the book thief critical essay

Themes and Analysis

The book thief, by markus zusak.

‘The Book Thief’ is a historical novel based on the events of the Holocaust and Second World War and the suffering and death experienced by people.

Article written by Ugo Juliet

Former Lecturer. Author of multiple books. Degree from University Of Nigeria, Nsukka.

When analyzing The Book Thief , there are several themes one needs to look at. The majority are themes of the power of words, kindness, and cruelty of humans, reading and writing, the duality of the Nazi era, mortality, and love.

The Book Thief Themes

The power of words.

In The Book Thief , we see that words and, in extension, stories are among the most powerful ways people connect. So many examples show how the words connect people up throughout the story. Through learning the alphabet and how to use it to make words, Liesel and Hans Hubermann began developing their deep bond. Liesel’s descriptions of the weather to Max later in the novel also help establish a bond between them. 

In the book, the greatest gift Max gives Liesel is words in the form of the ‘The Word Shaker,’ the story he writes for her. In the story he wrote, he suggests that words are the most powerful force there is. He said that Adolf Hitler uses just words and not guns or money or some other instrument to take over the world.

The story shows how Liesel has used words to create a refuge for herself amid Nazism and later uses words to calm her neighbors during the air raids by reading from her book. Again, the power of words is seen in the book she left behind, giving her a connection to Death as we saw at the end of the story.

The Kindness and Cruelty of Humans

We see the various degrees of human cruelty and kindness in the novel, from the slight to the most extreme examples.

One of the small acts of kindness we see in the novel includes hiding and caring for Max by the Hubermanns even at great risk to themselves, Rudy giving the teddy bear to the dying pilot, Ilsa Hermann inviting Liesel into her library. Liesel is specially kind to Max, and the two share a strong bond. Because of the political context of the time, with hatred and violence against Jews being rampant, Max finds Liesel’s kindness to be extraordinary. On the contrary, we also see acts of cruelty, like the treatment of Rudy by Viktor Chemmel and Franz Deutscher. Again, the concentration camps linger unseen in the book’s background as the most extreme example of cruelty.

There was a scene that showed both kindness and cruelty at once. There, Hans Hubermann tries to help a weak Jew suffering hunger and deprivation, being marched through town on the way to Dachau. Hans reaches out to him and gives him a piece of bread, a small act of great kindness. Immediately though, one of the Nazi soldiers mercilessly whips Hans and the Jewish man, a great act of cruelty heightened by the fact that it comes in response to Hans’s kindness.

We can not analyze the themes in The Book Thief without talking of mortality as Death is the book’s narrator. The book shows us that mortality is very present in the lives of each character as Death introduces the book to the reader. All through the novel, the deaths of the main characters reaffirm the presence of mortality. Since The Book Thief story takes place during World War II, Death and genocide are almost omnipresent.

Death is presented in a less distant and threatening manner as he narrates and explains the reasons behind each character’s destruction. Again, Death expatiates how he feels that he must take each character’s life, so there is a sense of care instead of fear. At a point Death states, ‘even Death has a heart.’

Reading and Writing

We see language, writing, and reading presented as symbols of expression and freedom all through the novel. Reading and writing provide identity and personal liberation to those characters who have them and provide a framework for Liesel’s coming of age. At the start of the story, shortly after her brother’s funeral, Liesel finds a book in the snow, but she cannot read. Learning under her foster father Hans, she slowly learns to read and write. By the time the novel comes to an end, her character arc has been shaped by her progress in reading, writing and learning a language. 

Writing and reading skills also serve as social markers since wealthy citizens are literate, owning books and even their libraries. On the other hand, the poor and illiterate do not own books or libraries. Rosa Huberman’s harsh and, at times, scathing remarks towards her family and others are an example of the despairing lives of the poorer classes. In contrast, Liesel’s repeated rescues of books from Nazi bonfires show her reclaiming freedom and also refusal to accept being controlled by the all-pervasive state.

The Dualities of Nazi-era Germany

We notice that the characters often have two sides or faces starting from the time Rudy paints himself black in imitation of Jesse Owens.

Superficially, Rudy looks like an ideal Aryan, such that the Nazis try to recruit him into a special training center. However, deep inside him, he is similar to an African-American, which directly contradicts Nazi ideology. Max also does something similar when he travels from Stuttgart to Molching when he pretends to be a non-Jewish or gentile German, calmly reading MKPF, while on the inside, he is a terrified Jew who finds the book despicable. This clearly shows the theme of duality in the book.

The Hubermanns are part of the theme and started living double lives immediately after they started hiding Max.

