People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research

8 MAY 1945 UNIVERSITY / GUELMA قالمة / 1945 ماي 8جامعة

FACULTY OF LETTERS AND LANGUAGES كلية اآلداب و اللغات

DEPARTMENT OF LETTERS & ENGLISH LANGUAGE قسم اآلداب و اللغات األجنبية

(Language and Culture)

Contemporary Australian Literature

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

MASTER 02

Students: For : Ms. Guessmi

Aicha Mezari

Hanane Bellazi

Amina Boukerch

Amel Bounefla

Imen Salhi

Sara Bentria

Academic Year

2017-2018

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Outline :

I. Overview of Contemporary Australian Literature

II. Biography of the author

III. Historical Context of the Book

IV. Setting

V. Style

VI. The Summary

VII. Characters

VIII. Themes

IX. Motifs

X. Symbols

XI. Color Theory in The Book Thief

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I. Overview of Contemporary Australian Literature

Australian literature can be understood as literature of the settler colony representing

a complexity of the formation of both Australian cultural identity and its culture. Culture

of the original Aboriginal inhabitants was based on oral tradition which was either

suppressed or could not compete with Australian literature based on a written tradition.

During the colonization of Australia when the country was established as a British penal

colony in 1788, Australian literature was influenced by the British literary tradition.

Especially in early 19th

century Scottish broadside ballads adapted to the convict life and

Australian setting as well as Romantic poetry modeled after English Romantic poets

(Wordsworth, Keats, Shelley andothers) were imitated. The first systematic attempts to

form Australian literature that would reflect unique Australian experience were made by

the authors who were either contributing to or were the editors of the radical egalitarian

and nationalistic journal the Bulletin in the 1890s. Australian colloquial speech,

vernacularism, yarn, short stories, the bush experience,bushrangers as symbolic

representatives of the resistance towards British colonialism and realistic writing method

were the common attributes of these authors (Joseph Furphy, Henry Lawson, Barbara

Baynton and many others). With a growing independence (Australia became a dominion,

less dependent on Britain when the country became a Commonwealth of Australia in

1901), economic progress and modernity, realistic writing method started to be understood

as old-fashioned and unable to express new Australian experience in the 20th

century. This

change in Australia resulted from the demise of a staid, old-fashioned tradition of realism

focused on the ‗ordinary' and its revolutionary replacement by a postmodern,

extraordinary form of writing (as in the writings of Peter Carey, Michael Wilding and

company) allied to a general freeing-up of morality and culture.

Contemporary Australian Literature

Contemporary fiction in Australia begins around 1972 and over the past 40 years has not

really lost many of its central characteristics:

Belief in the end of history. In both the sense of Francis Fukuyama who proposed that

Western liberal democracy represented the end point of humanity‘s sociocultural

evolution and the postmodern sense that the way in which the past was conceptualized

in modernist, linear forms has ended;

Belief in the end of class;

Rise of affluence yet the curious and apparently simultaneous rise of alienation and

depression;

Drug use and sexual liberation and their attendant psychological outcomes -- both

positive and negative;

The celebration of the minor group literature;

Climate change, religion, class , nation, terror.

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II. Biography of the author :

Markus Zusak was born in 1975 in Sydney, Australia, the youngest of four children of

immigrant German and Austrian parents. Neither parent could read or write English when

they first arrived in Australia, but they wanted their children to master the language and

strongly encouraged them to read and communicate in English from an early age. Zusak

began writing fiction at age 16 and pursued a degree in teaching. Before becoming a

professional author, Zusak worked briefly as a house painter, a janitor and a high school

English teacher. Markus Zusak began his career writing young adult fiction. The Underdog,

Zusak's first novel, was published in 1999 and followed by two sequels, Fighting Ruben

Wolfe (2001) and When Dogs Cry (2002). Zusak's 2002 novel The Messenger was well

received internationally, winning several awards.

In 2005 and was met with even more critical and popular success. A sympathetically drawn

Death narrates the story of orphan Liesel Meminger, who finds friendship and a new family in

a small town in Germany during World War II. She also discovers the power of words and

books as Hitler‘s Nazi agenda threatens to destroy everything she has come to love. Zusak

chose the subject matter in part to share the stories his parents told him about growing up in

Austria and Germany during the war. The Book Thief was published as a novel for adults in

Australia and as a young adult novel in the United States, but Zusak doesn‘t draw such

distinctions. ―What I wanted to do… was write someone‘s favorite book,‖ rather than write

for a specific audience, Zusak revealed in an interview. Author John Green reviewed the book

in the New York Times, hailing it as ―[b]rilliant‖ and ―achingly sad,‖ and said of the heroine,

―[t]he hope we see in Liesel is unassailable, the kind you can hang on to in the midst of

poverty and war and violence.‖

III. Historical Context of the Book :

The Book Thief was based on one of the main events in the history of Germny which is the

Holocaust, in addition to other events that changed the story based on true happenings.

‗The Book Thief‘is based on two stories that his mother often told him about her childhood in

Vienna and Munich, she told him Two real stories :

The first story : is about The bombing of Munich ( Germany) ; when the sky was on fire and

everything was red with blood of people.

The second story : is about a group of jews prisoners walking through the street on their way

to the concentration camp in Dachau, a boy gave a piece of bread to an old man , the soldier

beat him with his whip.

This scene appeared in the novel when Hans Hubermann gave a piece of bread to

an old jewish man ,when a soldier saw him he also puched him away and beat him

with his whip ; as a punishment of his act he sent to fight in war.

This scene for Markus symbolizes kindness and cruelty of human nature.

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The Book opens in January 1939, at that time Hitler was the leader of Germany for more than

four years, in 1933 he was the leader of the Nazi party, and in 1934 ,he became the official

leader of Germany, in 1935 , he implemented Nuremberg Laws and declared that anyone with

jewish-blood should remove their civil rights ; communists and socialists were arrested and

sent to labor camps in Dachau , because they considered as a threat to the Nazi Party.

In the novel the biological parents of Liesel were communists.

Book Burnings :

Germans boycotted Jewish business and heldBook burnings in Berlin in 1933, destroying and

burning all the books that opposed the Nazi Party ; those which support the other ideologies ;

those of Marxism, Judaism, and Communism,... ; starting with Karl Marx Books, and those of

Karl Kautsky.

