and her mother both got up and became very happy. Once Hans came home she gave him a great big hug. So you can see that through these different examples, there is a theme of happiness in this novel.
ReplyDeleteA theme for the Book Thief could be war because it is set between 1939 and 1943 in Germany where both the Holocaust and World War 2 are both happening in this time frame.
ReplyDeleteA theme i have noticed is when there is good there is evil because through out the novel there was never just a good time just the bad. Although i am not far in the book to notice but there is not exactly alot of happiness. The narrator mostly states the darkness and foreshadows bad things to happen. I know Death is the narrator and Death standes for darkness especially around this time set in the novel but there is only a few times in the novel were other such colours mean more than just darkness. And when those times came consequences always occure like rosa and Hans hidding Max in their basement. ALthough they are saving a life and helping someone out they are putting themself in great danger and could potentially die from their actions. Anothter point could be that Liesel has finally found a place that she loves to go to, the mayors library. The only bad thing is that she steals the books rather then just reading them, which could obviously have consequences. All the colours in the novel obviosly mean something but what i have noticed all the colours are not bright or make me believe something positive. There is many negative things about the events in this book like the book thief, the narrator being Death, the war happening, everyone slowly starving, and the kids steeling, and all the jews being targeted. This book most definitly shows nothing and know one is perfect and consequences and karma do exist.
ReplyDeleteA theme that I thought of when I was reading the novel was loyalty. When Hans Hubermann was in the war a man saved his life and he promised to do something good for him. When the man's son becomes in danger Hans says he can help and is loyal to his friend who died by doing so. He keeps the man's son, Max in his house and keeps him safe even though he's Jewish. Hans and Rosa are also loyal to Liesel and her mother because they told Liesel's mother that they'd take care of Liesel and they do as they said they would. The German's are also loyal to Hitler by following his rules and "hieling" to him.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest theme that stands out to me is the power of words. Hitler built Nazi Germany on words and ideals; without these he could never have controlled all of the tangable things (armies, weapons, etc) that allowed him to do the things that he did. Another example is how Liesels reading in the raid shelter acts to calm everyone and soothe their fears.
ReplyDelete"Words have the power to both destroy and heal. When words are both true and kind, they can change our world."
-the Buddha
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ReplyDeleteAnother theme that comes to mind is how little things can make a huge impact. When Hans gives Max and Max’s mother his information after he informs them of Max’s father’s death, he was probably thinking it would just be a nice gesture when really that little piece of paper ended up meaning the world to Max later on in life. If Hans had not given that paper to Max, he would probably have been found and captured early on in his life. Even though the Hubermanns barely know Max, Hans knows that he comes from a good father so they trust that he is a good man even though he is a Jew. This also makes an impact on Liesel’s life because most children growing up at that time sure didn’t see what a Jew had to go through and the length he was willing to go to survive (taking the risk of asking to stay in a German’s house).
ReplyDeleteA theme that stands out to me so far is the unknown. When Liesel's mom gave her up, she faced a world of unknowns. She had to live with new "parents", in a new town where she knew no one.
ReplyDeleteThe theme is also evident through Max Vandenburg. On his journey, he didn't know if he was going to live, if the people he was going to were going to have turned or if they would keep the promise and accept him.
A theme that stands out to me is the theme of sharing. One example would be when Hans Hubberman shared his pieces of bread with the Jewish man in the parade. He was very thankful for the generosity of him. Another example would be when Ilsa shared her books with Liesel a number of times so that she could learn to read. This helped her out a lot, without her help she wouldn’t have been as good at reading as she is now. Another example of sharing was when Hans Hubberman let Max come in to his home. He shared the basement with him. This would be a decision that most people would not do considering he is Jewish and he could be caught by the Nazis.
ReplyDeleteOne of the themes I've found in this book is hope. In the beginning of the book, Liesel's mother could no longer afford to raise Liesel and her brother. There was hope for Liesel with the Hubermanns, and there was hope for her illiteracy with Hans. Also, when Max Vandenburg was losing hope, he found the Hubermanns and they took him in. I also think that the Hubermann house is a symbol of this theme because throughout the book they have taken people in and given them hope for the future.
ReplyDeleteI think a possible theme for the Book Thief is couragesness because it takes courage for the Hubermanns to risk their lifes to protect a Jewish man because they know the consequences on what could happen to them. Also Leisel shows courage to teach herself how to read and write, and also by having to deal with her brothers death and her mother leaving her.