To their neighbors and friends, they pretend to be law-abiding citizens to their friends and neighbors; they harbor their dangerous secret inside. Hans teaches Liesel about this double face after he slaps her for saying she hates Hitler in public. He told her that she can hate inside the house but once they are outside, she must behave in a certain way. In fact, duality is a theme of life in general for Liesel and Rudy as they both spend a lot of time engaged in typical teenage activities like playing soccer in the street. However, these moments are broken up with events like the parade of Jews through town or the bombings that threaten and ultimately destroy Himmel Street. 

In spite of the fact that war, Death, and loss caused a lot of damage to Liesel and the others, love is seen as an agent of change and freedom. This is because love is the only way of forming a family where real freedom exists. Liesel got the best of her traumas by learning to love and be loved by her foster family and her friends. At the start of the novel, Liesel is traumatized by the Death of her brother and her separation from her only family and the larger issues of war-torn Germany and the destruction wrought by the Nazi party. 

Liesel’s relationship with her foster father Hans helps create healing and growth reflected in the relational dynamic between the Hubermann family and Max. The Hubermanns’ association with Max defies the Nazi regime in a society governed by policies that presume to judge who is really human. Furthermore, the love that Max and Liesel develop through their friendship creates a strong contrast to the fascist hate in the story’s backdrop.

Analysis of Key Moments in Animal Farm

• When Liesel’s brother died. This event marked the start of the story, which led her to foster parents. It also started Liesel’s stealing of books when she picks up The Grave Digger’s Handbook at the site of her brother’s burial.
• Arrival on Himmel. This event sets the stage for the rest of the book as it marks Liesel coming to live with Hans and Rosa Hubermann after the loss of her family.
• Early school failure. Liesel didn’t succeed in school when she tried earlier and she became determined to learn how to read.
• Book burning day. The event of burning books on Hitler’s birthday helped Hans discover that Liesel is stealing books. 
• Arrival of Max Vandenburg on Himmel Street. This event changes the Hubermann’s lives when Max arrives on their doorstep in 1940. Hiding him put their lives in immense danger.
• Max writing The Standover Man for Liesel. This event helped to bring Max and Liesel together and they not only read words but also share them.
• Giving bread to the Jew. The event of Han giving bread to a weak Jew is significant because it leads to Max’s departure and Hans being sent away to fight in the war.
• Rudy idolizing a black man despite his perfect Aryan features. Rudy used the Jesse Owens event to exemplify the views of the main characters of the book.
• The Nazi recruiting Rudy. The Nazis noticed Rudy’s physical and mental capacities and therefore recruited him to go to school to become the perfect German. His parents refuse, and Alex Steiner is sent to war.
• Bombing of Himmel Story. This is a major event in the book where Liesel’s street is bombed and she lost most of her friends and family.
• Death of Liesel. This marked the final major event in the book when death came to her soul. 

Style, Tone, and Figurative Language

The style and language of The Book Thief is simple because it was primarily meant for young adults. He used a lot of foreshadowing to give the reader a sense of what is coming up in the story.

In the book, the narrator of the story, Death, uses foreshadowing in many different events to keep the reader focused on how the characters meet their ends. In Death’s side notes, foreshadowing is constantly scattered throughout the book in boldface text. A good example is when Death alludes to the death of Rudy, who is Liesel’s best friend. …He didn’t deserve to die the way he did.” 

The tone of The Book Thief is serious most of the time and mocking or hopeful the rest of the times. When you have death talking about humans in the time of war, the tone will be serious and somber. Death spends a lot of time mocking, or making fun of, humans. For instance, when Death talks about humans and destruction in the quote above, he is making fun of how people like to see things get destroyed.

In the book, we see so many figurative languages used in The Book Thief . These are vivid and stimulating word choices that author’s use to add color and meaning to their work. In the book we have many of the likes of simile, metaphor, contrast, hyperbole, personification, etc. Even the narrator, death, is personified. Here are examples of other figurative languages used in the book. 

She would wake up swimming in her bed, screaming, and drowning in the flood of sheets.

This quote from The Book Thief shows metaphor as the figurative language when death was describing the nightmare Liesel was having.

She did have it easy compared to Max Vandenberg. Certainly, her brother practically died in her arms. Her mother abandoned her. But anything was better than being a Jew.

Here, the figurative language is contrast as death is trying to tell the readers that any hardship is better than being a jew.

Within seconds, snow was carved into her skin.

The figurative language used is hyperbole. Sure, snow was all over her body but it was extreme exaggeration to say it carved into her skin.

Analysis of Symbols

The Book Thief uses symbols extensively because it is not just a story about a little girl. It is an important historical novel that delved into the suffering of people who lived in Germany during World War II. The story has a lot of lessons especially in mortality, kindness and love and the symbols embody all these.

Giving bread anywhere is a sign of care and comfort. Once you give bread to somebody, you have shown absolute compassion for that person. You have also comforted the person and probably solved his hunger issues. It is a symbol of empathy in the story and it was clearly demonstrated by Max when he offered bread to the weak Jew as they were marching to the gas chamber.

