the book thief essay examples

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 Juliet Ugo

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 Juliet Ugo

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.

The Book Thief

Introduction of the book thief.

The Book Thief, a masterpiece of Australian literature, is written by Markus Zusak. It was published quite in 2005 in Australia and soon started breaking records of publications in the very first year. Within a few years, a record sale of 16 million copies and translation into 63 languages proved its force and author’s insight. The interesting storyline presents Death as the narrator telling about Leisel and Nazi atrocities but from the male point of view . The book became an instant hit and fetched Common Wealth Writer’s prize for the author followed by National Jewish Book Award and several other awards. Later, it was also featured as a movie in 2013 under the same name.

Summary of The Book Thief

The book starts with the narrative of Death when he sees the book thief boarding a train adding that he sees him again when he comes to a pilot of a plane likely to crash. It happens again when the bombing takes place. Death observes that the colors such as red, white, or black are surprisingly the colors of the flag of the Nazis too. Following this, the regular narrative begins. Death states that he sees Liesel with his family traveling to Munich when her brother, Werner breathes his last at which they stop the train and bury the body. It happens there that Liesel commits the act of stealing the book from one of the gravediggers, though, it does not stop the family journey and they reach Molching. Then Hans and Rosa take Liesel as their daughter, and her new journey of life starts with her new foster parents.

At the house of her foster parents, Liesel feels odd but starts adjusting to this new life. However, her brother constantly appears in her dreams that causes her discomfort. Soon, Rudy, the neighbor kid becomes her friend there who tells her that he loves Jesse Owens, an American athletic boy. He also jolts her to love him and constantly badger her to kiss him but Liesel’s response is often very cold. On the other hand, when Hans sees that as she is unable to read books, he starts teaching her reading, and she soon takes the gravedigger’s book to read. The city where they are living feels the political transformation in Germany after the Nazis take over the government. It leads to food shortage with the townspeople resorting to a book-burning ceremony to celebrate the birthday of Hitler yet Liesel does not stop from stealing another book during this melee.

Seeing no work, Liesel starts delivering laundry to Rosa. As she has many customers, the mayor’s wife, too, sends her laundry through Liesel. One day she asks her to come to her study to see her treasure. Frau, her daughter, after seeing her interest, permits her to study books. When the Jewish slaughter ensues there, Max, a local Jew, hides in the closet. Somebody provides him life-saving things and his identity card hidden in the biography of Hitler. Soon he meets Hans who has served with his father in WWI. They hide him in the basement of the house where he befriends Liesel and Rosa and they start their new venture of writing the book on the painted pages of the biography.

As the Nazi persecution becomes a new normal, Frau informs Liesel that she cannot go for laundry at which she becomes quite angry and feels chagrin over the disparity of having living resources. She soon starts her stealing spree in the library. When Christmas arrives, she prepares a snowman for Max who becomes ill and soon loses his senses. He stays sick for months which worries Hans and Rosa because of trouble of they have to go through to dispose of the corpse but eventually recovers when the Nazis arrive to inspect the house for using it as a shelter in case of a bombing but they do not suspect Max. When the allies initiate their bombing campaign against Germany, the Hubermanns’ house becomes a shelter, having a basement where Max is staying.

The war becomes intense and so does the persecution of the Jews being taken to Dachau, a concentration camp. It happens that Hans draws the ire of the German soldiers for throwing a piece of bread to an old Jew after which he receives a rude intervention from a German soldier, causing suspicion of the discovery of Max after which he flees at night . Roaming in the streets for the German soldiers to come and arrest him but nothing of that sort happens. After that, the soldiers come to take Rudy and come again to take both Alex, his father, and Hans to enlist them in the army. On the other hand, Rudy and Liesel start throwing pieces of bread toward the passing Jewish prisoners. Rosa, then, hands over the book Max has penned down to Liesel which is titled The Word Shaker, describing their friendship and how they’d be united someday .

After conscription, Hans is dispatched to the city of Essen to take part in the cleaning operation of the city after bombardment. However, one of his colleagues becomes hostile and asks him to change the seats but unfortunately, he dies in the accident, while Hans takes leave for recovery from that accident. During another air assault, Rudy and Liesel see an allied pilot dying after his parachute does not open properly. During this escapade, Death watches Liesel for the second time seeing him collect the pilot’s soul. Meanwhile, when Liesel observes the Nazis’ prisoners, she becomes surprised to see Max among them at which she informs Rudy about hiding him in their basement.