In the novel, Liesel attended this event , by the end she stole a book from the fire and

hided it under her coat.

Hitler’s Youth :

The author‘s father was a member in the Hitler youth, which is a group for young children

when they turn the age 10, they join it girls and boys because there is an organization for girls

to teach them Motherhood , and an organization for boys, to teach them how to become

soldiers.

In the novel, Liesel and Rudy joined this group.

The Olympic Games :

In 1936, Berlin hosted the Olympics and an African-American athlete named ; jesse owens

won four Golden Medals .

In the novel, Rudy inspired by him by painting himself black.

German invasion :

In 1941, Germany invaded Russia, this event resulted more than 30 million deaths because of

combat, starvation and desease.

In the novel, Molching town is characterized by these hard life conditions.

Markus Zusak’s parents :

Zusak‘s mother grew up foster like liesel in the book.

Zusak‘s father was a house painter like Hans in the novel.

The End of the war :

The war didn‘t end till 1944.However, Liesel‘s story ended in October 1943 with the bombing

of Molching (Himmel street).

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IV. Setting :

1. Place:

The novel takes place in Molching, Germany( a town few miles outside of Munich) , more

specifically on Himmel Street.

2. Time: the story begins at the beggining of ww2 and continues throughout the entire

war.

V. Style :

1. Point of view:

The story is told by omniscient first person point of view; by Death, Death is not a

character in the story, he only a narrator , he narrates the story of a young girl‘s own story,

he repeats the story of this girl as he understands it using his own thoughts and

opinions.He said sometimes, he observed some events, but he didn‘t take an active role in

the novel.untill the very end of the novel, he became involved in the storywhen he came

to take the main character‘s soul.

• The point of view is unique and creative.

2.Language: is clear and precise English, in addition to that the novel contains many German

words, many of these words are defined by the narrator, but those which did not defined you

can figure out the meaning of them from the preceding and following text.

3.Structure:

the novel is divided into:

1. A Prologue

2. Ten parts( which further split into chapters ; each part has eight chapters,and each part

has named by a title of a book or by an important event).

3. An Epilogue

VI. The Summary

The prologue in The Book Thief

In the novel ofThe Book Thief, Death is one of the main characters who never appears

physically throughout the novel, just his voice, he introduces himself as the narrator of the

story and describes his job which is collecting human‘s souls when they die.

In the prologue, Death outlines the story before he begins telling it. There a lot of

foreshadowing in the novel which creates a suspense for the reader because there are no

explanations of who the characters are or how the story arrived at such a strange scene. So,

the reader has to look forward.

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Throughout the rest of the novel, however, Death‘s narration is ―third person

subjective‖. He will convey the dramatic events of the story of LieselMeminger with

occasional analysis

In the prologue, Death acquires a cynical and sarcastic dark tone. Moreover, the

foreshadowed scenes assure to the readers that a tragedy is surely coming.

Death explains that he keeps stories that prove human existence and help him believe

that human lives are worth just like Liesel‘sstory:

“Yes, often I am reminded of her, and in one of my vast array of pockets, I have kept

her story to retell. It is one of the small legion I carry, each one extraordinary in its own

right. Each one attempt – an immense leap of an attempt- to prove to me that you and

your human existence, are worth it” Death

Death also explains that he notices colors. And the prologue contains to four parts

according to that:

1. Death and Chocolate:

In this part, Death explains that he is fair and sympathetic. He carries souls gently. He is able

to see colors before taking away human souls. Usually the colors of the sky. His favorite color

is the chocolate colored sky, while most humans only notice the sky at dawn and dusk.

Death introduces the main elements of the story including a girl, words, and an

accordionist, Germans, a Jewish fist fighter and thievery. He reveals that he has seen ―the

book thief‖ three times.

2. Beside the Railway Line: Death associates his first encounter with the book thiefwith

the color white. The scene occurs next to a train track and everything is covered in

snow. There is a mother, a girl and the corpse of the little boy.

Death explains that he made a mistake and allowed himself to become interested in the

girl. When the family leaves the train, Death takes away the boy‘s soul. Then, he hesitates and

watches the book thief.

3. The Eclipse: Death associatesthe next scene with the color black. It‘s night, and there

is a crashed plane with a pilot inside. A boy appears with a tool box, followed the

book thief. The boy pulls out a teddy bear and places it next to the pilot‘s body. Death

takes the pilot‘s soul then a crawd starts to gather around the smoking plane. A

shadow seems to pass over like an eclipse. Death explains that this sometimes happen

when a human dies, and that he has seen millions of eclipses.

4. The Flag:

Death thinks of the color red for his last encounter with the book thief. Bombs have fallen on

a town, the streets are bloody and the sky is red. Ash falls like burning snow. The book thief

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crouches next to a pile of rubble holding book. Death watches her as she drops the book and

starts screaming, but Death rescues it from a garbage track.

Death associates the book thief with colors mostly the colors of the three times he saw

her: white, black and red. Death draws them coming together to form an image of the Nazi

flag.

Part One: The Grave Digger's Handbook

1. Arrival on Himmel Street

It is January 1939. The book thief, Liesel Meminger, and her six-year-old brother, Werner, are on a

train to Munich with their mother. Liesel is nine, soon to be ten. She has a dream about Adolf Hitler,.

She is listening to Hitler speak at a rally and is enjoying the fast flood of words from his

mouth.Hitler notices her and kneels near her, smiling.Liesel doesn't speak or read much, because her

mother couldn't afford to educate her.Liesel asks Hitler how he's doing, but wakes up before the

answer As she wakes from the dream, she sees that her brother is dead. The train stops for track

repairs, and Liesel's mother exits the train with Werner in her arms. Liesel follows, as do the two

guards who discuss what to do. They drop the three of them off at the next township, where Werner

is buried two days later by a pair of gravediggers, one of whom is a young apprentice. The

apprentice drops a book from his pocket, The Grave Digger's Handbook, and Liesel picks it up. She

and her mother continue their journey to Munich, where they say good-bye. Frau Heinrich, a foster

care woman, takes Liesel to a town called Molching to live on Himmel Street with Hans and Rosa

Hubermann. Liesel does not want to get out of the car. Eventually, Hans is able to remove her from

the car, quietly holding her hand.