The accordion in the novel was inherited by Hans Hubermann from Max’s father during World War I and it became part of Han’s identity. He played regularly to those around him to give them comfort. He plays it during trying times to give comfort and care to those who hear it. Example is when Liesel realises that her mother is not coming back again and when she first came to their house.

Books were a source of comfort to Liesel and later Max. It is another major symbol in The Book Thief and it was the source of Liesel’s transformation from a weak girl to an empowered young woman. She developed a great relationship over books when she learned how to read and write and thus got the power she needed from the books. This power helped her to develop a strong character, mature emotionally and became kinder and more understanding to those around her.

What is the main theme of The Book Thief ?

The Book Thief has many themes and they include love and kindness as expressed by Liesel and her foster family; literacy and power, as seen when Liesel learns to read and explore the world of words, cruelty and suffering as experienced by the Jews in the hands of the Nazis.

What is an example of a theme?

In most literature work, we have themes that the author uses to pass his message across. Some of the common themes that run through them are love, mortality, war, peace, revenge, grace, betrayal, fatherhood, patriotism, life, isolation, cruelty, motherhood, forgiveness, treachery, wartime loss, rich versus poor, and appearance versus reality.

Is survival a theme in The Book Thief ?

There are many themes in The Book Thief like love, mortality, kindness, etc. One of the themes you will find in the book is the theme of survival. Most of the major characters in the book namely Liesel, Max, Rudy, the Hubermanns, passed through many awful ordeals but they still survived. 

How do you identify a theme?

A theme is the idea the writer wishes to convey about an event, subject, or person. It is from the theme that you learn about the author’s view of the world. To identify the theme, you have to be sure that you have first identified the plot of the story, the way the story characterization, and the primary conflict in the story.

What are the steps in analyzing a theme?

Generally, here are the ways in which you can begin to analyze the theme of any literature you read. First, you look for recurring images in the story or poem, then ask questions about the author’s message. Through your answers, you’ll be able to identify the different tools the author uses to express the theme

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About Ugo Juliet

Juliet Ugo is an experienced content writer and a literature expert with a passion for the written word with over a decade of experience. She is particularly interested in analyzing books, and her insightful interpretations of various genres have made her a well-known authority in the field.

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The Book Thief

Markus zusak.

Ask LitCharts AI: The answer to your questions

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Markus Zusak's The Book Thief . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

The Book Thief: Introduction

The book thief: plot summary, the book thief: detailed summary & analysis, the book thief: themes, the book thief: quotes, the book thief: characters, the book thief: symbols, the book thief: theme wheel, brief biography of markus zusak.

Historical Context of The Book Thief

Other books related to the book thief.

• Full Title: The Book Thief
• When Written: 2002-2005
• Where Written: Sydney, Australia and Munich, Germany
• When Published: 2005
• Literary Period: Contemporary Fiction
• Genre: Historical Fiction
• Setting: Fictional town of Molching, Germany, 1939-1943
• Climax: The fire-bombing of Molching
• Antagonist: Adolf Hitler, World War II and the Holocaust
• Point of View: First person omniscient, with Death as the narrator

Extra Credit for The Book Thief

Bread. Zusak was inspired to write The Book Thief by a story his mother told him, which involved a boy giving bread to a starving Jew who was being marched to a concentration camp. A Nazi soldier noticed and whipped both the boy and the Jew. This scene is recreated in The Book Thief with Hans Hubermann in the place of the boy.

Rudy. Zusak's favorite character from any of his books is Rudy Steiner, Liesel's best friend.

• Quizzes, saving guides, requests, plus so much more.

A Comprehensive Guide to Analysing ‘The Book Thief’: Summary, Context, Themes & Characters

Has ‘The Book Thief’ got you stealing ideas and quotes from your friends’ essays? Fret not! We have a summary of The Book Thief with its key themes, characters and more to help you with your analysis.

We’ve also included a TEE table and a sample paragraph that you can download so you have a better understanding of how to analyse an excerpt from the text.

Let’s get started on crafting an analysis of The Book Thief!

The Book Thief Summary Key Characters in The Book Thief Context Symbols in The Book Thief Themes Explored in The Book Thief Analysis of The Book Thief

Summary of The Book Thief

The Book Thief is a historical fiction written by Australian author, Markus Zusak and set during the height of WWII from 1939-1945 . Narrated by Death, the novel follows the story of nine year old Liesel Meminger.

We are introduced to our protagonist on a train when her brother suddenly dies . Liesel and her mother bury the body where Liesel steals a book from the gravediggers. 

Liesel and her mother continue travelling to Molching where she will be raised by foster parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann . Liesel had never learned how to read and when she is sent to school, she is made fun of.

Hans realises and teaches her how to read from The Grave Digger’s Handbook , the book she stole from her brother’s burial.