ReplyDeleteA theme that I have noticed throughout the book is the theme of giving. Throughout the story people continually give things to each other, even if it's not anything big, it's very meaningful. For example, Hans Hubermann stays with Liesel after she has nightmares, and he helps her learn how to read and stays with her through the night. That was probably the biggest gift she ever recieved, and because of that she was able to recieve another gift- the mayor's wife's books. Another example is when Max is in the basement, and Liesel gives him weather reports, and she brings him home newspapers. Then, when he is very sick, she brings him an assortment of knick-knacks, which showed Max that he was loved, and so he wanted to give something back to her. Also, once, on Liesel's birthday, when she gave him a hug, he resolved that he would give her a gift- which produced "The Standover Man" and later on "The Word Shaker".
ReplyDeleteAnother example is when the Hubermanns give Max a place to hide and eat, even though it puts them in danger. He later gives back to them when he decides to not return, because he feels badly for having put them in danger.
Lastly (even though there are a lot of other examples) is when Liesel sees Max among the Jews walking down Molching and runs to him, and she talks with him and she gives him the words he gave her in "The Word Shaker", and takes a whipping for him, and he for her.
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ReplyDeleteAnother theme that I have found so far in this novel is change. There really is no option for the Hubermanns to not adapt to the situations that have been thrown at them: if they do not accept Max into their home, he will be killed. If they do not change their habits to conserve food and other necessities, they will starve. It is important for them to change with the events that are happening in their life.
ReplyDeleteI can see Comfort in the novel because death always tries to find some comfort for his lonliness in the colours he see's and lisiel. Also Lisiel finds comfort in hans's ways be it his acordian playing or the reading he does with her when she has her nightmares. Lisiel also finds comfert through her belonging and freindship with rudy and learning to read and finding new books.
ReplyDeleteA theme that i have noticed is words. In this book there is so many foreshadowing and different words that mean so much than there original meaning. Also books are very important and there content and the reason behind the books always have a lesson. Every book was important and ment something to the life of Liesel. There was sad words, words with hopeless, words with fear and every word ment something to death. The words helped the war start to end, but most of all taught everyone a lesson. That words can be really harsh and instently change a person or people. The words used in the book show the words used in the actually war and Hitler had the power of words and used that power against the jews.
ReplyDeleteAdding on to Kyle's comment, I think that courageousness is a very special theme of this novel. One example of courageousness in the novel, was when Liesel actually told Rudy what had happened with Max living in her home. She had to trust Rudy not to tell anyone about that matter. If he did tell someone, they could be in very big trouble. This took a lot of courage to tell someone a very private situation about your life.
ReplyDeleteTogetherness is a theme that stands out to me. The Hubermann's just let Max almost be apart of their family. When he first arrived, he told them he only wanted the left over scraps of food, but Rosa insisted that he would get an equal share.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that Max and Liesel became best friends also demonstrates this theme. In my opinion, Max wouldn't have survived without Liesel. She gave him some happiness in his life, and she always visited him, hoping that he wouldn't feel alone.
I agree with Harley's comment because even when Hans gave the Jew on the street a piece of bread. It increased Max's chance for being caught in the Hubberman's home because people will then think that they could be hiding a Jew. Both Max and the Hubberman’s will be in big trouble. So when Max left the Hubberman's house to protect everyone’s safety. Liesel later found Max in the parades and they then came together again for a short little while. This is why I agree with Harley’s comment even though Max and Liesel were separated for a little while.
ReplyDeleteTaking chances to me would be a theme in this book because from right to the begining Liesel had to take a chance and move away from her mom. She livd with foster parents and took the chance to not give up because she had no choice. She became steeling books, she took the book without worry or regret. To me it seems like all of these characters have taken risky chances, like Max living in the basement. That could cause the family to be killed or taken away for hidding a Jew. Although Hans has a choice to join the Nazi party it has a risk for him to get hurt because the nazi party was very powerful. Also every time Rudy and Liesel would steel they took the chance and decided to just face any comsequences if any occured. I think the authur put this as one of the themes to show us to be strong even in dificult situations. That you have your own mind and thoughts and to just live the way you want without anyone telling you what to do, becasue during that time of year Hitler had power and was incharge. There is probably many more examples of taking chances in the book, but I just haven't read them yet.