2. Growing Up a Saumensch

Liesel has hair that Death calls "a close enough brand of German blond" and brown eyes, which are

considered dangerous because, during the time of Nazi Germany, one did not want dark brown eyes.

She thinks that maybe she got them from her father, but she does not remember what he looked like.

She just knows that he was labeled a Communist, a strange word to her. Also in this chapter, we learn

more about Hans and Rosa Hubermann. Hans loves to smoke, but even more he enjoys rolling his

cigarettes. He is a painter and plays the piano accordion. Rosa is harsh and calls Liesel a Saumensch, a

girl pig, and does the washing and ironing for five wealthy families in Molching. She is gruff but loves

Liesel and asks her to call her Mama and Hans Papa.

3. The Woman with the Iron Fist

Liesel begins to learn the dynamics of her new home, particularly of how Rosa runs it. Liesel has

nightmares about her brother, and Hans sits in her room to comfort her. She trusts him because he

doesn't leave her, and in the mornings he plays his accordion for her at the breakfast table, partly to

annoy Rosa. Just as Rosa calls Liesel Saumensch, Rosa calls Hans the male equivalent: Saukerl. Liesel

begins to associate the sound of Hans's accordion with safety.

She hides The Grave Digger's Handbook underneath her mattress. For her, the book signifies the last

time she saw her mother and her brother. School is a struggle, because Liesel cannot read or write. She

is placed with the younger children and feels ashamed.

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She also begins her enrollment in the BDM: Bund Deutscher Mädchen, Band of German Girls. They

meet from 3 to 5 on Wednesdays and Saturdays and learn skills like bandage rolling, sewing, and

marching, and perform their heil Hitlers.

Liesel goes with Rosa to pick up and deliver the wealthy families' washing and ironing. Rosa doesn't

like her customers and berates them to Liesel. She particularly dislikes the mayor and his wife, who

live at 8 Grande Strasse. She sends Liesel to the door, and a woman in a bathrobe answers and hands

Liesel the washing. Rosa says that the woman is crazy.

Down the street lives a woman named Frau Holtzapfel, who has had a disagreement with Rosa and

spits on the door of their house each time she passes. Rosa makes Liesel go outside and clean it.

4. The Kiss (A Childhood Decision Maker)

Liesel plays soccer with the other kids of Himmel Street. Because she is new, they make her play

goalie. Rudy, who rarely misses a penalty kick, takes one on Liesel and she stops it. Liesel walks with

the Steiner children to school, and Rudy points out places and people along their walk. He shows her

where the Jews live on Schiller Strasse, where the Star of David is painted on all of their doors. It's

called "the road of yellow stars," and many of the homes have broken windows and damaged walls.

Rudy races Liesel at Hubert Oval, the site of "The Jesse Owens Incident," a night when he painted

himself black and ran the 100 meters at a playing field. He challenges Liesel to a race and says that if

he wins, he gets to kiss her, but they tie.

5. The Jesse Owens Incident

Death recounts the night after the 1936 Summer Olympics, after Jesse Owens wins his fourth gold

medal. On this night, Alex Steiner, Rudy's father, discovers Rudy at the Hubert Oval track, covered in

charcoal. Rudy explains he only wants to be like Jesse Owens. Alex tells him that his family belongs

to the Nazi Party, and while Alex doesn't hate Jews or Jewish shopkeepers, he says that Rudy should

be grateful that he has blonde hair and blue eyes, that these things will keep him safe. Rudy shouldn't

go around painting himself black. Alex also silently admits that he's relieved that Jewish shopkeepers

are going out of business since he himself is a tailor and could use the extra work.

6. The Other Side of Sandpaper

NSDAP, the Nazi Party, marches down Himmel Street, and the residents are expected to applaud.

Death tells us that Hans Hubermann does not support Adolf Hitler, and for good reason, which will be

revealed later.

Liesel continues to have nightmares about her brother, and she wets her bed. Hans changes her sheets

and discovers The Grave Digger's Handbook. They have their first midnight class. He reads some of

the book to her, and then he teaches her the alphabet, drawing letters and pictures on the backside of

sandpaper sheets.

7. The Smell of Friendship

The midnight classes continue and eventually Hans begins taking Liesel to the Amper River for

afternoon lessons when the weather is nice. When the weather isn't nice, they hold class in the

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basement where, by kerosene lamplight, Liesel paints words on the wall. She decides that this is the

smell of friendship, of her Papa and their time together: kerosene and cigarettes.

8. The Heavyweight Champion of the School-Yard

It is the summer of 1939. That fall, World War II begins, and Liesel becomes the heavyweight

champion of the schoolyard. Sister Maria gives the children a progress test at school. At first, she

doesn't have Liesel read aloud, but Rudy speaks up, saying that Liesel needs a turn. Sister Maria says

that Liesel can't do it, that she can't read. Liesel says that she can and jumps up from her seat and grabs

a book. Instead of reading, though, she starts reciting parts of The Grave Digger's Handbook that she's

memorized. She gets into trouble. Later that day, in the schoolyard, Liesel is taunted by Ludwig

Schmeikl and pummels him in a fight. She beats up Tommy Müller, too, because she sees him

standing there, smiling. After receiving two hidings (a Watschen) from Sister Maria that day, Liesel

walks home with the Steiners and breaks down, asking why her brother had to die.

Part Two : The Shoulder Shrug

1. A Girl Made of Darkness

Death offers a glimpse of what will become Liesel's second stolen book. The first book she stole was

on January 13, 1939. The second: April 20, 1940. He tells us that she takes this book, The Shoulder

Shrug, during a book-burning event on the Führer's birthday. She steals it out of anger and hatred,

feelings that Liesel associates with Himmel Street, her mother, and the Führer.

2. The Joy of Cigarettes

Liesel and Hans finish reading The Grave Digger's Handbook a week before Christmas. She tells Hans

that her brother's name was Werner, and he says, "Yes." Liesel doesn't expect anything for Christmas,

but receives two books: Faust the Dog and The Lighthouse. She finds out that Hans traded cigarettes

with gypsies in order to get the books. Rosa is upset, so he trades for eggs the next time, which makes

her happy.