As Liesel grows closer to Hans and Rosa, she also begins to help Rosa collect the laundry from various neighbours — one of them being the mayor’s home. One day, the mayor’s wife, Ilsa Hermann invites Liesel into the study where she admires the bookshelves. Noticing her keen interest in the books, Ilsa allows Liesel to read there. 

Access The Book Thief Downloadable Sample Paragraph and Examples of Analysis

Liesel Growing Up

However, the Nazis become increasingly prominent in Molching with Jewish stores destroyed and the children being required to join the Band of German Girls and Hitler Youth. During this time, Liesel matures and begins to realise the horrors of Nazi Germany and the Hubermanns also hide Max Vanderburg, a Jew. 

Image sourced from Wikimedia Commons

While initially scared of Max, Liesel soon forms a close friendship with him . She tells him about her day and brings him presents.

Max, too, enjoys telling stories and frequently tells Liesel the stories he knows. For her birthday, he writes a book for Liesel which details his life , which includes her and the Hubermanns too. 

As the war continues, food rationing and money becomes scarce. Thus Rosa loses her laundry jobs, including Ilsa’s.

One night, Liesel sneaks in through a window and takes a book from Ilsa Hermann’s library, becoming a book thief. After stealing several books from them, Liesel finds a Dictionary and Thesaurus left by the window where Ilsa tells Liesel she is aware of her stealing books, and encourages her to come in through the front door. 

The Air Raids Begin

Eventually, the air raids begin and Nazi soldiers inspect the Hermann’s basement but conclude it is not deep enough for a bomb shelter. Instead, they have to take shelter at a neighbour’s house and leave Max in their basement by himself.

During one of the air raids, Liesel reads from a book and everyone gathers around her and begins to calm down. It is here that Liesel develops an appreciation and understanding for the power of words and stories. 

As the war continues, Liesel begins to see Jewish prisoners being paraded through their town on the way to the concentration camps. Max is no longer safe in the basement of their home and has to flee again. A few days later, Hans and Rudy’s father are drafted into the German army.

One day, Ilsa gives Liesel a blank notebook so she may write her own story. While she is writing in her basement, her neighbourhood is bombed and Hans, Rosa and Rudy are killed .

Liesel finds Rudy’s body and gives him the kiss he always wished for and when she is rescued, Liesel leaves behind her book called ‘The Book Thief ’. Death keeps the book.

The novel ends with Liesel living with Ilsa and the mayor and when the war ends, she meets Max again . Liesel lives to old age, and when Death comes to collect her soul, he returns the book which she wrote. 

Key Characters in The Book Thief

Death Death is the narrator of the book and we see many events through his viewpoint as well. Death is an inevitable part of life and he seems to witness many of the saddest yet heartwarming moments of humanity, but also the cruelty and ugliness in us. Rather than portraying Death as a figure to be feared and dreaded, Zusak also humanises Death portraying him as a character with empathy. 

Liesel Meminger Liesel is 9 years old when we first meet her and we follow her as she grows up in the midst of WWII. We watch her gradually mature and realise the realities of the world she is growing up within. While Liesel is unable to read when we first meet her, she has always seemed to have a desire to read and develops an appreciation and awareness of the power of words for both kindness and cruelty. 

Hans Hubermann Hans is Liesel’s foster father and was a former soldier during WWI. He is warm-hearted and plays the accordion, which Liesel associates with safety and comfort. He teaches her how to read and is a highly empathetic man, sheltering Max during the War and attempting to help one of the Jewish prisoners in a parade that passes through Molching. 

Rosa Hubermann Rosa is Liesel’s foster mother and appears to be a strict and impatient lady at first. However, she is a loving wife and mother — while not as affectionate as Hans, it is clear that she cares about Liesel through the way she nags.  

Max Vanderburg Max is a Jewish man who hides from the Nazis in the Hubermann’s basement. During his time here, he befriends Liesel, bonding over similar struggles they have both experienced but also a shared love for words and stories. Max writes a book about his life and includes Liesel and the Hubermanns in it, presenting it to her as a present. 

Ilsa Hermann Ilsa is the Mayor’s wife and one of Rosa’s laundry customers. Liesel meets her while collecting and delivering the laundry, and one day Ilsa invites her into the study which is filled with books. Noticing Liesel’s amazement, Ilsa allows her to read in the library with her and helps to cultivate her love of reading. Later on, Ilsa presents Liesel with a book for her to write her own story in. 

The Book Thief is set in Molching, a small town near Munich during Nazi Germany . The majority of the book’s events take place between 1939-1945, during WWII.

By this time, Hitler has well established the Nuremberg Laws, which removed the rights of many Jewish people . In 1939, the Nazi regime was becoming increasingly hostile and concentration camps were set up in Germany. 

During the years of the war, many German men lost their lives on the Eastern Front. For those who were allowed to stay at home, like older men, women and young children, air raids, food supply and finance were often precarious during the war.

