the book thief literary analysis essay

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.

Related posts:

• There is No Frigate like a Book
• How to Write A Book Report
• Paradise Lost Book 1

Post navigation

The Book Thief

Markus zusak, everything you need for every book you read..

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

Markus Zusak

• Literature Notes
• Prologue: A Mountain Range of Rubble
• Book Summary
• Character List and Analysis
• Liesel Meminger
• Hans Hubermann
• Rosa Hubermann
• Rudy Steiner
• Max Vandenburg
• Ilsa Hermann
• Minor Characters
• Summary and Analysis
• Part 1: The Grave Digger's Handbook: Arrival on Himmel Street
• Part 1: The Grave Digger's Handbook: Growing Up a Saumensch
• Part 1: The Grave Digger's Handbook: The Woman with the Iron Fist
• Part 1: The Grave Digger's Handbook: The Kiss (A Childhood Decision Maker)
• Part 1: The Grave Digger's Handbook: The Jesse Owens Incident
• Part 1: The Grave Digger's Handbook: The Other Side of Sandpaper
• Part 1: The Grave Digger's Handbook: The Smell of Friendship
• Part 1: The Grave Digger's Handbook: The Heavyweight Champion of the School-Yard
• Part 2: The Shoulder Shrug: A Girl Made of Darkness
• Part 2: The Shoulder Shrug: The Joy of Cigarettes
• Part 2: The Shoulder Shrug: The Town Walker
• Part 2: The Shoulder Shrug: Dead Letters
• Part 2: The Shoulder Shrug: Hitler's Birthday, 1940
• Part 2: The Shoulder Shrug: 100 Percent Pure German Sweat
• Part 2: The Shoulder Shrug: The Gates of Thievery
• Part 2: The Shoulder Shrug: Book of Fire
• Part 3: Mein Kampf: The Way Home
• Part 3: Mein Kampf: The Mayor's Library
• Part 3: Mein Kampf: Enter the Struggler
• Part 3: Mein Kampf: The Attributes of Summer
• Part 3: Mein Kampf: The Aryan Shopkeeper
• Part 3: Mein Kampf: The Struggler, Continued
• Part 3: Mein Kampf: Tricksters
• Part 3: Mein Kampf: The Struggler, Concluded
• Part 4: The Standover Man: The Accordionist (The Secret Life of Hans Hubermann)
• Part 4: The Standover Man: A Good Girl
• Part 4: The Standover Man: A Short History of the Jewish Fist Fighter
• Part 4: The Standover Man: The Wrath of Rosa
• Part 4: The Standover Man: Liesel's Lecture
• Part 4: The Standover Man: The Sleeper
• Part 4: The Standover Man: The Swapping of Nightmares
• Part 4: The Standover Man: Pages from the Basement
• Part 5: The Whistler: The Floating Book (Part I)
• Part 5: The Whistler: The Gamblers (A Seven-Sided Die)
• Part 5: The Whistler: Rudy's Youth
• Part 5: The Whistler: The Losers
• Part 5: The Whistler: Sketches
• Part 5: The Whistler: The Whistler and the Shoes
• Part 5: The Whistler: Three Acts of Stupidity by Rudy Steiner
• Part 5: The Whistler: The Floating Book (Part II)
• Part 6: The Dream Carrier: Death's Diary: 1942
• Part 6: The Dream Carrier: The Snowman
• Part 6: The Dream Carrier: Thirteen Presents
• Part 6: The Dream Carrier: Fresh Air, an Old Nightmare, and What to Do with a Jewish Corpse
• Part 6: The Dream Carrier: Death's Diary: Cologne
• Part 6: The Dream Carrier: The Visitor
• Part 6: The Dream Carrier: The Schmunzeler
• Part 6: The Dream Carrier: Death's Diary: The Parisians
• Part 7: The Complete Duden Dictionary and Thesaurus: Champagne and Accordions
• Part 7: The Complete Duden Dictionary and Thesaurus: The Trilogy
• Part 7: The Complete Duden Dictionary and Thesaurus: The Sound of Sirens
• Part 7: The Complete Duden Dictionary and Thesaurus: The Sky Stealer
• Part 7: The Complete Duden Dictionary and Thesaurus: Frau Holtzapfel's Offer
• Part 7: The Complete Duden Dictionary and Thesaurus: The Long Walk to Dachau
• Part 7: The Complete Duden Dictionary and Thesaurus: Peace
• Part 7: The Complete Duden Dictionary and Thesaurus: The Idiot and the Coat Men
• Part 8: The Word Shaker: Dominoes and Darkness
• Part 8: The Word Shaker: The Thought of Rudy Naked
• Part 8: The Word Shaker: Punishment
• Part 8: The Word Shaker: The Promise Keeper's Wife
• Part 8: The Word Shaker: The Collector
• Part 8: The Word Shaker: The Bread Eaters
• Part 8: The Word Shaker: The Hidden Sketchbook
• Part 8: The Word Shaker: The Anarchist's Suit Collection
• Part 9: The Last Human Stranger: The Next Temptation
• Part 9: The Last Human Stranger: The Cardplayer
• Part 9: The Last Human Stranger: The Snows of Stalingrad
• Part 9: The Last Human Stranger: The Ageless Brother
• Part 9: The Last Human Stranger: The Accident
• Part 9: The Last Human Stranger: The Bitter Taste of Questions
• Part 9: The Last Human Stranger: One Toolbox, One Bleeder, One Bear
• Part 9: The Last Human Stranger: Homecoming
• Part 10: The Book Thief: The End of the World (Part I)
• Part 10: The Book Thief: The Ninety-Eighth Day
• Part 10: The Book Thief: The War Maker
• Part 10: The Book Thief: Way of the Words
• Part 10: The Book Thief: Confessions
• Part 10: The Book Thief: Ilsa Hermann's Little Black Book
• Part 10: The Book Thief: The Rib-Cage Planes
• Part 10: The Book Thief: The End of the World (Part II)
• Epilogue: The Last Color: Death and Liesel
• Epilogue: The Last Color: Wood in the Afternoon
• Epilogue: The Last Color: Max
• Epilogue: The Last Color: The Handover Man
• Character Map
• Cite this Literature Note