3. The Town Walker

Rosa starts losing customers because of the difficult times. She sends Liesel to pick up the wash in her

place because she believes her customers will feel sorry for the girl and won't discontinue the service.

Liesel continues to work on her reading and writing. In school, she practices writing letters. She

decides she wants to write a letter to her real Mama and mails it. She overhears Hans and Rosa

whispering about this, wondering themselves where Liesel's mother is and what "they" might have

done to her. Liesel wants to know who "they" are.

4. Dead Letters

Liesel continues to write letters to her mother, but she has mailed only the first one, though. Her

birthday comes. Rosa is still losing washing and ironing jobs and Hans is out of tobacco, so Liesel

doesn't expect to receive a birthday present. She doesn't. She gives herself a present, though, by taking

some of the washing money and mailing her letters in one group. Rosa finds out and hits her with a

spoon, after which Liesel admits why she used the money. At that moment, Liesel realizes she'll never

see her mother again. Rosa apologizes, but not for hitting her, Liesel realizes. Liesel lies on the dark

floor and cries a yellow tear. Later, when she writes about this night, she remembers all the darkness,

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how even Hans's accordion music had sounded dark that night, and she thinks that if it had, in fact,

been so dark in the kitchen, then she would not have been able to see a yellow tear. She remains sure,

however, that her tear was yellow, that a bit of lightness was present during such a dark time in her

life.

5. Hitler's Birthday, 1940

Molching and the rest of Germany are preparing for a large celebration in honor of the Führer. Nazi

Party members go from house to house collecting fuel for a large bonfire, requesting any type of

enemy propaganda for the burning. Every house hangs the swastika flag out front. Trudy and Hans

Junior, Hans and Rosa's grown children, come for the afternoon, and Hans Junior asks his father if he's

attempted to join the Nazi Party again. Hans's application was rejected on a prior attempt because he

painted over slurs painted on a Jewish shop front, which earned him the name "the Jew painter." Hans

Junior is an avid supporter of the Nazi Party and calls his father a coward for not trying harder to join

and for his lack of support for his country. Hans Junior storms out of the house, and Hans follows,

only to be shrugged off by his son.

6. 100 Percent Pure German Sweat

Later that same day, on Hitler's birthday, Liesel marches with the Hitler Youth divisions and gathers

around the bonfire to watch them burn enemy propaganda. A man in a Nazi uniform stands behind a

podium and shouts a speech, warning the crowd to protect themselves against those who are

destroying Germany. He names Jews and communists, and Liesel thinks of her father, mother, and

brother.

7. The Gates of Thievery

Hans finds Liesel, and she, still upset from the man's speech, asks if her mother was a communist and

if that's why she was taken away from her and why her brother died. She asks if the Führer is

responsible for her family being gone. Hans says he thinks the Führer might have been responsible.

Liesel says she hates the Führer, and Hans slaps her, then tells her that she must never say that outside

of the house. Then, together, they stand and practice their heil Hitlers.

8. Book of Fire

Uniformed men start shoveling away the bonfire's remains. Liesel notices three books deep in the pile

that haven't burned. She pulls one out, The Shoulder Shrug. She tucks it beneath her shirt and feels the

heat from it. As she stands with Hans, waiting for him to finish talking with another man, the book

starts to burn her. She realizes, too, that someone has witnessed her act. She walks home, the book still

burning against her chest.

Part Three meinkampf

1. THE WAY HOME

Liesel and Hans are walking to 33 Himmel street .Hans examines the book that Liesel stole

from the burning ceremony , and becomes worried from the political consequences of Liesel

s‘ action . Liesel asks hans if he is going to tell Rosa about the book and he answers no. Then,

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Hans asks Liesel if she can keep a promise and she says yes. one day, Hans goes to the Nazi

party s‘ office to ask for a membership application .in order to receive a copy of the book

―Mein kampf‖ , he offered money and a dozen of cigarettes to the party .In his way out, Hans

heard some members of the party saying that he will never join it no matter how he tried .

2. THE MAYOR'S LIBRARY

Liesel started to feel guilty after stealing the book. This guilt made her refuse to visit Ilsa s‘

house. However, Rosa forced her to go and take the laundry. So, she took Rudy with her and

went to the Herman s‘ house. Ilsa Herman opened the door for her, gave her money and

closed the door after nodding to her.Here, Liesel came up with two suppositions: either Ilsa

didn‘t look at her when she stole the book , Or she was daydreaming .This made Liesel

relieved .

After few weeks, Liesel returns to the Mayor s‘ house to pick up laundry .This time, Ilsa

welcomes her inside and shows her the home library full of books. Liesel was fascinated by

the huge number of books in that library. Thus, she moves her hands across the shelves

excitedly, and even forgets to thank Ilsa. she came back another day to thank her, However, it

is the mayor Heinz Hermann who answers the door .so she hesitates a a bit then says thank

you and leaves.

3. ENTER THE STRUGGLER

In this chapter, we are introduced to Max Vandenburg , He is a starving Jew hiding in a

storeroom in Stuttgart. Secretly, a friend visits Max and gives him a book containing a card,

map, key, and directions. The friend promises Max to return within few days and that he will

travel to a stranger s‘ house called Hans Hubermann.

4. THE ATTRIBUTES OF SUMMER

The summer of 1940 holds special events for liesel.

Attribute 1:Liesel advances in reading the book The shoulder shrug .Liesel understands that

the Nazis don t like it because the hero is a Jewish man and he is ―shown in a positive light

―(24.9) .

Attribute2:during deliveries, Liesel is allowed to read in Ilsa s‘ library .One day she finds the

name Johann Hermann written on the cover of a book .when she asks Ilsa about it ,she tells

her that it is the name of her son who died in 1918.Death remembers Johann and tells us that

he died wrapped in barbed wire .Ilsa still suffers of her son s death ,and liesel sympathizes

with her saying ―I‗M SORRY‖(24.29).

Attribute3:playing soccer on Himmel Street . Liesel apologizes to Tommy Muller for beating

him up that day at school. Liesel and Rudy s‘ name calling .He likes to call her a ―Saumensch

Arcshgrobbler‖ (24.26) i.e a pig girl.