Many fictional books written about the events of WWII are often told in the point of view of Holocaust victims, retelling the horrors that occurred in Nazi Germany. Markus Zusak chooses to explore the German perspective and their experience of this period in history to demonstrate what life was like for those who disagreed with the Nazis but found themselves having to comply in order to keep themselves and their family safe. 

Image sourced from Flickr

If your school is studying The Book Thief in relation to the context of Nazi Germany in WWII, it is important that you know the events of the war really well (don’t be afraid of flipping through your notes of history!).

As a rule of thumb, it is best to introduce the historical context within your thesis statement and ensure that each paragraph contains at least one ‘Explanation’ that clearly links back to the events of WWII or how it has impacted the lives of the character. 

Symbols in The Book Thief

Books Books represent knowledge, power, and the potency of words . Liesel’s journey begins with the stolen “The Grave Digger’s Handbook,” symbolizing her entry into the world of literature. Throughout the story, books offer solace, education, and connections. They embody the potential for both positive and negative influence, showcasing the impact of words on individuals and society. In a time of turmoil, books become tools of resistance, signifying defiance against ignorance and oppression. They provide hope and escapism, offering a sense of normalcy and humanity amidst chaos. Hans teaching Liesel to read and write secretly in their basement epitomises this resistance and the significance of knowledge in challenging authority.

Death Death serves as the narrator, offering a unique perspective that combines insight with detachment. Its presence throughout the story underscores the inevitability of mortality and the universal experience of loss during wartime. Despite its role as the harbinger of the end, Death’s observations often convey empathy, emphasising the resilience and beauty found within individuals even amid tragedy. Death symbolises transition, guiding souls from life to afterlife. Its narration allows the exploration of themes surrounding mortality, loss, and the fragility of life, providing a deeper understanding of the human condition.

Themes Explored in The Book Thief

Mortality  .

Narrated by Death and set during WWII, the theme of mortality is pertinent throughout the whole novel. All the characters in the book have encountered death closely, including Liesel herself where her younger brother dies at the beginning of the book.

Death is not a stranger and the characters are vividly aware of their own mortality, as well as the increasing number of lives that have been lost during the war. 

Power of Reading and Writing

Throughout the novel, the power of stories is evident through the recurring motifs of books and writing as symbols of personal agency and expression. Various characters throughout the book read, write or share stories with each other, allowing them to connect with each other or to control their own narratives even when all hope seems lost. 

The power of words is portrayed in a paradoxical manner throughout the book. Liesel, and many of the people around her, use words to bring comfort and build relationships with each other.

A particularly powerful moment is during one of the air raids when Liesel reads a book out loud and everyone gathers around her to listen during this terrifying moment. However, this is contrasted by Hitler who used words to incite violence during WWII.

The power of words is further reinforced during the novel through book burnings and how various characters throughout the novel encourage Liesel to read, and write her own story. 

Paradox of Humanity

The Book Thief explores the paradox of humanity, examining our inherent kindness alongside our immense capacity for cruelty. Throughout the novel, there are small acts of kindness among the residents of Molching.

From Hans patiently teaching Liesel how to read, the Hubermanns hiding Max, Liesel bringing snow into the basement so she can build a snowman with Max or Ilsa gifting her a dictionary instead of getting angry for stealing books — there are small acts of kindness that occur throughout the novel in contrast to the vast cruelty that is occurring in Nazi Germany. 

Writing about the Themes

The text contains many contrasting themes and elements for you to explore, from the power of words, mortality and the paradoxes of human nature. When writing in relation to a theme, make sure that your thesis and point sentences relate to the theme clearly, this will make it easier for you to choose your quotes and will help to guide your analysis.

You could include your personal observations for essays that are centred on a theme too, as long as you remember to back these up through the TEE format. This will give your essay a unique perspective and your English teacher will be sure to appreciate it too!

Need to know how to write a feature article for English on ‘The Book Thief’? Look no further than our amazing article!

How to Analyse The Book Thief in 3 Steps

Step 1: choose your example.

When picking an example ensure that you are able to identify a technique in the text.

For this example, I have chosen to analyse the following quote which states: 

“I guess humans like to watch a little destruction. Sand castles, houses of cards, that’s where they begin. Their skills are their capacity to escalate.”

Step 2: Identify your technique(s)

Ensure that the technique you choose for your quote supports your analysis or helps you to build your argument.

In the above quote we can find tricolon, listing and Death’s colloquial yet darkly humorous tone. Set against the context of WWII, foreshadowing may also be used depending on how you choose to analyse the quote!  

Step 3: Write the analysis

When writing the analysis, focus on the effect of the technique and how it supports your argument. 

For this quote, let’s analyse it in relation to humanity’s paradox — our great capacity for kindness and cruelty. 