Summary and Analysis Prologue: A Mountain Range of Rubble

The narrator, Death, introduces himself in four sections, the first of which is "Death and Chocolate." In this section, Death discusses the importance of colors and how he sees colors before he sees humans. He describes their murkiness and how they run into each other, one after another. He also establishes the main events of the story that he's preparing to tell.

The next section is "Beside the Railway Line," which opens with white as the focal color, an emphasis on the snowy setting. Beside the railway tracks are a mother, a daughter, and a corpse. Two train guards discuss what should be done with the three; they need to get them back on somehow but aren't sure how. While the guards debate, Death admits that he now knows he made a mistake in lingering because he became so curious about the girl, the book thief. That was the first time he saw her.

He describes the second time he sees her in the next section, "The Eclipse." A pilot crashes and Death comes to take his soul from the cockpit. The focal color is black. While Death waits for the pilot to die, a boy comes to the plane and pulls a teddy bear from a toolbox and places it on the pilot's chest. With the boy is the book thief, a few years older, but Death knows it's her.

In "The Flag," the focal color is red. During the bombing of a German town, he sees the girl kneeling in the street amid the devastation, holding a book to her chest. He follows her, and she drops the book. It gets thrown into a garbage truck, and Death takes it. He remembers the book thief in colors, primarily in red, white, and black. He says that he carries certain stories with him, stories that convince him of the worth of human existence. The book thief's story is one of those, and it's one he wants to share.

In the Prologue, Death establishes the main events of the story. He identifies the book thief and the moments during which he sees her throughout the course of her life. Death provides glimpses of the story's future but doesn't narrate in detail, something he will do as the novel progresses.

Each of these events coincides with a particular color that reflects the mood of the moment. Throughout the novel, Death's preoccupation with and study of colors remains a consistent theme. He comments frequently on his inability to understand humans, how they can be so kind and yet still cause so much destruction and suffering; like colors, humans are ever-changing and can also be murky in their behavior. Along with the mood of the humans, the colors often complement the weather, as well as the tone of the events happening during particular chapters. For example, Death emphasizes the color white during the snowy scene in "Beside the Railway Line" when Liesel's brother dies, linking the color back to the weather, thus contributing to the overall setting. Also, Death focuses on the color black, a color of mourning and sadness, during the death of the pilot in "The Eclipse," contributing to the scene's stylistic tone. This pattern of having colors, moods, weather, and tone complement each other continues throughout the novel.

Previous Minor Characters

Next Arrival on Himmel Street

The Book Thief

By markus zusak, the book thief essay questions.