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Attribute4:Liesel and Rudy join a fruit-stealing gang .They all met at The Amper River and

decided to still apples. However, their leader Arthur Berg informs them that whoever gets

stuck on the fence guard will be left behind. So, they could still with no obstacles, giving

liesel and Rudy dozens of apples as a reward of their work. later on liesel vomits.

5. THE ARYAN SHOPKEEPER

Death foreshadows liesel and Rudy leaning against Frau Diller s‘ candy store .Then, they

found a coin on the ground and decide to take it into Frau Diller s‘ candy store to see if the

can buy candy using it.The Shopkeeper made them say heil Hitler and gave them one candy

.Rudy and Liesel take turns in sucking the candy .

6. THE STRUGGLER, CONTINUED

In November 3, 1940,Max was reading Mein kampf (My struggle) in the train. we learn that

the friend who was visiting Max is called Walter kugler. The later tells him that he is going to

fight in the German Army, and gives him some things that he needs .Max was afraid that he

will be asked about papers .But he kept reading Mein Kampf and he felt that the book is a

saver for him.

7. TRICKSTERS

Rosa loses another laundry customer. After stealing onions and potato, the gang notices a boy

named Otto Sturm who, every Friday, delivers goods to the church on his bicycle. Rudy and

Liesel poured water on the ground to make it slippery, and Otto indeed falls hard as he rides it

.After this, they took his package which contains eggs, bread , and ham giving it to Arthur

berg. The leader asks the other boys to cook the food near the Amper River. In their next

stealing, Rudy gets caught in the fence. Surprisingly, Arthur comes with liesel to help Rudy

thought he said before he wouldn‘t. Later, Arthur moves to Cologne and gives Liesel and

Rudy a bag of chestnuts as a parting gift. Death informs us that Arthur lives through the war ,

but saw him once with his dying sister during a bombing raid.

8. THE STRUGGLER, Concluded

A description of Max s‘ arrival to Molching ( he was afraid from the Germans and feels

guilty for choosing to hide).

Part Four :The Standover Man

1. THE ACCORDIONIST

Max is standing in the Huberman s‘ Kitchen. He asks Hans if he still plays the accordion and

Maxs answers yes. Then, a series of flashbacks to Hans ‘past. Hans is a twenty two year

soldier fighting in France in WW1. There, he befriends a German Jew named Erick

Vandenberg who teaches Hans to play the Accordion. When Erick nominated Hans to the

sergeant, he saved his live because all the soldiers who went to the battle died .Erick also died

and Hans visits his family to find that Erick has a little son named Max. Hans returns to

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Munich to work as a painter. He and Rosa have two children Hans junior and Trudy. Hans

didn‘t hate the Jewish Because Erick saved his life. In 1939,six months before Liesel s‘ arrival

, Hans is approached by Walter kugler who asks him a favour.

2. GOOD GIRL

It is November 1940 and Max is 24. Liesel sees Hans and the stranger standing in the

kitchen, and Hans tells her to go back to bed. Hans tells Max not to worry about Liesel.

3. A SHORT HISTORY OF THE JEWISHFIST FIGHTER

a flashback to Max s‘past. When Max was two, his father died. When he was nine, he and

went to live in his uncle s‘ house. Unfortunately, his uncle died when he was thirteen. Max

was affected by death that he said‖ when death captures me, he will feel my fist on his face‖.

In 1938, Max loses his job for being a Jew .on Nov , the Jewish stores were attacked( Night of

Broken Glass).Thus, Walter kugler hides Max in a storeroom for two years .In 1939 ,Walter

asks Hans to hide Max. In 1940, Max goes to Molching.

4. THE WRATH OF ROSA

Rosa finds Max and Hans in the kitchen and gives Max some pea soup. Liesel silently

watches them. Max vomits because hunger has made him less able to hold down food.

5. LIESEL'S LECTURE

Max sleeps in a spare bed in Liesel's room. The next morning Liesel happened is kept home

from school. In the basement, Hans tells Liesel about what to him in the war. Hans tells Liesel

in no uncertain terms that she must never tell anyone about Max. Hans explains in detail what

would happen if she did: Hans would burn Liesel's books, Liesel would be taken away, and

Hans, Rosa, and Max would all be taken away and never return. Liesel cries uncontrollably.

6. THE SLEEPER

Max sleeps for three days, and Liesel watches him with fascination. When Max awakes,

Liesel is staring at him.

7. THE SWAPPING OF NIGHTMARES

Rosa loses another customer. Liesel takes dinner to Max in the basement and she finds him

reading the book Mein kampf. She asks him about it because she had seen the book at the

youth meetings. Max ignored her question. Rosa keeps reminding Liesel to not tell about

Max, and argues with Hans for playing the accordion in a bar. Liesel still visits Ilsa s‘ library

and becomes fascinated with a book called The Whistler.

Max overhears Liesel remark that his hair looks like feathers. By the fire, Liesel finally asks

Max whether Mein Kampf is a good book, and Max says that it is saved his life. Max begins

telling the story of his life over the next few weeks. Hans remarks that Liesel, too, enjoys

fighting, and Liesel is surprised that he knows about the time she beat up Ludwig Schmeickl.

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Max and Liesel both have nightmares, and one night Liesel asks Max about them. Max tells

her he sees himself waving goodbye to his family, and Liesel tells him about her brother.

Liesel brings Max a newspaper she finds in a garbage can, and Max gratefully does the

crossword. On Liesel's birthday, Hans and Rosa give her The Mud Men, a book about a

"strange father and son," and Max apologizes for not getting her anything. Liesel graciously

hugs Max for the first time, and Max wonders what he could do for her.

8. PAGES FROM THE BASEMENT

Max cuts out pages from Mein Kampf and paints them white. He draws on them a story called

The Standover Man, which he gives to Liesel. Liesel reads it three times then goes down to the

basement and sleeps beside Max.

Part Five: The Whistler

1. The Floating Book ( part1)

This chapter starts with Rudy jumping into a river to save a book, then comes the series of events that

led up to that moment. Death also reveals Rudy's death, which will take place two years later among

piles of rubble.