Death’s ironic tone in the quote “I guess humans like to watch a little destruction. Sand castles, houses of cards, that’s where they begin. Their great skill is their capacity to escalate” highlights capacity’s paradoxical nature and our capacity for both cruelty and kindness through the use of tricolon. Furthermore, Death foreshadows the inevitable violence that will occur during WWII, demonstrating how harmless acts like destroying “sandcastles” can “escalate” into extreme cruelty if humanity does not remain vigilant about their behaviour. 

Need some help analysing other texts?

Check out other texts we’ve created guides for below:

• All the Light We Cannot See
• Lord of the Flies
• King Richard III
• In Cold Blood
• To Kill a Mockingbird
• Pride and Prejudice
• Rainbow’s End
• Jasper Jones
• Things Fall Apart
• Mrs Dalloway

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Tiffany Fong is currently completing a double degree in Media and Communications with Law at Macquarie University. She currently contributes to the university zine, Grapeshot where she enjoys writing feature articles, commentary on current affairs or whatever weird interest that has taken over her mind during that month. During her spare time, Tiffany enjoys reading, writing, taking care of her plants or cuddling with her two dogs. 

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“The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak Essay (Critical Writing)

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The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is an extraordinary story that chooses to use death as a narrator of the story. The story centers on Liesel Meminger, a foster girl who lives with her foster parents outside of Munich. The story is staged during World War II in Germany. The relationship of Death with this girl is extraordinary, and the story revolves around a trait in this girl which makes her a passionate book thief. This trait in Liesel evolves the strings of relationships in the book which connects the characters.

Liesel carves out an interest and sparks in her life by stealing books which she cannot resist. She learns to read with the help of her accordion player foster father Hans Hubermann. She also shares her treasure with children during the times of bombing when they are confined. She also develops a reciprocal relationship with Jewish man Max Vandenburg, who lives in hiding in the basement of their home. He helps her create a new book by painting and drawing on one of the old books. The exposition of the story told by death revolves around these three main characters within the story.

The conflict arises when Rosa the mother interferes in the peaceful harmony of the father Hubermann and daughter Liesel and calls them names like ‘pigs’. The bloodshed, concentration camps, and bombings divert the mind from the soulful world of the books to the harsh reality which death exposes.

The climax is reached when Liesel finds herself forced into one of Hitler’s Youth Uniforms and has the opportunity to steal the book “Main Kampf” which becomes one of the most important books in her life. The book first helps to save a young Jewish man named Max Vandenburg, who is hidden by Hubermann’s. Max develops a growing relationship with Liesel as he gradually paints the pages of the book and creates with new illustrations a new book for Liesel. This helps evolve an everlasting relationship between Liesel and Max.

The falling action is the commentary made by the death, which reveals the claustrophobic outlook in which stealing is the part of the life that sustains the chord of ongoing action in the novel. The story revolves around the Nazi regime and the actions to help defend against the holocaust.

The desired building in Max’s mind to fight is the sign of resolution which evolves in the society where fighting has been the surface issue. The Book Thief addresses the issue of fighting as the source of survival and a sign of weakness. Fighting is shown in all its complexity. The resolution is seen in the dream where Max is fighting the Fuhrer. In the end, when he manages to strike Hitler, the fists of the entire nation attack him and he cannot fight them all. The book understands that winners often lose.

The real resolution comes from the fact that Death as the narrator is soft and gentle in its narration and has a very intimate relationship in the portrayal of the heroine of the story Liesel, who is embodied as the symbol of hope amidst darkness. She grows into a good and generous person despite exposure to innumerable suffering and misery all around her. She evolves into a human being who is adored and admired even by death. The power of hope and light which is shown in the character of Liesel is unquestionable faith which you hang on to in the midst of scarcity, battle, and brutality which has been the backdrop of the story. Liesel is the shining beacon of light that can help dispel darkness from all major protagonists’ life with the soulful use of the books…which feed the souls.

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About This Volume: THE BOOK THIEF: CRITICAL INSIGHTS