ReplyDeleteI think a theme in this book is courage, like when Hans, Rosa, and Liesel, take in Max despite the troubles it may bring them.
ReplyDeleteAnother possible theme could be "making do with what you have." As you can obviously tell most of the people in this book are dirt poor. But they do what they can to survive on the little they have.
ReplyDeleteA theme that stands out to me is trust. Throughout the story, and even just in that time, you either had no trust or very little of it. The little trust that people had was given very carefully, and it carried a huge weight.
ReplyDeleteSeveral examples of this are
1) Liesel. She trusts Hans to be there for her and to keep her secrets and to help her out when she needs it. She is trusted by her foster parents to keep the secret of Max living with them. She later trusts Rudy with that secret. She trusts that Max will understand her after they share things with each other, like their nightmares and the importance of words.
2) The Nazis and most of Germany trusts Hitler will lead them to a be a better country.
3) Max. Trusts that the Hubermanns will not turn him in and that they will give him food and shelter. He trusts Liesel with his nightmares and stories.
There are a lot more examples, but these are the ones I felt that were the most important.
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ReplyDeleteAnother theme I found was the theme of hiding. Things. People. Thoughts. I'm not entirely sure if this can be counted as a theme, but let's see where I can go with it.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, Liesel hides her book thievery from everyone except Hans, the mayor's wife, Rudy and Max.
Secondly, Max was hiding from the Nazis, except for his friend, but then his friend had to leave, which led to the Hubermanns are hiding him.
Lastly, in WW2, a lot of people had to hide their true thoughts and feelings about the Nazis and Hitler.
Another theme in The Book Thief could be determination. Many characters in this novel survive because of their determination such as Max, the Hubermanns, and Rudy. First of all, Max would not be alive if he hadn’t been determined enough to reach the Hubermann’s house. The Hubermanns are all determined to keep Max hidden because if they are caught hiding a Jew, the punishment is sure to be cruel. Finally, Rudy was feeling like a “loser” because he kept being put down by those around him, such as Viktor Chemmel and Franz Deutscher. He could have easily just given up, but instead he pushed through with determination.
ReplyDeleteA theme for the story could be courage many characters demonstrated this throughout the story. A few examples are Hans helping out Max and helping the Jewish man on the street, Rudy standing up to Franz Deutscher and taking beating for it, and Liesle helping Max get through all his hardships and keeping her mouth shut at school about having a Jew in her basement.
ReplyDeleteA theme I found within the story was protection.
ReplyDeleteExamples of this are Hans protecting Liesel from her fears when she has her nightmares, from Rosa finding out about her stealing, and from falling into the traps of the Nazis and their propaganda.
Rudy often protects Tommy Muller, mostly from Franz Deutscher, but I think also from a few other people.
The Hubermanns protect Max from being discovered by Nazis and others, and protect him from the concentration camps.
Liesel and Max protect their stories and ideas and thoughts, by sharing the knowledge of the power of words.
The Mayor's wife and Liesel and Hans protect the books that are considered "un-German" and therefore illegal.
Another possible theme for the Book Thief is theft. Theft can be a possible theme because Liesel is always stealing books from the graveyard to the Nazi bonfire and also from breaking and entering Ilsa's house to steal books from her library. Also by Rudy and Liesel stealing food from other peoples property.
ReplyDeleteAnother possible theme would be innocence. Liesel and Rudy, along with all the other children in Molching, grow up way too fast. It's not only that these children have to help out around the house because they are poor, but also that they have to experience harsh situations that are hard for even an adult to go through. These children lose their innocence, but at least they make the best of the situation because they have fresh, free, and hopeful minds.
ReplyDeleteSuffering is a huge theme of this book. Right from the beginning I notices suffering, with the death of Liesels brother, the coldness, the hunger, the physical and emotional pain caused by foster parents(mainly Rosa) and of course the horror of Adolf Hitler and the holocaust. All these things affect almost all the characters in some way. From what this book has shown me is that during the holocaust in Germany suffering wasn’t an option it was an order, no matter who you were. But oddly enough the book barely mentions the horrible things that happened in the concentration camps and all the innocent people that had died in them but instead this book focuses on the death of loved ones and the relationships they had
ReplyDeleteA possible theme for the novel is faith. I see faith happen alot in the book. From the begining of the book, for example when Leisels real mother dropped her off to a new family, she had faith in the Hubermanns that they would take good care of Leisel. Also when Hans was teaching Liesel to read, he had alot of faith in her and he knew that she would become a great reader. Also when Max was coming to live with the hubermanns, he had alot of faith in his friend that his plan would work out. Another time of faith was when Max was living with the hubermanns, he had faith that nobody would find out about him living there. He also had faith in Liesel that she wouldn't tell anybody.