When the wife of the city mayor visits them, she meets Liesel and hands over a notebook to her for writing. She starts working on the book writing project during air raids in which Rudy, Rosa, and even Hans get killed. Liesel is buried under the rubble but escapes death. She finds Rudy under the rubble lifeless and gives him the kiss he always wanted. When she is taken to the hospital, she sees that her book “The Book Thief” is left in the rubble, which is rescued later by Death. Once, she recovers after the accident she was taken under the wing of the Mayor couple. When the concentration comes to the end, Max returns to live in Molching and meets Liesel. They both hug each other and cry. Finally, she reaches Australia to have a family where she dies and shows that book which she had written many years ago to Death, who has come to take her soul.

Major Themes in The Book Thief

• Power of Words: The Book Thief shows the power of words through Death, Liesel, and Max. When Death narrates the story , he comes across Liesel leaving her book in the rubble when she is retrieved by the rescuers. Liesel learns the power of language quite early, especially of using words. Thus she starts to steal books and tries to learn reading and writing. The expression of words in books, however, points out later in the novel that they could be as evil as they could be helpful. The reference to Hitler’s autobiography and The Book Thief written by Liesel points out the same thing that words have power and Mark Zusak, with several other Jewish, authors has proved that words can change minds.
• Sense of Guilt: The novel shows the sense of guilt through the petty crimes of stealing books such as committed by Liesel to the reprehensible crime of killing human beings such as bombardment and concentration camps. The contrast of this minor crime to that of the horrible crime of killing the Jews makes this theme of guilt and its consciousness prominent. When Liesel sees her brother’s death, she feels this sense and Max feels it when he endangers the Hubermann family. Michael also feels this consciousness but he atones for it by taking his own life.
• Metaphysical Dilemmas : The Book Thief presents a host of metaphysical dilemmas to its readers that it does not explain or answer. These questions arise from issues such as human generosity, love, kindness , and barbarism committed side by side. The Hubermanns provide shelter to Max but also faces the consequences. Death also feels chagrin at such metaphysical issues that he fails to understand their real purpose. The death of Hans, of Holtzapfel brothers, and Rudy shows that Death is to take their souls willy-nilly . These metaphysical questions stay unanswered until the end of the novel.
• Propaganda : The theme of propaganda in the novel is obvious through the character of Liesel who comes to know about the significance of language and starts learning it when she finds gravedigger’s book and comes to know the Nazis are doing the same thing through vicious propaganda. When Max narrates “The Word Shaker,” he is unconsciously doing the same thing. Therefore, Leisel engages in reading and writing to narrate her story later when she dies. It means that the novel shows positive and negative propaganda and its impacts on the readers.
• Humanity: The theme of humanity is significant in the novel in that it demonstrates that despite the raging barbarism of the Nazis launched through the Jewish genocide humanity shows itself through the Hubermanns as they provide shelter to Max and bring up Liesel. When Liesel finds refuge, she comes to know about the love and kindness demonstrated by her foster parents.
• Cowardice: The novel shows the theme of cowardice in many ways such as Hans alleges that his father is a coward who does not oppose Hitler, while he has already fought in WWI. However, conversely, it seems courage to defy Hitler when it was considered a direct invitation to death.
• Death: The novel shows the theme of death in two ways; first through the character of Death and second through the prevalent death scenario where human life has lost its worth. First Death is personified to show that it/he is taking the souls of human beings, while the Nazis are providing wholesale opportunities to Death. The Hubermann family proves that though Death is ruling the roost, the people have themselves left to meet their deaths in the war.
• Friendship: The theme of friendship is significant in the novel in that the inhumanity and wholesale death have brought people closer to each other. The Hubermanns extend refuge to Liesel as well as Max when they are facing threats to their own lives. Rudy and Liesel, too, befriends because of the prevalent death march.
• War: The Book Theif is originally about WWII when the Nazis were butchering, burning, and killing every other Jew they find in their way. War mocks Death that he has no time to collect the souls of so many people. Also, it mocks the Death by gloating that people do not care as Max and his neighbors, including the Nazis, have joined the war as if it is a sport.