Consider Zusak's use of foreshadowing. By revealing how characters die early on, or the outcomes to certain events, does Zusak make the novel less suspenseful or more?

A proper response should cite specific examples of foreshadowing and make some explanation of why the technique is used. This could be Death's rationale: "It's the machinations that wheel us there that aggravate, perplex, interest, and astound me" (243). An essay arguing that the novel is more suspenseful because of foreshadowing should involve Death's selective and incomplete revelation of facts and should compare instances of foreshadowing with the actual descriptions of the events being foreshadowed.

Why do Max and Liesel become friends? What do they have in common?

Initially Max and Liesel are apprehensive around each other, but they discover that they have something important in common: both have recurring nightmares involving the last time they saw their families alive. Both are political refugees evading Nazi persecution: Max is a Jew, Liesel's parents were Communists. Their similar backgrounds make Max's initial gift of The Standover Man important, as Max ultimately helps Liesel realize the power of words to delight and to harm others.

Hans manages to survive two World Wars, seemingly by luck. Is Hans merely a fortunate man, or does he have other qualities that help him survive?

The argument that Hans is indeed lucky should be bolstered by references to other instances of luck or fate saving characters' lives: that the Nazis fail to find Max when inspecting the Hubermanns' basement, that Hans does not formally withdraw his application to join the Nazi Party and is thus spared from being sent to a concentration camp. One quality that helps Hans is his amiability. His friend Erik Vandenberg saves him in World War I, while his willingness to give up his seat to an antagonistic young soldier saves him again in World War II.

Evaluate the pros and cons of Hans giving bread to an elderly Jew condemned to a concentration camp. Were the consequences worth the benefits?

Hans' action results in him and the frail, moribund Jew being whipped. Max is forced to leave because Hans' basement is no longer safe for him, and Hans is ultimately conscripted into a physically dangerous position in the military. Yet Hans' public compassion towards the Jew gives the man the feeling of humanity in a nation that has dehumanized him. Hans also sets an example for other German citizens in the crowd, some of whom help him after he is attacked.

Why does Rudy seem to love Liesel immediately after they meet, and why does Liesel not recognize that she loves him until years after?

Rudy is introduced as "one of those audacious little bastards who actually fancied himself with the ladies," and he is an impetuous character. He has a strong sense of justice and compassion, and early on he decides to take care of Liesel, an anxious new girl. Liesel is initially annoyed by Rudy's requests for a kiss, but her feelings towards him begin to change after Rudy gallantly retrieves Liesel's book from the icy cold river. Liesel's fixation on Rudy's physical exam is a rare moment of eroticization in the novel, one which might coincide with Liesel reaching puberty. Two important scenes where Liesel becomes nervous and desirous of Rudy: when Liesel gives Rudy a navy blue suit from his father's store, and when Liesel tells Rudy about Max.

When Liesel reads aloud to the others in the bomb shelter for the first time, a voice inside her says, "This is your accordion." What does that mean?

Hans' puts his soul into his accordion playing, and the music he produces is joyful. Through reading, Liesel is also able to bring comfort to others. More importantly, Liesel learns towards the end of the novel the capacity for words to cause both pain and happiness. This scene is part of Liesel's realization that she, like Max, can soothe others through words of friendship.

The mayor's wife Ilsa Hermann strives to help and encourage Liesel throughout the novel, even after Liesel verbally abuses her. Why does Ilsa seem to take such a liking to Liesel?

Although Ilsa may not actually realize it at first, both she and Liesel have experienced great losses in their lives: i.e., Ilsa's son, and Liesel's brother. Ilsa is an educated woman with her own library, and she might see a part of herself in Liesel's precocity and love of reading. Ilsa has been tormented by her son's death for over two decades, and she urges Liesel at the end of the novel not to let sorrow consume her life.

Compare and contrast the two stories Max writes for Liesel, "The Standover Man" and "The Word Shaker." Why does Max only want Liesel to have the latter "when she's ready?"

Both stories reference Max's persecution and his friendship with Liesel. "The Standover Man" is a more heavily illustrated story that Max gives to Liesel as Liesel is still just starting to read. The story is an early affirmation of their friendship. By contrast, "The Word Shaker" contains more text, and the political message is more serious and explicit. Max thinks Liesel might be too old for the allegory, but nevertheless does not want to frighten her with his caustic depiction of Hitler hypnotizing her entire country.

What is the significance of Hitler's book Mein Kampf within the novel? How do different characters use it?