2. The Gamblers ( a seven-sided die)

The scene returns to the present, and Max is getting a haircut. Rosa and Hans argue about who will

do it, but Max asks Liesel. She cuts his "feathery" hair and burns the evidence. Other parts in this

chapter are about Max and specifically about the visions that he has when he is boxing Hitler, this

shows the character’s traits of always fighting, even though it seems things are hopeless because not

only he is losing the fight with Hitler but at a certain point all of Germany comes into the ring to fight

him and yet even though it’s obvious that he’s going to lose against all of these people, he keeps

fighting.

The string of events continues when the mayor and his wife decide that they are no longer going to

hire Rose Huberman to do their laundry. In June 1941, Germany invades Russia, and Russia allies

itself with Britain. As a result, the mayor of Molching writes and editorial urging the citizens to

prepare for hard times. For this reason, the Hermans could no longer afford to send out their

washings. Frau Herman gives Liesel The Whistler which she finally accepts. Then Ilsa gives her a letter

for Rosa, and Liesel realizes their last customer has canceled. She feels hurt and betrayed, she

screams at Frau Herman, telling her to get over the death of her son, and throws the book at her

feet. this is actually the first time that she actually uses words to hurt somebody, just like Hitler uses

words to hurt people. Afterwards, Liesel feels ashamed of herself and feels guilty for what she has

done.

3. Rudy’s Youth

Meanwhile Rudy has been going to Hitler Youth meetings, which haven't worked out well.

His problems are the hearing-impaired Tommy Müller and the tyrannical Youth leader, Franz

Deutscher. Tommy keeps messing up the precise marching lines because he can't hear the

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commands, and Deutscher mocks him for it. Rudy stands up for Tommy and then Deutscher

makes them both do laps and push-ups on a muddy field. Later they tell Liesel about it and

Tommy tries to apologize to Rudy. Rudy asks Liesel for a kiss, but she refuses again, despite

his pitiable state. Later Liesel will realize that it was these kinds of days that fed their desire

for stealing.

4. The Losers

At about the same time, the apples began to ripen on the trees. Rudy and Liesel hook up with the same

gang from the year before. However, sonce the leader had moved away, there was a new leader, Victor

Chemmel, who is not really kind and not impressed by Liesel at all because of her gender. Victor

allows Liesel and Rudy only one apple between them and when Rudy objects, Victor knocks him

down and pins him to the ground, proving who the tougher boy is.

5. Sketches

That summer is productive for Max, as he begins to write and sketch and has lots of ideas. He

intended to write his own story, but then he starts making random sketches that feel real to him. He

intends to give this new book to Liesel when she is older.

6. The Whistler and the Shoes

A whole bunch of bad things are happening to both Liesel and Rudy, and at a certain point Rudy says

he just needs a victory, he needs something good to happen. Liesel gets in her victory when she goes

in the mayor‘s house to steal a book, and this is the first time that Liesel engages in premeditated book

thievery. The first two books that she stole, she basically stole because the opportunity presented itself,

and she was in a state of high emotion, or she just took it, but in this case she actually thinks, I‘m

going to the mayor‘s house, I‘m goiong to steal the book that I‘ve been reading, and that is going to be

an act of rebellion against the mayor‘s wife for firing my mother, and this represents a victory for

Liesel.

7. Three Acts of Stupidity – by Rudy Steiner

Death lists the three stupid acts and then goes on to describe them. The first involves Rudy stealing a

potato from a grocer's, but he steals the largest potato so several people in line have been watching

it, and they see him do it. The grocer becomes enraged and threatens to call the police until Rudy

enlists one of his schoolteachers (who is also in line) to exaggerate how big and poor Rudy's family is.

The grocer kicks Rudy out and he feels like a failure once more.

Rudy's second mistake begins with him taunting Franz Deutscher at a Hitler Youth meeting, as Rudy

pretends to not know Hitler's birthday. A few days later Rudy sees Deutscher walking on Munich

Street and Rudy throws a rock at him. Liesel is there too, and she has to watch Deutscher and some

other older boys beat up Rudy. Deutscher then takes out his pocketknife and cuts off Rudy's hair,

reciting Hitler's birthday as he does.

Rudy's last mistake is skipping the Hitler Youth meetings altogether. After a few more weeks of

having to endure Franz Deutscher, he and Tommy Müller stop going. When Rudy's parents find out,

they threaten and beg him but he still won't go. They finally convince Rudy to join a different division

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where they build model airplanes. This third mistake actually ends up working out better for Rudy, as

he likes his new group.

8. The Floating Book (part2)

An afternoon in December, Liesel and Rudy run into Victor Chemmel while walking beside the river,

Chemmel sees the book Liesel is carrying and snatches it from her. Rudy tries to get it back, but

Chemmel throuws it into the river and laughs as it floats way. Rudy goes into the river and rescues the

book for Liesel. And this was actually Rudy‘s victory.

Part Six: The Dream Carrier

1. Death’s Diary: 1942

Death describes himself a little; he doesn't carry a scythe, or wear a black robe unless its cold, and he

looks like any person. 1942 is a very busy year for him, and he needs a vacation. There are so many

humans to collect and colors to see. War is not Death's best friend, as the saying goes, but more like

a demanding boss. When he remembers that year he likes to think of a little beauty as well, though,

so he returns to the book thief's story

2. The Snowman

On Crismas Eve, Liesel brings snow into the basement so that she and Max can build a

snowman. Max is excited by this and thrilled that Liesel has given him such a gift. However,

shortly after this Max begins to get sick. Rosa believes it is caused by the cold of the

basement and the snow. One day in January Max collapses, Rosa and Hans put him in

Liesel‘s bed where he sleeps for a long time. Liesel sits with Max, praying he will wake up,

she reads to him for hours at a time.

3. Thirteen Presents

At one point, Liesel thinks that if she brings him gifts, Max will wake up. She begins gathering gifts

for Max, including a flattened soccer ball, a feather, and a description of a perfect cloud. All in all,

there are thirteen gifts. Liesel hates to leave Max‘s side, afraid he will wake without her.