Major Characters in The Book Thief

• Death: Death is a primary character and cynical narrator, holding metaphysical characteristics in the book. Its main task involves taking away the souls of the dead . Death states it clearly that he has done it millions of times without any qualm but human beings’ penchant for war has tired him. As this has proved a horrible task for him, he diverts his attention by looking at colors. When Liesel goes through the grueling life events, Death comments on them as if he is a masculine figure, narrating them in the first person. The appearance of Death in the novel as a character is a mockery of the human tenacity for initiating the war machine.
• Liesel Meminger: Besides death, Liesel Meminger is the central character of the novel. Hence, she is also the protagonist of the story. She is a young Jewish girl, who becomes the victim of the Nazi’s cruelty, losing her entire family as well as her benefactors. Her generosity and empathy toward the innocents show her grueling past, though, she even mistrusts her benefactors at first, the Hubbermanns. So, she stays discreet during her initial phase of stay with them. However, when she receives unusual kindness, she becomes quite expressive and feels sympathy toward Rudy and Max. She takes care of her classmates due to the Nazi death rule but later she pens down everything in the book that she hands over to Death before her own death.
• Max Vandenburg: Max appears later in the novel when he feels remorse at leaving his family to become the victims of Nazism. When he takes shelter with the Hubermanns, he is regretful for his selfishness and this mental conflict makes his life miserable when living in the Hubermanns’ basement as a refugee. He is, later, sent to Dachau to work in the labor camps.
• Hans Hubermann: Head of the Hubermanns, he becomes the foster father of Liesel and takes her in his house when she needs him the most. Being a generous fellow, he extends his paternal love to her and takes care of her. However, his emphasis on her education makes him stand on high moral grounds as he challenges Hitler, a defiant act that finally takes his life.
• Rudy Steiner: Rudy Steiner takes care of Liesel when her life is at stake. He fumes at Viktor for taunting Liesel and dives into the river to bring her book back to her. His moralist attitude raises her spirits but later he loses heart and becomes disillusioned.
• Rosa Hubermann: Rosa stays stable and mentally balanced where the situation is ripe to make people insane. She earns a little money yet she does not refuse Liesel to take her under her wings. She, though, commits profanity due to loss of control during hours of anger later.
• Isla Hermann: Ilsa Hermann is a minor character and the mayor’s wife who extends refuge to the main character, Liesel. She proves a genuine benefactor as she provides her books and causes an interest in her to study and write.
• Werner Meminger: Liesel’s young brother, Werner sets the tone of the novel through his death when he breathes his last in the beginning, causing nightmares to Liesel. He helps Liesel to express empathy towards others.
• Paula Meminger: As a mother of Liesel, Paula becomes a significant character because she hands her over to the Hubermanns. As a Jewish lady, she meets her fate in some concentration camp.

Writing Style of The Book Thief

Written in an entirely unusual style , The Book Thief starts with Death as its first-person narrator but sometimes he turns to be an omniscient narrator. This use of Death as a narrator is highly unusual in the fictional world. Despite this, the narrator or Death does not have any impact on the plot , or the setting of the novel. This writing style has given Zusak some room to view his characters from multidimensional angles. Therefore, when Death is the narrator of the events, there are chunks of information with quotable sentences that are highly seductive in their tone and meanings. However, when the narrator shifts, the language, tone, and mood , too, shift with it.