ReplyDeleteAnother possible theme for the Book Thief is colours because Death usually describes something using colours for example, Death describes the colour of the sky is white when Liesel's brother dies, and the sky was black from when the American pilot crashes his plane.
ReplyDeleteAnother possible theme for this book could be Nazism because Adolf Hitler was the ruler of Germany the time the book is taking place and he was the ruler of the Nazi Party. In the book it tells us about concentration camps, Hitler's Youth Group which the Nazi people ran. Also they were against Jewish people which made Max hide for most of the book.
ReplyDeleteA theme for this story could be acceptance. Many characters had to learn to accept their fate during the story. Liesle came to terms with the loss of her brother and her family eventually, because she continued living. Hans Hubermann accepted Max into his home and upheld his promise made to Max’s father and as Death said, Hans accepted his own death, because he was sitting up when Death came for him.
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ReplyDeleteA theme that I thought of when I was reading was love. This book takes place in times of hardness and sadness but the characters still find a way to love each other. Liesel comes into a new family and they love her and she loves them as if they were actually related. Rudy and Liesel also come to love each other, even though they fight and at times they didn't get along, they still loved each other. The Hubbermanns also showed their love to the Jewish people by hiding Max and keeping him away from the Germans for as long as possible. Liesel and Rudy also showed love by giving the Jewish people the simplest thing... Bread. Even though they were small pieces, they still showed love because at that time, bread was a sign of love. When the basement of 44 Himmel Street is crowded with people waiting to know if they're going to be bombed or not, everyone shows some love when Liesel reads her books and everyone becomes still. They love when Liesel reads because it calms their nerves and everyone just listens to the little girl’s voice. Liesel also showed her love of reading and writing by steal so many books and writing so many times. This is a different kind of love, but it is still love that is shown in this book.
ReplyDeleteAnother theme is inequality. Hitler does not treat people the same, he decides based on someone's background whether they are "good" or "bad". Being Jewish to some people could be great and it might be something they are extremely proud of but if you lived during the war, according to Hitler, it was not something to be proud of. In the novel there are some people who are against Hitler's ways and those people do some standing up for the Jewish people. The Hubbermann's hide a Jewish who is a stranger and even though this is wrong and they could be punished, the Hubbermann's still do it because they do not agree with Hitler's ways. Because people who are Jewish are not allowed to live a good life, they are forced to be ashamed of who they are and hide out instead of being free. This causes people to become someone who they probably never thought they would be. These Jewish people became starved, weak and insecure because Hitler didn't like them. Hitler does not see that everyone is equal and should be seen the same and this is clearly shown in the novel.
ReplyDeleteDefiance could be a possible theme it is shown by a couple of characters in the Book Thief. Rudy shows defiance to the German ideal right from the beginning by covering his body in charcoal and pretending to be Jesse Owens. This is also quite ironic because Rudy is considered to be the German ideal. Hans Hubermann shows defiance by hiding a Jew in the basement and he shows his defiance to Hitler’s treatment of Jews by helping a Jewish man in plain sight. Finally Liesle defies death in almost impossible odds being the only survivor on Himmel Street all because of her criminal ways. She also followed in Hans Hubermann’s footsteps and went out in the parade of Jews to join it.
ReplyDeleteFear is a possible theme for the novel. I think most people during the Holocaust lived in fear, even if they weren't Jewish. When Hans job wasn't getting many costomers, i'm sure Hans was always afraid of things like not makeing enough money to supporting his family. Leisel experiances fear alot in the novel, for example when she gets dropped off at the Hubermanns. She must have been terrified because she was about to live with two people she had never met before. Also at night Leisels dreams are full of fear. Every night she wakes up because of the nightmares she has about her brother dying and her mother leaving her. Max has lived a lot of his life in fear, for example when he would fight against Walter Kugler, Im sure the first time they fought he was fearful. Also when the Halocaust started, fear was always on his mind, being a Jewish man. And when he went to live with the Hubermanns, he must have feared the thought of even getting caught living in their basement. Those are just some of the few examples of the possible theme of fear.
