Liesel knows she is beautiful because of how she acts towards others with kindness. Her new family is also very kind, which makes them beautiful as well. Hans and Rosa Hubermann help a Jewish man stay with their family for a while during the war, which was an extremely huge risk to take during WWII. These characters, and many more important ones throughout the novels, are labeled as beautiful because of how they act towards others when helping them in society and throughout life.
This piece of art exemplifies the importance of appearances in The Book Thief & Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Jane is looked down upon because she is not very pretty in the eyes of the upper class, such as the people who attend Mr. Rochester's parties. But she doesn't let these negative opinions get in the way of her personality and actions; she worked hard to get the things she wanted because of her outspoken character.
Liesel knows she is beautiful because of how she acts towards others with kindness. Her new family is also very kind, which makes them beautiful as well. Hans and Rosa Hubermann help a Jewish man stay with their family for a while during the war, which was an extremely huge risk to take during WWII. These characters, and many more important ones throughout the novels, are labeled as beautiful because of how they act towards others when helping them in society and throughout life.
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Writing is an important theme in The Book Thief. Liesel writes her memoir, also named The Book Thief. Max Vandenburg writes and draws on the walls of the basement of Liesel's house on Himmel Street. He also paints over the pages of Mein Kampf and writes stories for Liesel in them. Liesel and Max used writing to portray their emotions about life and situations occurring around them. Writing is also important because there are book burnings done by Nazis and soldiers to demonstrate the Nazis' control over people and their lives. They are also done on special occasions, such as anniversary of memorable war dates and Hitler's birthday.
In the Book Thief, the book Mein Kampf is held as so important that it is almost seen as holy. This is similar to the Book of Shhh in Delirium, which stands for the "Book of Safety, Health, and Happiness Handbook." Mein Kampf is important as the leader of Nazi Germany was Adolf Hitler, the author of this book. It is seen as disrespectful and unlawful to burn or harm a copy of this book. Everyone must have a copy of this book. In Delirium, everyone also has to have a copy of the Book of Shhh, as it prescribes laws and rules to be followed in society and taught to younger generations as a way of life in that society. In Delirium, when Alex reveals his true identity to Lena, he tells a shocked Lena that he burned a copy of the Book of Shhh when he was younger. Lena is horrified that anyone would even consider committing such a crime. " 'At first, I was angry. I used to light things on fire. Paper, handbooks, school primers. It made me feel better somehow.' He laughs softly. 'I even burned my copy of The Book of Shhh.' At first, way before Liesel met Hans Hubermann, the accordion held sentimental value for this man because it represents the man who saved his life. This heroic man was Erik Vandenburg. When Hubermann went to fight World War I in France, he met Vandenburg, who taught him how to play the accordion. On the day of a major battle, Vandenburg volunteered Hubermann to write letters for the captain. So Hubermann did not go to war, while everyone else, including Erik Vandenburg went to war. No one returned. Hans was able to keep the accordion after Erik's body and belongings were found. The accordion symbolized hope and prosperity. When Liesel is introduced to Himmel Street, the accordion is a symbol of hope for her as well. Through the music, she is able to forget her worries about the death of her brother and the loss of her mother. It provides her a distraction from the horrid life around her, especially during air raids and bombings. "He would return with his accordion and play for her. Liesel would sit up and hum, her cold toes clenched with excitement. No one had ever given her music before. She would grin herself stupid, watching the lines drawing themselves down his face and the soft metal of his eyes" (37). When Hans leaves to fight in World War II, Rosa becomes attached to the accordion because it made up a part of Hans. It becomes a consistent reminder of how important Hans was to her and how much she needed him in her life. Liesel sees the change in Rosa every night as she mopes over the accordion mourning for Hans and praying that he would stay alive. While reading the Book Thief, I discovered endless examples of Markus Zusak's unique writing, including diction and syntax. There are so many ways the narrator, Death, speaks that changes how the reader first sees words and what the reader interprets. Some of the examples are: The diction in this quote depicts how Death sees rain. It demonstrates the ironic innocence of Death. It also shows that even though the narrator is Death, he still makes humorous comments during horrific events. Here, Death is describing a battle scene. He says the "sky is dripping" with blood and it won't stop, meaning the war won't end. He tries his "hardest to turn it off, but hasn't quite managed" yet as the war persists.
The Book Thief is narrated by the intellectual and humorous Death. Markus Zusak chose Death to be a narrator because he is able to provide Liesel's point of view and information that Liesel wouldn't know. Death knows what is going on around Liesel that she is unaware of, such as the horrors of World War II. Death would be an ideal choice as he depicts the immense number of deaths and large amounts of suffering occurring during this important time period and around Himmel Street, where Liesel lives with the Hubermanns. However, The Book Thief is not narrated in the third person omniscient; Death does not know everything going on around the world. He only knows the lives of certain people living on Himmel Street, such as the Hubermanns and the Hermanns. Death learns his information from what he sees and hears, his personal experiences, and The Book Thief, written by Liesel Meminger. |
Author Markus Zusak: Archives
May 2015
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