Analysis of Literary Devices in The Book Thief  

• Action: The main action of the novel comprises Liesel’s life when she is left alone and the Hubermanns provide her love and care. The rising action occurs when her brother breathes his last on the way in the beginning and the falling action occurs when she reaches Australia and starts leading a successful life.
• Anaphora : The Book Thief shows the use of anaphora as given in the below example, Please, be calm, despite that previous threat. I am all bluster I am not violent. I am not malicious. I am a result. (Beside the Railway Line) The sentence shows the repetitious use of “I am.”
• Antagonist : Similar to most novels set during the Second World War both fact or fiction , The Book Thief also shows Hitler as the main antagonist causing troubles for Liesel, Rudy, and Max through the antisemitism and Nazi party.
• Allusion : There are various examples of allusions in the novel; a few examples are given below, i. Rudy Steinerthe boy next door who was obsessed with the black American athlete Jesse Owens. (The Kiss) ii. On the whole, it was a street filled with relatively poor people, despite the apparent rise of Germany’s economy under Hitler. Poor sides of town still existed. (The Kiss) iii. The other was still holding Mein Kampf. The first example alludes to Jesse Oven, an American runner, the second to Germany and Hitler, and the third to Hitler’s autobiography.
• Conflict : The are two types of conflicts in the novel, The Book Thief. The first one is the external conflict that is going on between the Jews and the Nazis. Another conflict is in the mind of Liesel about her consciousness as a Jewish girl and her behavior with the Hubermanns.
• Characters: The Book Thief presents both static as well as dynamic characters. The young girl, Liesel, is a dynamic character as she goes through a transformation during her growth. However, the rest of the characters do not see any change in their behavior, as they are static characters such as Rudy, Max, and her father and mother.
• Climax : The climax takes place when Himmel Street faces the worst bombardment.
• Foreshadowing : The novel shows the following examples of foreshadowing , i. First the colors. Then the humans. That’s usually how I see things. Or at least, how I try. (Death and Chocolate) ii. The question is, what color will everything be at that moment when I come for you? What will the sky be saying? (Here is a Small Fact) iii. If the summer of 1941 was walling up around the likes of Rudy and Liesel, it was writing and painting itself into the life of Max Vandenburg. (Sketches) These quotes from The Book Thief foreshadow the coming events.
• Hyperbole : Hyperbole or exaggeration occurs in the novel at various places. A few examples are given below, i. Within a second, snow was carved into her skin. (An Observation) ii. Curtains of rain were drawn around the car. (A Translation). Both of these examples exaggerate things as snow cannot carve into the skin, nor the rain can become curtains.
• Imagery : Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. For example, i. The second eye jumped awake and she caught me out, no doubt about it. It was exactly when I knelt down and extracted his soul, holding it limply in my swollen arms. (How It Happened) ii. It was a place nobody wanted to stay and look at, but almost everyone did. Shaped like a long, broken arm, the road contained several houses with lacerated windows and bruised walls. The Star of David was painted on their doors. Those houses were almost like lepers. At the very least, they were infected sores on the injured German terrain. (The Last Stop) The book was released gloriously from his hand. It opened and flapped, the pages rattling as it covered ground in the air. More abruptly than expected, it stopped and appeared to be sucked toward the water. It clapped when it hit the surface and began to float downstream. (The Floating Book Part-II). These three examples from the novel show the images of sound, color, and sight.
• Metaphor : The Book Thief shows good use of various metaphors ; a few examples are given below, i. When he turned the light on in the small, callous washroom that night, Liesel observed the strangeness of her foster fathers eyes. They were made of kindness, and silver. Like soft silver, melting. Liesel, upon seeing those eyes, understood that Hans Hubermann was worth a lot. (Some Facts About Hans Hubermann) ii. For me, the sky was the color of Jews. (Birthday Diary) iii. A hand was shoved gently at Liesels shoulder as she slept. (The Sound of Sirens). iv. They originally thought the words had come from behind the door sheets and paint cans. (Duden Dictionary Meaning #3) These examples show that several things have been compared directly in the novel such as the first example shows eyes compared to something that is silver, the second shows the Jews like stars, the third shows the hand as an individual, and the fourth shows words like water.
• Mood : The novel shows various moods in the beginning but it turns out mostly somber and tragic.
• Motif : Most important motifs of the novel are reading, books, darkness , light and rain.
• Narrator : The novel is narrated by Death, in the first-person point of view as well as the third person, and other characters.
• Personification : The novel shows examples of personifications as given in the below examples, i. She attempted to explain. I when . . . It was sitting in the snow, and The soft-spoken words fell off the side of the bed, emptying to the floor like powder. (A 2 A. M. Conversation) ii. That was when the word struck her face like a slap. A reflex grin. SAUMENSCH! she shouted, and Papa roared with laughter, then quieted. (A 2 A. M. Conversation) iii. In the times ahead, that story would arrive at 33 Himmel Street in the early hours of morning, wearing ruffled shoulders and a shivering jacket. It would carry a suitcase, a book, and two questions. A story. Story after story. Story within Story (Papas Face). These examples show as if the words and the stories have a life of their own.
• Protagonist : Liesel is the protagonist of the novel. The novel starts with her entry into the world and moves forward as she enters her youth and becomes a lady.
• Rhetorical Questions : The novel shows a good use of rhetorical questions at several places. For example, i. She plonked her folder on the table in front of her and inspected Rudy with sighing disapproval. It was almost melancholic. Why, she lamented, did she have to put up with Rudy Steiner? He simply couldnt keep his mouth shut. Why, God, why?  (A Definition) ii. Exactly what kind of people Hans and Rosa Hubermann were was not the easiest problem to solve. Kind people? Ridiculously ignorant people? People of questionable sanity? (Liesels Lecture) iii. He explained World War I and Erik Vandenburg, and then the visit to the fallen soldiers wife. The boy who came into the room that day is the man upstairs. Verstehst? Understand? (Leisels Lecture) These examples show the use of rhetorical questions posed but different characters not to elicit answers but to stress upon the underlined idea.
• Setting : The setting of the novel is the fictional town of Molching with the realistic background.
• Simile : The novel shows good use of various similes as given in the below examples, i. This time, his voice was like a fist, freshly banged on the table.  (The Way Home) ii. They fought like champions. (A Short History of the Jewish Fist Fighter) iii. When Max heard the news, his body felt like it was being screwed up into a ball, like a page littered with mistakes. Like garbage. (A Short History of the Jewish Fist Fighter) These are similes as the use of the word “like” shows the comparison between different things.