Liesel realizes that Mein Kampf and Hitler's propaganda are the source of her misery: the reason for her parents' deaths, the reason for the war, and the reason Max is sent to a concentration camp. Max has a more ironic view, dryly telling Liesel that it "saved his life," as Hans used the book to help Max reach Molching. Max later whitewashes the pages of the book and uses them to write stories for Liesel.

Why does Death tell Liesel that it is "haunted" by humans?

Death has witnessed humans commit both acts of great cruelty and acts of great compassion. Death is unable to judge humanity because it cannot understand how humans are capable of both. Death considers the fate of survivors to be more tragic than the fate of the dead, perhaps because of Death's obvious familiarity with dying and blase attitude towards it. It can be argued that Death itself represents just one extreme between life and death, and is thus unable to comprehend the human condition of the living.

The Book Thief Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Book Thief is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

What Death mean when he says “one wild card was yet to be played.” And what is the wild card???

Death means that If anyone finds out a Jew is at Liesel's house, her parents could get taken away.Wild Card in this context means: a person or thing whose influence is unpredictable or whose qualities are uncertain.

What idea does Hans have after he discovers Liesel’a new book? Why do you think he does this?

When Hans discovers that Liesel doesn't know how to read, he begins teaching her the alphabet, and together they make their way through the book Liesel stole from the gravedigger.

What is Leisel's age?

In the beginning of the story Liesel is nine-year-old. By the time the story concludes, she is an old woman.

Study Guide for The Book Thief

The Book Thief study guide contains a biography of Markus Zusak, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About The Book Thief
• The Book Thief Summary
• Character List

Essays for The Book Thief

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.

• Liesel's Emotional Journey Through the Book Thief
• Zusak's Death Breaks the Mould
• Guilt in The Book Thief
• The Toil of Good and Evil: Multi-Faceted Kindness in The Book Thief
• Stealing the Narrative: The Irony of Reading in The Book Thief

Lesson Plan for The Book Thief

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to The Book Thief
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• The Book Thief Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for The Book Thief

• Introduction
• Recognition

Historical Context

The book thief, by markus zusak.

Markus Zusak's 'The Book Thief' was written following the events that happened in Germany from 1939 - 1942 during the second world war.

About the Book

Article written by Juliet Ugo

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

It was written to show the horrors of war, the ill treatment of the Jews by the Nazi army and even touched on the holocaust, one of the most gruesome events in human history.

The Book Thief is set in Germany during World War II and the time of the Holocaust, where six million Jews were killed died. The leader of the Nazi party, Adolf Hitler, rose to national power in 1934 and started enforcing his anti-semitism policies and German aggression, which led to World War II. Some of the events that directly affect the story are the invasion of the Soviet Union by Germany in 1941 and the Allied fire-bombings of Munich, Stuttgart, and the fictional town of Molching in 1942 and 1943.

In the book, one day Liesel hears a Nazi spokesperson speaking about the Nazi regime and Adolf Hitler’s rule. The spokesperson mentioned that all Jews and communists will die. She then remembered that her father was accused of being a communist and now she can’t find her father. She also tried to write to her mother after she learned how to write but none was replied. She then concluded that her mother had died. And so she blamed Hitler for the death of her father, mother, and brother.

The Book Thief is a genre of literature classified as historical fiction. This means that even though it is fiction and in this case, it is set in the fictional town of Molching, which is near Munich in Germany; it is still set through historical periods. The story is set and told through historical accurate events like the Holocaust, Jews marching to the death camps, Kristallnacht, burning of books, and others.  A major theme of the book is Liesel’s interest in the book and a major event that happened in the book was the book-burning by the Nazis.

The events in the books were either exact replicas of the Holocaust or similar to all the things that happened. The Holocaust was majorly religious against the Jews and to show Nazi supremacy over others. The Book Thief used places, events, and people in the book and tried to capture all the events that happened in Germany during the set period of 1939 to 1945. Many of the things that were captured in the story were based on true events since the author was inspired to write from the story he heard from his parents.

So the story was not based on present events or accounts or even modern-day conflicts. Markus Zusak’s parents were both immigrants from different countries of Europe and had witnessed what happened during WWII. They told their children stories from what happened in their homeland before they left. An example is a story that Markus’ mother told him about a boy who took pity on the marching Jews and gave bread to a particularly weak one. For that action, both of them were whipped by a soldier.