ReplyDeleteI guess I will just post 5 different themes that correspond to the book seperately.
ReplyDeleteOne of the themes in The Book Thief was hope. Even though the situation was getting worse each day, the characters of the book stayed strong and had hope everything would end soon and everyone would be okay. Without hope, they would give up in the struggle and die. The characters even went out of their way to help another in need, such as accepting Max.
Another theme from the book is cowardice. Hans Junior accuses his father Hans of being a coward for not supporting Hitler, yet in Germany, it would take much more bravery to defy Hitler and defend the Jews than it would to go along with Nazi ideology. I think the real cowards are Hitler and his supporters because all they cared about was power and they hid behind a long list of soldiers.
ReplyDeleteThe third possible theme for the book thief is thievery. Liesel's thievery is a way of describing herself. By stealing a book from a book burning, she defies the Nazi censorship and takes education into her hands. When Ilsa offers Liesel a book, Liesel refuses it because she is enraged at Ilsa for firing Liesel's foster mother Rosa. Instead, Liesel breaks into Ilsa's home and steals the same book, later stealing others. Ilsa realizes what Liesel has done and is amused by it; she "helps" Liesel steal from her library by leaving her window open and placing books in visible locations.
ReplyDeleteThe fourth theme in the Book Thief is fear, which does not need much explanation. Everyone was fearful because they lived in Europe during WW2, death was a possibility for anyone.
ReplyDeleteThe final theme found in the Book Thief is love. I know this may seem impossible during WW2 where even a smile was considered a act of kindness and was severly punished. The Book Thief focuses on characters who are learning to love in the face of great hatred. There is also romantic love in the novel. Of course, it's an innocent childlike romance that tragedy cuts short. Rudy and Liesel were torn apart because Rudy had died in a air raid.
ReplyDeleteLife is a major theme in this book because pretty much the whole purpose of this book is to survive but the problem with that is you can't die without living and people spent so much time hiding trying not to die that they never got to actually enjoy life. I think that because of this death would have had a hard time taking the souls of people because they never got to actually live. Considering life was what death saw every day and observed in great detail, I think he probably wondered how life could be so horrible and yet so beautiful at the same time.
ReplyDeleteI think growing up is a really good theme that this book has portrayed. At the beginning of this book liesel was a young girl who had just witnessed her brother’s death and watched as her mother left her forever. As the book continues liesel becomes very smart and well accustomed to her new town. Also Rudy grows up and matures throughout the book at the beginning he was just some little kid who had a meaning less crush on liesel but soon liesel and Rudy become great friends.
ReplyDeleteI think another theme could be, sticking up for what you believe in. Hans didn't think that Hitler's ways were right even in the beginning when he didn't want to join him. He also thought that even though they were Jewish, they were still human beings too. Hans took in a struggling Jewish man and he hid him from the evil Nazis. Rosa and Liesel also protected Max because they knew that it was wrong for him to be sent to a concentration camp. Rudy also took a stand with Jesse Owens by covering himself in coal and running the track in Molching for everyone to see. Even though mostly everyone was for Hitler, there still were some people sticking up for good things.
ReplyDeleteAnother theme is bravery. It's a really simple and common theme but I really think that people show bravery in this book. Liesel is brave to go to complete strangers' house and come into their family, Hans and Rosa are also brave for taking her in though. Liesel shows bravery by going out into the town of Molching even though she knows no one. Her, Rudy and all the other thieves are also brave by stealing all the things they've stolen. Of course, the most common showing of bravery is by Hans and his family by keeping Max in their basement. Hans and Liesel are also both brave for diving into the parade of Jews to help a Jewish person in need. Liesel also shows bravery by facing all the dead bodies when she is the only one still alive and by facing Molching alone, with no more family or friends.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Vedran that thievery could be a possible theme. Through out the book, death has described Liesel as the 'book thief' because she has stolen quite a bit a books, even when sometimes she didn't know it was wrong, like when she got the grave diggers handbook, she didn't think it would be a big deal because she found it on the ground. Leisel steals books because she has such a passion for reading. She loves it so much, she reads the same books over and over again. Sometimes she thought stealing was her only way of getting books if she wanted them. The theme thievery was also shown when Liesel stole apples from the apple tree with the other kids because she was hungry. She knew it was wrong, but her hungry got the best of her mind.
