Dialectical Journal For The Book Thief Essay

Within every human being, through affirmation and recognition by others, one’s worth and value, a sense of belonging is formed. This concept is the main theme within the text, The Book Thief (2005) written by Markus Zusak. The main character, Liesel Meminger, is abandoned by her mother at the age of ten (10) she then spends the next few years finding where she belongs in the world. Throughout the novel Liesel's sense of belonging to the characters Hans Hubermann, Max Vandenburg and Adolf Hitler; the Fuhrer, result in shaping and influence her to view the world differently. This essay will be examining Liesel’s sense of belonging with each of these characters and their effect on her personality, views and ideas.

1) Prescribed Text – The Book Thief a. Compose a summary/synopsis of the text (plot/themes/characters/key concerns). (100 words only)

Death states that, “I’m always finding humans at their best and worst. I see their ugly and their beauty, and I wonder how the same thing can be both” (Zusak 491). This book shows us human doing things that weren’t even imaginable before this point. Many people give into ideas that were lies. But, we also watch a few people go out of their way and sacrifice everything for a man they barely even know. They do everything they can to keep him safe and alive. They work harder, the get another job, and they even steal. In Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief, death examines the ugliness and the beauty of humans.

Over the course of reading The Book Thief, readers will come to know about Markus Zusak’s constant use of descriptive words, figurative language, and character plots throughout the story. In one particular part of the novel, Zusak shows an example of all three of these points to support one of the many central themes he gives us. While Liesel is standing in front of the burnt offerings near the town hall and the square after a Hitler rally, she sees a book underneath all of the hot ash. This moment allows Zusak to go into explicit detail to make a point about the significance of the moment to the reader. In The Book Thief, Zusak uses vocabulary that evokes recklessness and stealthiness, personification about books, and Liesel’s internal

“Just past the rubble of Cologne, a group of kids collected empty fuel containers, dropped by their enemies. As usual, I collected humans. I was tired. And the year wasn’t even halfway over yet.” (p. 338 The Book Thief)

Through all of the irony and vivid coloring, The Book Thief is more easily understood after acquiring knowledge of reading literature with greater care and meticulousness. Applying chapters of How to Read Literature like a Professor can better enhance a reader’s awareness of hidden messages and symbols within certain works of literature. In Chapter Two, Foster explains how meals suggest a communion between all parties involved in it. Markus Zusak also uses meals and food to bring families together in The Book Thief. Foster also explains, in Chapter Eleven, how violence in literature usually stands for more than just violence.

In The Book Thief, a work of historical fiction, written by Markus Zusak introduces the main character Liesel Meminger, the reader starts to see how she keeps having many conflicts but always stays positive. Liesel has many conflicts, for example her brother dies early in the book and that shapes the way she is. Later on Liesel steals books and that makes her happy because the first book she stole was the grave digger's handbook and that is how she remembers her brother. Liesel steals and reads books this is how she finds happiness with all the bad things going on around her. In the end of the book most of the people she loves die and it is hard for her to find happiness again. The author uses the setting and point of view to express theme and to make the reader feel sympathy; He uses this because with the theme of finding light in the darkness, deaths perception, and the setting of Germany makes the theme clearer.

By viewing the beginning of Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief through the Marxist Literary lense the readers can decipher the power struggle that Max Vandenburg suffers from, which exhibits the theme of entrapment. The Marxist Literary theory suggests that the power struggle between social classes is a major force in history. These social classes are determined by The Great Chain of Being because everything in the universe had a hierarchical order. In The Book Thief, the narrator, Death, is explaining Liesel’s experiences in Nazi Germany. Liesel Meminger, a main character, was at a book burning meant to destroy the Jewish influence, when Death describes what she hears from a Nazi leader. Before the fire is lit, he says “‘...we also stop our enemies [the Jews]

Crises are inevitable. However, dealing with a crisis is not always arduous due to their prevalence. However, books seem to be a popular choice, why? What makes them special and useful in times of crises? Some of the most well-known books involve a description of crisis or a character going through the crisis.

As you may know the narrator of the book thief is Death. Death is a very important character in this great book. Death just thinks humans are really complex and throughout the book he sees the ugliness and beauty of the human race. He likes someone, in particular, which is Liesel. He thinks her story is beautiful. During my reading of this novel death would spoil something that will happen in the future and then apologize for it after. The question is does death have a heart? He proves he does due to his kindness to help the human race. “You see? Even death has a heart” (242 Zusak). Ugliness and beauty of Liesel’s life story, are shown abundantly in the book thief.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak shows through the midst of brutality, beauty can still be shown. The main characters Liesel Meminger, Rudy Steiner and Hans Huberman, prove this statement they are all faced with perilous situations, but still manage to show beauty throughout the situations. Liesel Meminger display beauty during the air raids, as she manages to read to people in the basement. Rudy Steiner displays beauty he jumps in the river to get Liesel’s book. Through Hans Huberman nobel character he displays beauty as he risks his life to hide a Jewish man in his basement.

Words within books can help people escape the real world. Even when someone’s life is great, words can make a person or they can break a person. In the book”The Book Thief”, Liesel read, and talked, and it changed her. To me, books are an escape. They take me away to another place, a place I can relax.

Zusak on The Book Thief present a magnificent story with heartbreaking and heartwarming moments in which the author captures the reader’s heart until the last chapter. This novel is developed through reality of war and a continuing bombing of emotions. The author describes the best of humans as well the worst, and the unusual narrator represents the equal qualities in human race. This novel describes the consequences of corrupt power and destruction; however, the novel focus the story around strong women, and particularly the way in which war affects their lives. The novel illustrates the pain and suffering experienced by mothers, sisters and daughters; consequently, it represents a break from history which has always concentrated on the misery of men. The novel gives strong evidence to support the admirable capacity of women to counteract the consequences of war and multiple moments proves the hard labor to continuing living. Particularly to survive to poor economy, deal pain of loss, and perseverance helping more in needs.

Death is always an obstacle, and Liesel witnesses a fair amount of death in her lifetime. At the very beginning of the book it opens up with Liesel’s brother dying, while they are on their way to a foster home. “The book thief and her brother were traveling down toward Munich, where they would soon be given over to foster parents. We

It was noon when suddenly on a train Liesel’s brother died. On that same day Liesel said goodbye to her mother forever. Soon Liesel joins her foster parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann. A couple days later Max arrives, a grown man who was a jew. Back then during World War 2 if Hitler and his army found Max hiding in the house of the Hubermanns he would be killed because he was a jew. The Hubermanns risk their lives and Max’s life when they hide him in their basement for protection. The next few days went by and Hans was caught giving bread to a Jewish man who was Max. Unfortunately, Max was forced to flee, causing Liesel considerable desperation. Hans was soon drafted to go to war and Liesel continues stealing books and reading books. After