Publication and Legacy 

The novel was written and published in Sydney, Australia in the year 2005. The tone of the novel is casual and relaxed, with the narrator (Death) at times interrupting himself or interjecting reactions to the narrative. Though his voice employs humor, the overall sense is of sorrow and sadness.

The Book Thief celebrates the legacy of words: the power of words to do good, to do bad, to raise low and raise high, to create a Hitler, to allow a Hans Hubermann to exist, in essence, the power of words to change worlds. The book showed that words, indeed, rule the world.

The novel was adapted into a film that was released on 8 November 2013 and filmed in Görlitz, Germany. The script of the film was written by Michael Petroni, and directed by Brian Percival. The film starrs Ben Schnetzer as Max Vandenburg, Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson as Hans and Rosa Hubermann, Nico Liersch as Rudy Steiner, and Sophie Nélisse as Liesel Meminger. John Williams wrote the music soundtrack.  

Is The Book Thief historically accurate?

Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief is a category of literature known as historical fiction. This means that it is a fiction story, but one that is told through historically accurate events and time periods. It has elements of historical events like the Kristallnacht, the Jews marching to the death camps, in it.

Why is The Book Thief a historical fiction?

Historical fiction is a literary work in which the plot takes place in a setting located in the past. What makes The Book Thief a historical fiction is that it is set in the past and pays attention to the manners, social conditions, and other details of the depicted period.

What books did Liesel steal?

Here are the books that Liesel steals in The Book Thief : First is The Grave Digger’s Handbook, which she stole at the graveyard when they buried her brother. Next is The Shoulder Shrug, Mein Kampf, The Whistler, The Dream Carrier, A Song in the Dark, and The Last Human Stranger.

What year is The Book Thief set in?

Most of the stories in the novel took place in the fictional town of Molching, near Munich in Germany during the years 1939 – 1945. This is the period that the world witnessed another world war popularly known as World War II. Adolf Hitler, the German ruler, and leader of the Nazi party, rose to national power in 1934 and began enforcing his policies of anti-Semitism and German aggression, which led to World War II.

What inspired The Book Thief ?

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak was inspired by the stories the author heard when he was young. His parents were migrants from Europe so they witnessed the events of the Second World War and they told him the stories when he was a small boy. An example is a story his mother told about a boy giving bread to a weak Jew.

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.

Cite This Page

Ugo, Juliet " The Book Thief Historical Context 🪖 " Book Analysis , https://bookanalysis.com/markus-zusak/the-book-thief/historical-context/ . Accessed 4 April 2024.

It'll change your perspective on books forever.

Discover 5 Secrets to the Greatest Literature

There was a problem reporting this post.

Block Member?

Please confirm you want to block this member.

You will no longer be able to:

• See blocked member's posts
• Mention this member in posts
• Invite this member to groups

Please allow a few minutes for this process to complete.

Home — Essay Samples — Literature — The Book Thief — The Book Thief: a Character Analysis of Rudy Steiner

The Book Thief: a Character Analysis of Rudy Steiner

• Categories: Character The Book Thief

About this sample

Words: 577 |

Published: Mar 16, 2024

Words: 577 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Table of contents

Physical description, personality and traits, motivations and goals, impact on the story.

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Verified writer

• Expert in: Literature

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

2 pages / 865 words

2 pages / 887 words

6 pages / 2692 words

3.5 pages / 1676 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on The Book Thief

In Markus Zusak's novel The Book Thief, the author uses various literary techniques to create a thought-provoking and emotionally impactful story. The novel is set in Nazi Germany, and it follows the life of a young girl named [...]

Markus Zusak's novel, The Book Thief, is a powerful and poignant story that captures the struggles of a young girl growing up in Nazi Germany. From the very first page, readers are drawn into the world of Liesel Meminger, a girl [...]

Markus Zusak's novel The Book Thief is a powerful and captivating story set in Nazi Germany, following the life of a young girl named Liesel Meminger. One of the most striking aspects of the novel is the vivid and evocative [...]

Markus Zusak's novel is a powerful and poignant exploration of the impact of literature on individuals during the horrors of World War II. The novel follows the story of Liesel Meminger, a young girl living in Nazi Germany, who [...]

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 [...]

The Book Thief, written by Markus Zusak, is a novel that is rich with symbolism and imagery. Set in Nazi Germany during World War II, the story follows young Liesel Meminger as she navigates the hardships of war and the [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free