4. Fresh Air. An Old Nightmare. And What to Do with a Jewish Corpse

Liesel has finished reading The Whistler to Max and decides to steal another book from Frau

Herman’s library. Rudy wants to be the one to go inside this time, but Liesel talks him out of it. Liesel

sneaks inside and takes a book called, The Dream Carrier, when she slips back out the window, Rudy

is waiting. Liesel hurries home and begins reading the book to Max. one night, Liesel overhears Rosa

asking Hans what they will do with Max if he dies. They can’t burry him down at the local cemetery.

This frightens Liesel even more. Liesel makes Rosa promise that if Max were to wake up while she is

in school, she will come to school and tell her. Liesel tells Rosa to yell at her about something to

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cover the real reason for her visit. A few days later, Rosa shows up at the school and yells at Liesel for

using her hairbrush. Max is awake. Liesel rushes home to see him and he thanks her for her gifts.

5. Death’s Diary: Cologne

Death describes the Allies' bombing of Cologne, Germany, and the five hundred souls he gathered

up. The sky is yellow, and children try to find the empty fuel tanks from the planes. Death is weary

from working, but he knows there is much more to come.

6. The Visitor

In June, Liesel is out playing soccer ball when she sees a group of party members going around to the

neighbors‘ homes. Liesel hears that they are checking everyone‘s basements to see if they are

appropriate to use as bomn shelters. Liesel realizes they will be at her home soon, so she purposely

falls down and injures herself. Hans comes out to help her, and she is able to tell him what is

happeneing. Hans warns Max just seconds before the party man knocks on their door. Max is not

discovered and the party man announces that their basement is too shallow to survive a bomb.

7. The Schmunzeler

There is another knock at the door, but this time it's only Rudy checking on Liesel. He lingers at the

door asking questions and makes Liesel nervous, but she tells him "everything's good" and he leaves.

8. Death’s Diary: The Parisians

Death describes the sky as "the color of Jews," and he sadly talks about the souls in the

concentration camps. Death asks God for answers just like humans do, but he receives no response.

He gently carries away the souls of some French Jews in Poland. He describes the sun as "blond" and

the sky as "a giant blue eye."

Part Seven :The Complete Duden Dictionary and Thesaurus

1. Champagne and Accordion

War begins in Molching in this section.People are fearful of bombings.Liesel who has been

content in the summer,now she realizes that her happiness maybe fleeting and she tries to save

each happy moment.For example,when she drinks champagne for the first time,she has an

awareness of how happy she was,but now she vows never to drink it again because it will not

be tasted as good as it was before.Spending time with Hans,painting houses with him and

listening to him playing the accordion are among her favorite activities.

2. The Trilogy

Rudy Steiner trains for the upcoming Hitler Youth Carnival,he promisses to win four gold

medals just like hid idol Jesse Owens did in 1936.Rudy wins the first three races easily,but he

is disqualified from the fourth one because of his repeated false starts.He gives Liesel his

three gold medals.After the carnival he confesses that he did the false start on purpose he said

‗‗I did it on purpose‘‘ .Liesel steals another book A Song in the Dark from the Hermann

library.As the summer ends Rudy notices that a book has been propped in the window of the

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Mayor‘s house,Liesel discovers that it is a dictionary,in it she finds a letter from Ilsa Hermann

telling her that she is welcome to continue stealing books,but Ilsa hopes that Liesel will come

in through the door instead of the window.Liesel seems surprised for that.

3. The Sound of Sirens

The air raid sirens are off. Liesel,Hans and Rosa go to the Fiedler‘s basement leaving Max

alone.Liesel takes her books,but Hans forgets his accordion.After that Liesel and her family

go back home and find Max in the basement,he appologises for what he did while they were

away,he went upstairs to look outside the window and says that ‗‗the stars set fire‘‘to his

eyes .

4. The Sky Stealer

People are fearful this time,Liesel and her family gather in the Fiedler‘s basement again.Liesel

uses literature to soothe the residents of Himmel Street to let them forget about the bombs

falling outside.She reads The Whistler aloud and everyone gather to listen to her.Reading for

her is like accordion for Hans.Here we see the power of words in the novel and how Liesel

becomes mature and comfortable while reading in front of a large gathering.

5. Frau Holtzapfel’s Offer

Frau asks if Liesel will come to her house to read for her the rest of The Whistler and she will

give the Hubermanns her coffee ration.Although Rosa and Frau are enemies,but Rosa agrees

and Liesel begins reading several days a week.

6. The Long Walk to Dachu

As the Germans start bringing Jews to the town of Dachu,Liesel stands with Hans and

Rudy.Hans goes to one of the Jews who has fallen and gives the old man a piece of

bread,before this old man eats the bread a Nazi soldier whips both Hans and this Jewish old

man.Some of the witnesses call Hans a ‗Jew lover‘.Hans thinks about Max in the basement

and knows that the Gestapo will come to take him.

7. Peace

Max has to leave because of Hans‘s action.He tells Liesel that he has left a gift for her.He

arranges to meet Hans in four days near the river,but when Hans goes there he finds a note

from Max saying ‗‗you have done enough‘‘Max is gone.

8. The Idiot and the Coat Men

Hans keeps waiting for the Nazis to come to take him and blames himself for Max‘s

departure.Many peple insult Hans,but he doesn‘t care.Three weeks later two men in dark

coats arrive on the strret,Hans shouts to them to take him,but they have come for Rudy.

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Part Eight :The Word Shaker

1. Dominoes and Darkness

Nazi soldiers arrive at Rudy‘s house while his siblings are playing dominoes,they want to take

Rudy to a special Nazi training school because of his athleticism and intelligence.

2. The Thought of Rudy Naked

Rudy remmembers hearing the nurse talking about their goal of creating an ‗officer class‘.The

doctor is examining Rudy and two classmates,the three of them are naked and

embarassed.Liesel and Rudy laugh about that.

3. Punishment

Hans is still waiting to be punished when he gets a letter informing him he is now a member

of the Nazi Party.Rudy‘s father is drafted into the army and fears being sent to Russia.Rudy‘s

mother says that they are punishing her family for not letting Rudy go to the special

program.Hans knows it is his punishment for giving bread to a jew.