2021, THE BOOK THIEF: CRITICAL INSIGHTS

Introductory "About This Volume" essay for THE BOOK THIEF: CRITICAL INSIGHTS

Related Papers

Milena Tsvetkova

Tsvetkova, Milena and Eleonora Kalvacheva. The stolen book: communication significance beyond the criminal act. – In: Proceedings of the 4th year of Human And Social Sciences at the Common Conference (HASSACC-2016). Eds. S. Brown, S. Larsen, K. Marrongelle, and M. Oehrtman. Volume 4, Issue 1. Zilina, Slovakia: EDIS – Publishing Institution of the University of Zilina, 2016, pp. 46–52. ISBN: 978-80-554-1270-2. ISSN: 2453-6075. CDROM ISSN: 1339-522X. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18638/hassacc.2016.4.1.197 Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2900690 HAL: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01687958 Abstract: The research is an attempt to be made a reassessment of the phenomenon „theft of book“ in the foreshortening of the information-communication treatments, the theory of the feedback and the reflexive model of the communication. The theft of book is rationalized as reader’s reflexion and as a specific social resonance towards it. The research thesis is, that it is accumulated a critical mass of circumstances for liberation of the attitude towards the stolen book as a communication phenomenon and for its emancipation on the field of marketing and advertising. Based on retrospective document and discourse analysis are searched proofs about the positive connotation of the phenomenon „theft of book“ in the context of the concept of the book as a medium. In order to be revealed as objectively as possible the communication energetics of the act of the theft of book, the authors set aside from the criminal aspect of the phenomenon. The present text excludes from the subject of the research interest the crime theft, and also any action, causing material damage. The empirical examination the the thesis is accomplished through the method of the anonymous inquiry survey about the attitude towards the stolen book. The consultation was done twice – in 2013 and in 2016 among commonly 283 respondents, which represent widest range of active readers. The research supports and summarizes the changes in the mass connotation of the stolen book in the foreshortening of the communicative practice „reading“ and supports the formulation of proposals about relevant tactics and approaches in the marketing and advertising of the books. Keywords: cleptomania, kleptomania, bibliokleptomania, biblioklept, stolen book, „most stolen book“ index, stealing book, theft of books, book thief, library theft, book as medium, feedback, reflexive model of communication, science of reading

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Book thieves were a familiar figure to the reading public of Australia and other English-speaking nations during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Their exploits were covered in books about books, library and medical journals, and in newspapers that reported their appearances in court, and treated them as a humorous oddity in other coverage. This article examines the historic concerns and assumptions about book thieves, as well as what these tropes reveal about prevailing discourses regarding thieves more generally. The book thief – invariably constructed in the popular imagination as a middle-class male – was a classed and gendered figure, one at odds with contemporary understandings of theft as an act committed by members of an uncultured criminal class. By scrutinizing the development of popular conceptions of the book thief as an entity clearly distinguishable from the ordinary thief, I demonstrate the centrality of literacy and literary culture to how thieves themselves were read.

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The work selected for the study, The Book Thief (2005) by Markus Zusak, belongs to the category of indirect Holocaust literature.The Book Thief is a moving story written by Markus Zusak from the German perspective of everyday civilian hardships and survival under the Third Reich. It celebrates the power of words and love in the face of unutterable suffering. This is the tale of the book thief, as narrated by death. It’s just a small story about, amongst other things: a girl, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist fighter, and quite a lot of thievery.The most important theme in “The Book Thief” is the idea that words can give people a sense of security, power and expression. The first theme is the power of words accomplished by the book thief Liesel.

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In Markus Zusak's novel "The Book Thief", the image of the book is used as a significant symbol to reveal the themes of the story. The author portrays the story of a girl named Liesel, who develops love for reading during World War II in Nazi Germany. The book is not just a physical object in the story; it also represents hope, knowledge, and freedom. It brings characters together, helps them express their feelings and thoughts more freely, and aids them in overcoming difficulties. In the novel, the symbolism of the book is explored through a biblical context to emphasize its importance in shaping the human spirit and combating repressive ideologies. The purpose of this research is to examine the image of the book as a Jewish symbol and to reveal the ideas related to the book's image as reflected in the work. The study aims to determine how the author uses the image of the book to reflect the main themes of the novel, such as the importance of storytelling and knowledge, the power of words, and to review the influence of the Jewish understanding of the book as Sacred Scripture on the depiction of the book's image in the novel.

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — The Book Thief — The Book Thief: The Power of Literature through Analysis

The Book Thief: The Power of Literature Through Analysis

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Historical context and setting, character analysis, thematic exploration, critical reception and interpretation.

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Review by JOHN GREEN

• May 14, 2006

The Australian writer Markus Zusak's brilliant and hugely ambitious new young-adult novel is startling in many ways, but the first thing many teenagers will notice is its length: 552 pages! It's one thing to write a long book about, say, a boy who happens across a dragon's egg; it's quite another to write a long, achingly sad, intricately structured book about Nazi Germany narrated by Death itself.

Readers are introduced to this Death-as-storyteller concept in a too-long invocation that begins "The Book Thief." This is no Grim Reaper — we have here a kinder, gentler Death, who feels sympathy for his victims. As Death himself puts it on Page 1: "I can be amiable. Agreeable. Affable. And that's only the A's." Maybe so, but Death is so innocuous that he's not very absorbing. Or affecting. His periodic soliloquies aren't the most effective moments of the novel, and if he took an M.F.A. class, Death would doubtless be criticized for telling instead of showing.

Fortunately, this book isn't about Death; it's about death, and so much else. Principally it is about Liesel Meminger, whose little brother dies just before Liesel's mother leaves her with foster parents in a dismal town in southern Germany (her father, a Communist, has been taken away).