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The Book Thief 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 - Essay Examples And Topic Ideas For Free

The Book Thief is a novel by Markus Zusak that explores themes of death, the human capacity for good and evil, and the power of words and stories in Nazi Germany. Essays could analyze the novel’s symbolism, character development, historical context, or its exploration of moral and ethical dilemmas. A substantial compilation of free essay instances related to The Book Thief you can find in Papersowl database. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

The Book Thief: Liesel Meminger

In Markus Zusak's, The Book Thief, Liesel Meminger is a victim of tragedy and hardship of her loved ones. Raised in an environment of war, hatred, and death during World War II, Liesel is forced to find the courage to hope for a better world. Liesel finds this hope in the books that she reads and steals in her own acts of defiance against Hitler and the Nazis. Markus Zusak uses imagery, symbolism and foreshadowing in ""Book of Fire,"" to […]

The Book Thief: Even Death has a Heart

Even death has a heart", this quote was taken from a book called "The book thief" by Markus Zusak. The meaning of the quote is that death is not as we all imagine, evil, malicious, violent and dreadful, but actually death is only just a result and a consequence . Death is what's going to happen to all of us, after all the bad stuffs and events that has already happened in our lives, it is when our soul is […]

The Nature of Crime during World War II

What if crime during wartime is viewed the same as crime in normal times? In Nazi Germany, crime during wartime is seen through a different lens in comparison to crime not during wartime. In The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, Hitler is ruling the Germans with propaganda during World War II, around 1939-1945. During wartime, the nature of crime is atypical because of the circumstantial times that are brought upon them. Liesel and Rudy are only stealing when it is […]

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Guilt in the Book Thief

Guilt is something that everyone has felt before. It can make them feel unworthy ashamed, or embarrassed. It causes people to act differently towards others, in a positive or negative way. Max Vadenburg, Liesel Meminger, and Hans Hubermann are just some of the characters who experience guilt in The Book Thief. Some reasons for their guilt were caused by thievery, lying, and loss. Max Vandenburg is the ""Jewish fist fighter"" that ends up living in the Hubermanns basement. Max feels […]

The Book Thief Themes and Sacrifice

Gandhi once said, "A man who was completely innocent, offered himself as a sacrifice for the good of others, including his enemies, and became the ransom of the world. It was a perfect act." This quote explains how sacrificing yourself for the good of others and showing kindness towards your enemy is an incredible act of good, because people are bringing hope to the world in a time of crisis. In the novel The Book Thief, a young foster girl […]

The Book Thief: the Story of Liesel

The Book Thief, is the story of Liesel, a young girl from Germany, who (along with her brother) is given up to live with Hans and Rosa Hubermann in the tiny, rural town of Molching. On their journey to dwell with the Hubermanns, Liesel's brother, Werner, dies. After this tragic event she is mortified, and experiences consistent nightmares. However, Hans Hubermann alleviates some of her discomfort by teaching her how to read. Hans begins teaching her to ready by using […]