ReplyDeleteA theme that I've found in this novel so far is the refusal to give in; resistence. There are many strong examples of this in the story, including events such as Hans hatred for the Nazis and his refusal to join their party. Also, Rudy's stand against performing the Hitler Youth tasks and Liesel's attempts to read in front of the class though she is not up to their level. All of these events show that even though it may be difficult to stand up against something or someone that is in your way, if you persevere you may be sucessful.
ReplyDeleteA theme that I've seen throughout the book is survival. The Hubermann's and many other families they associate with or are mentioned in the book, have been getting by with just enough. This particular time in history was hard on everyone and many people were forced to just survive. No one in this book is thriving whatsoever except for Hitler and the Nazis, but when you're living like them and constantly taking the lives of others, is that really living or thriving at all? Many families and characters in the book have to try so hard and struggle to get just enough which is heartbreaking.
ReplyDeleteThe book has 10 parts to it each having its own identity and meaning that brings the book together. A possible theme for me is that the parts are like doors, a bad thing that happens in one part is somewhat resolved in the next one to an extent so for me a theme would be when one door closes another one opens
ReplyDeleteI might sound like a broken record when i say this but obviously in Nazi Germany from 1939-1945 there where super hard times and in hard time togetherness and family is huge. Rosa hubermann may have seemed like a real *itch at the beginning but when the times got tough everybody looked out for everybody and Rosa showed a side of her that not even liesel thought she would see and that side and theme can be expressed in more than one word like love, family, togetherness, trust and kindliness mean the same thing.
ReplyDeleteAnother theme that I found was the value of life. The book was really about living on Himmel street, about the hundreds of tiny connections between the people and each unique individual. No characters were tha same; each one had their own characteristics and personalities that defined them and set them apart. It only took one second to destroy all of these people on Himmel street. In that second all of those individuals were lost and cannot be replaced. There would never be another Hans Hubermann or Rudy Steiner, etc. This is an expression of the price of such a war and the true impacts of our actions. I think that it was an excellent demonstration of how we can destroy ourselves and why we can never let it happen again.
ReplyDeleteI think that a possible theme for the novel would be foreshadowing. The reason for this being Death almost always reveals or hints to something that will happen later on in the story. For example, in the prologue, Death explains that the novel will include, "a girl" (Liesel), "an accordionist" (Hans), and "a Jewish fist fighter" (Max) along with other things. Death also describes Leisel as a “perpetual survivor” hinting at the fact that she will be one of the only people that survive the novel because he doesn’t say it about anyone else.
ReplyDeleteOne of the many themes in this book is stealing. Right from the beginning of the book liesel has been stealing things, such as books and fruit. I think that she steals books so that one she can have something to do in her many hours of boredom. Also I think that she has realized that her life has had many horrific things happen to and her stealing books makes her happy and she thinks that she deserves to be happy for at least once in her life. When liesel and Rudy join the gang and start stealing fruits and vegetables it was for almost the same reason, she was board but she was hungry instead of being sad.
ReplyDeleteI think that bravery is a possible theme for the novel. An example of why I think bravery for a theme is because of a few occasions. One occasion is when Hans goes and gives the Jew the bread. This is a very brave move on Hans’ part because of everything that was going on at that time to the Jewish people. He took a MAJOR risk by doing this, but was able to pull it off without anyone knowing.
ReplyDeleteAnother example of bravery in the novel is when the Hubermann’s take in Max. This is a huge risk on both of their behalves. If the Hubermann’s are caught for hiding Max in the basement, the family will be killed. If Max is caught then he will also be killed instantly for trying to hide.
Empathy is a big theme in my opinion. Right from the beginning, I think Hans tried to understand how Liesel was feeling, and that is why they became so close. Empathy between Liesel and Max also contributed to their friendship. The both understood how each other felt about the nightmares and having to leave their family behind. One final example is at the end when Ilsa Hermann came to take her home. She obviously knew how Liesel felt to lose people very important to her and wanted to take care of Liesel.
ReplyDeleteA theme I noticed was to never give up. I have thought of this theme because this book was very powerful and at this time everyone was going through hard times and to live they all had to be strong and do there all to stay alive and avoid trouble. Hans and Rosa and Liesel never gave up on Max or even thought of kicking him out for their own safety. Hans never gave up on Liesel for steeling books. He never treated her differently after knowing she steels. Liesel went through a lot and she obviously never gave up and was strong. All the Jews and anyone that was judged never gave up. I think by everyone fighting for their rights had a huge impact on this book and during the World War because it showed that the Jews and others were not weak. This world war has been a lesson and so has this book. It takes courage and strength to go through what the Jews went through during the war.