Her new Papa is the implausibly saintly Hans Hubermann (that is, über-man), so good a person he even manages to love his wife, Rosa, who is one of the more memorable foster moms in young-adult fiction. She looks, Death tells us, "like a small wardrobe with a coat thrown over it. There was a distinct waddle to her walk. Almost cute, if it wasn't for her face." Rosa periodically beats Liesel with a wooden spoon, and uses exceedingly foul language. Much of it can't be quoted in a family newspaper, but suffice it to say that she routinely refers to her husband and foster daughter as "filthy pigs." Still, she cares for Liesel — and as Death eventually shows us, "She was a good woman for a crisis."

Liesel finds ways of coping with her losses. But she is disruptive in school (she volunteers answers to questions) and is predisposed to fighting with boys. More important, she becomes a thief. She commits her first theft at her brother's funeral, taking "The Grave Digger's Handbook," which had fallen on the ground. Hans teaches her to read it at night. While Liesel sometimes joins up with a gang to steal food and the like, her only thieving passion is for books. Not good books or bad books — just books. From her bedroom to the bomb shelter down the road, reading helps her commune with the living and the dead — and finally, it is the mere existence of stories that proves to be her salvation.

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The Book Thief Markus Zusak

The Book Thief essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

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The Book Thief Essays

Liesel's emotional journey through the book thief anonymous, the book thief.

“It’s just a small story really, about, among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist fighter, and quite a lot of thievery” (Zusak 5). And of course, there is Death. Set in Nazi Germany during the...

Zusak's Death Breaks the Mould Emily Giambalvo 12th Grade

In The Book Thief, Zusak expounds upon the concept of death as a passive force and not a vengeful creature. Zusak presents the character Death in a manner that is more effectively conceived than the traditional rendition of Death’s personae. This...

Guilt in The Book Thief Elizabeth Zhang 9th Grade

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is set in Nazi Germany in World War II. Narrated by Death, the novel takes as its protagonist Liesel Meminger, a girl who grows up in a foster home where Jews aren't seen as evil, in a departure from attitudes in the...

The Toil of Good and Evil: Multi-Faceted Kindness in The Book Thief Zachary Palmatier 11th Grade

Humanity is always engaged in an eternal power struggle between good and evil, and the well being of society often hangs in the balance when such forces collide. This presence of good and evil of humanity is a central theme in Markus Zusak’s The...

Stealing the Narrative: The Irony of Reading in The Book Thief Timothy Sexton College

The dominating theme of Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief is an ironic one. Here is a novel where a main character is nothing less than the symbol of mortality itself, Death, yet the story continually celebrates the life spirit that is contained...

The Responsibility of German Citizens: Rhetoric, Close Reading, and Meaning in The Book Thief Novy Kay O'Connell 9th Grade

Does following orders and laws justify allowing the mass persecution of a race? Is protecting one’s family a viable reason to tolerate the mistreatment of the Jews? During the Nuremberg trials, judges ruled simply following orders was an...

Violence in The Book Thief: Close Readings of Key Scenes Anonymous 10th Grade

In works of great literature, violent scenes often play prominent roles. However, these scenes of violence do not exist for their own sake, but instead add value and depth to the story being told. The Book Thief, written by Markus Zusak, is no...

The Pen is Truly Mightier Than the Sword Anonymous 10th Grade

Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief follows the life of the once illiterate Liesel Meminger and her progression into literacy set primarily during WWII in Molching, Germany. Liesel is adopted by a German couple in Molching, Germany after the death of...

The Implications of War: A Comparison of The Book Thief and Life is Beautiful Catherine Matters 12th Grade

Markus Zusak’s narrative The Book Thief and Roberto Benigni’s film Life is Beautiful use historical perspective to explore the impact of war. Zusak’s The Book Thief uses the narration of death to follow the life of a young girl in war torn...

Allegorical Characters: Everyman and The Book Thief Anonymous 10th Grade

If someone was asked to name their favorite book character, his or her answer would most likely be the name of either a person or an animal. While many books and stories contain wonderful human and animal characters, some pieces of literature...

The Book Thief

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1. Personification is a literary device in which non-human entities, objects, or abstract ideas are given human characteristics. In The Book Thief , the Narrator is an example of personified character.

• What entity, object, or abstract idea achieves the role of the Narrator through personification in The Book Thief , and what basic human traits are granted in the role? ( topic sentence )
• Give three examples from the text in which the Narrator’s human qualities are evident or in which the Narrator participates in human interactions.
• How does the reader gain insight into the Narrator’s journey through personification? Respond in your concluding sentence or sentences .

2. Color serves a variety of purposes throughout The Book Thief.

• Identify one color used consistently or repeatedly in the novel. ( topic sentence )

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