The Book Thief: Hans and Rosa Hubermann

Liesel's mom is taking Liesel and her younger sibling Werner via prepare to live with non-permanent parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann. The Hubermanns live on Himmel Street in the town of Molching, Germany. Tragically, Werner bites the dust on the train.Before Liesel touches base in Molching, she goes to her sibling's internment in a blanketed burial ground. She takes The Grave Digger's Handbook from the graveyard after it tumbles from a youthful undertaker's jacket. Be that as it may, Liesel […]

The Metamorphic Influence of Language in ‘The Book Thief’

In the novel the book thief the author wants to create an image in your mind about what is happening in the book. He gives a great deal of detail. Throughout the book the author wants the reader to see that words are not just an idea or story, but a power to control a person's mind or action. Liesel Meminger, shows that literature can mean much more than a bunch of words on paper, but the power to help […]

The Narrative Genius of “The Book Thief”

Within the domain of modern literature, Markus Zusak's "The Book Thief" distinguishes itself for its inventive narrative style and composition. Narrated by Death, this tome transcends conventional storytelling boundaries, proffering a distinctive outlook on the human condition amidst the backdrop of World War II. Through the utilization of interludes, illustrations, and excerpts from books ensconced within the narrative, Zusak weaves a tale that is both eerie and profound, significantly augmenting the novel's themes and ambiance. The selection of Death as […]

“The Book Thief”: a Tale of Words and Survival

Markus Zusak's literary work, "The Book Thief," delves profoundly into the depths of Nazi Germany, portrayed through the innocent eyes of Liesel Meminger, a young protagonist. This unique narrative, curiously articulated by Death, offers a distinctive vantage point on the spectrum of human behavior, oscillating between compassion and cruelty amidst the dire circumstances of war. The purpose of this discourse is to encapsulate the essence and pivotal themes of the novel while contemplating its profound resonance among its readership. Liesel's […]

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The Book Thief Essay Examples

"the book thief": analysis of liesel's emotional journey.

Markus Zusak's novel "The Book Thief" is a poignant exploration of the life of Liesel Meminger, a young girl living in Nazi Germany during World War II. As the story unfolds, readers witness Liesel's emotional journey, which is marked by loss, love, friendship, and the...

The Role of Suffering in the Book Thief by Mark Zusak

Do you think suffering is important in a story? Suffering is a very important theme in the novel The Book Thief, by Mark Zusak. This novel is about a girl and her close ones who went through a lot of suffering or hardships. Hunger, cold,...

The Treatment of Jews in Nazi Concentration Camps: "The Book Thief"

During the Holocaust, Nazis incorporated concentration camps. German Jews were treated horrendously. The Nazis were Germans, and they treated their own people wrongly. The process of transporting the German Jews to the concentration camps was gruesome. The Wiener Holocaust Library described the process of concentration...

The Theme of Suffering in the Book Thief by Markus Zusak

In literature, themes are depicted as universal, main ideas or messages that are gathered from the audience’s eyes. In Markus Zusak’s novel, The Book Thief, various themes are used to depict the cruelty and unjustness of Hitler, whose government control and moral values pose negative...

The Theme of Political Hatred in Markus Zusak’s the Book Thief

“Racism is one of the worst forms of torture because it's directed at something you never asked for and something you can't change.” - Paolo Nutini. This describes the feelings of Jews and gypsies during World War II. Markus Zusak’s novel, The Book Thief, he...

The Courageous Acts of Hans Huberman in the Book Thief by Markus Zusak

In “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak, many characters are put in a variety of predicaments where the character has to make tough moral decisions and make courageous actions. Hans Huberman is the most honorable man in the whole book. He is a silver-eyed painter...

Comparsion of Parenting Approaches of Vladek in Maus and Hans in the Book Thief

Throughout Maus and The Book Thief, both Vladek and Hans display different ways of affection and in the way that they engage with their children, however, they both have one thing in common which are their good intentions. Despite going through similar times, Vladek seems...

The Theme of Death in Markus Zusak’s the Book Thief

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak says a great deal about humanity and its effects on Death. The book shows how humans are capable of so much atrocity. The things we do to one another can be maniacal. At the same time, there are people...

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