ReplyDeleteA possible theme for the novel could be survival or sacrificing. It is shown a lot throughout the novel. For example, even though Hans didn't agree with Hitlers book and the Nazi party, he still tried to be apart of it so people weren't against him. He needed more costumers for his job and that would mean he needed to make some sacrifices. Also when Liesel stole apples from the apple tree, she did it so she wouldn't be hungry anymore. She wanted to stay alive. When Max went to live with the Hubermanns, he sacrificed the possiblility of getting caught. He did it for his own survival, he wanted to find the best way to stay alive through these hard times. Those were just some of the few examples to relate to the theme.
ReplyDeleteHappiness is also a possible theme. Even though everyone is going through some sort of difficulty and it is a harder time, you never hear of anybody complaining. They all try to make the best of what they have and try to stay happy.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading “The Book Thief,” the theme of consequences came to mind. Many characters in the novel made decisions which affected their lives, either adversely or positively. When Liesel said, or did something her foster mother Rosa did not like, she would receive a verbal and physical beating as a consequence for her actions. If she would have chosen not to do those actions, she would have never received the verbal and physical abuse.
ReplyDeleteHans Hubermann chose to accept a Jewish man (Max) into his house to hide him. As a consequence, the rations had to be shared with one more person and their life style was different. They had to stay tight lipped about their stowaway, they could not tell anybody. The Hubermann family was always concerned that someone would find Max in their basement. They were concerned for Max when they had to go to the air raid shelter. Their basement had not been certified as being safe in the event of an air raid. In general, the Hubermanns lived their lives in greater fear and worry as a consequence of hiding Max in their basement.
Adolf Hitler chose to lead Germany into thinking they were the superior race and that the Jewish people were the causes of their problems. He went to war to try to gain control of more land. As a consequence, most of the world rebelled against him and eventually defeated him and his Nazi party. The novel was filled with consequences, these are just a few.
Death is a fitting theme for this book, Death is the Narrator, plus several of the characters die, without Death, (the narrator, and the verb) there wouldn't be a story.
ReplyDeleteOne theme that came to mind while I was reading this book was the theme of metaphors. This book is full of beautiful metaphors, I believe not only in the text but in the pictures the author chose to include. There are many words and descriptions used, as well as people an objects in this novel that are used to portray a bigger picture of what is going on. One example could be of the objects that Leisel gives to Max while he won't wake up from his sickness. I think that these symbolize the hope that still remained in Nazi Germany for the Jews, and that not all Germans were against the Jews. Even that the objects are things that are simple and really not worth much I think shows how the simple hope of a child can be the most precious thing when times are hard. Another hope metaphor I found in the novel was that of Leisel reading in the raid shelter to calm everyone. This again showed that what Germany needed in that time was hope, simple hope.
ReplyDeleteAnother theme I have found in the novel is relentlessness. Every character in the book has this quality at one point in time whether what they want is really small or really big. Liesel especially has showed this many times in the story, from when she wanted to be literate, to her book thievery, to picking up and dropping off the laundry to her best ability for Rosa, to making sure Max could be healthy and happy. Hans showed relentlessness too when he wouldn't give up on Liesel's illiteracy or her nightmares. Rudy showed this when he wanted to win all four races at the track and field meet and also his stubbornness towards authority throughout the story. Also, this whole story and many others like it wouldn't exist without Hitler's relentlessness that started the Holocaust.
ReplyDeleteThe themes of selflessness and selfishness have appeared many times in the novel. Many characters including Hans, Rosa, Liesel, and Max have shown selflessness in their love for others. Hans, Rosa, and Liesel took in Max despite what the consequences may be if he were discovered by the wrong people. Max chose to leave the family and the comfort of refuge and a home when he realized he didn't want them in a position where they could be taken away, reflecting selflessness through his love and compassion for the Hubermanns. Selfishness was also showed in the story by the Nazis. Some of them reflected this quality through the act of taking the lives of innocent people, whether they believed those people deserved it or if they were just scared for their own lives. Hans also showed selflessness when he ran out to one of the Jews and offered him bread, right in front of the Nazi soldiers. Even though Hans regretted this later, he showed compassion for someone else and the fact that he would do this instinctively and without thinking, shows good character.
ReplyDelete