4. The Promise Keeper’s Wife

Hans is about to leave,he asks Liesel to take care of Rosa and encourages her to keep reading

in the air raids shelter.After his father leaves,Rudy is angry.He announces that he wants to kill

Hitler for taking his father.Liesel who has already lost her family for their political

beliefs,now she becomes unsympathetic.

5. The Collector

Alex Steiner is sent to Austria to mend damaged uniforms,it is a safe job for him.Hans is

assigned to an LES Unit,one of the most dangerous jobs,requiring men to stay above ground

during air raids.Hans is worried especially when he finds the body of a dead boy.

6. Bread Eater

Liesel worries about Hans, Mr Steiner and Max. More Jews are scheduled to march through

town. Rudy asks if Liesel wants to come with him somewhere, while walking Rudy suggests

putting bread for the Jews to find. As the Jews pass by, Liesel moves closer to look for Max.

Her movement draws the guards‘ attention and one of them caught her.

7. The Hidden Sketchbook

Another air raid in Molching, Liesel reads again just as Hans wanted. Once they are back

home,Rosa gives her Max‘s last gift The Word Shaker :A Small Collection of Thoughts for

Liesel Meminger. The book recounts stories from Max‘s memory or things Liesel told him, as

well as ‗The Word Shaker‘,a fairy tale Max wrote for her.In the story,Max describes how

Hitler found the power of words. Hitler plants the words for people to harvest.But a young

girl,a ‗word shaker‘, makes friends with an enemy of the country. Their friendship creates a

seed that grows into a tree until .Hitler wants to chop it down,but the word shaker manages to

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save the tree until her friend comes back and joins her. They allow the tree to fall and use it to

escape from the forest of Hitler‘s words.

8. The Anarchist’s Suit Collection

Rosa, Trudy and Liesel celebrate Christmas with Rudy‘s family. Liesel suggests Rudy get a

suit from his father‘s shop. The moments pass and they begin talking about Rudy‘s father and

Max.

PART Nine : THE LAST HUMAN STRANGER

1. THE NEXT TEMPTATION :

LieselandRudyreturn to the mayor's house to steal another book, but this time Frau

Hermannhas left cookies on the desk. Liesel takes them, along with a book called‗The Last

Human Stranger‘, but as she is climbing out the window Ilsa Hermann appears. Liesel

suddenly realizes that the library must belong to Ilsa, not the mayor. She asks, and Ilsa says

she used to read there with her son. She says Liesel has been the one who uses the room the

most lately. Liesel leaves and she and Rudy share the cookies. Then they wonder what to do

with the plate.

2. THE CARDPLAYER :

Meanwhile,Hans and the men of the squad are playing cards outside Essen. Hans keeps

winning, and a man named Reinhold Zuckergets mad and accuses him of cheating. Whenever

Reinhold wins he gloats, but when Hans wins he shares the cigarettes he won with the other

men. Reinhold despises him for his charity, and Deathimplies this will lead to Reinhold's end.

3. THE SNOWS OF STALINGRAD :

One day in JanuaryLieselgoes to read toFrau Holtzapfel, but her son Michaelanswers the

door, wrapped in bloody bandages. He has been shot in the ribs and had three fingers blown

off fighting in Stalingrad. Later he comes to greet the Hubermanns and during that visit tells

that his brother, Robert, is dead. Michael sat with him in a hospital for his last days. Michael

also said he heard thatHans Junior was in Russia as well, and still alive.

Lieselreturns toFrau Holtzapfel's house to find her sitting in a state of shock.Deathdescribes

how her son, Robert, died by having his legs blown off and then suffering in a hospital. He

recollects howMichaeltold Robert he would be going home soon just before Death took him.

Liesel keeps reading while Frau Holtzapfel cries for her son‘s death.

4. THE AGELESS BROTHER :

Lieselreturns the cookie plate toIlsa Hermann's front door, but she doesn't go inside. She

imagines her brother, Werener, approving of her action. That night Liesel keeps awake and

imagines her mother,Werner,Max, andHansall in the room. The next morning she

watchesRosahold theaccordionand pray for all of them.

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5. THE ACCIDENT :

One day Reinhold ZuckertakesHans's seat in riding the truck just to start a conflict, but Hans

lets him keep it. A few minutes later the truck crashes . Some of the men are injured and Hans

breaks his leg, and Reinhold Zucker died. The sergeant likes Hans because he shared his

cigarettes, so he lets him be sent back home to work in an office. Hans starts writing a letter to

inform his family about his homecoming.

6. THE BITTER TASTE OF QUESTIONS :

In February ,Lieselgets a letter from Hansdescribing his situation . Liesel tells Rosa and the

Steiners the news and they are also pleased, but Liesel can tellRudy wonders why Hans

Hubermann got so lucky andhis father Alex Steinerdidn't.

7. ONE TOOLBOX, ONE BLEEDER, ONE BEAR :

Rudy's become angry when his father sent to fight in war, he gathers a toolbox of things to

help him in stealing houses of the rich peple in the other side of the town .Liesel sees him

leaving and catches up with him. She asks him about the teddy bear (which is in his toolbox)

and Rudy says it is to comfort a child if one finds him stealing. They keep walking and Liesel

realizes he would‘t rob any of these houses. Few minutes later, he come back home, leaving

his shoes and socks out in the street.

A few weeks later the air raid they warn all the families to leave their homes, andMichael

Holtzapfel comes to the Hubermanns saying his mother won't leave the kitchen table.

Rosagoes inside and curses atFrau Holtzapfel, but she is unresponsive. Rosa and Michael go

to the shelter, butLieselstays to tell Frau Holtzapfel that she'll stop reading to her if she doesn't

come. Then they all run to the bomb shelter, but Frau Holtzapfel stays behind.

In the shelter,Michaelfeels guilty for his mother. SuddenlyFrau Holtzapfelappears and

confronts her son.Lieselreads out loud throughout the long night.

When everyone emerges from the shelter, someone points out a crashed plane near the Amper

River.Rudy runs towards it even asDeathhimself comes for the pilot.Lieselcatches up with

Rudy and they survey the fire, and the pilot, who is still alive. Meanwhile Rudy climbs

towards the pilot and places the teddy bear on his shoulder, and the pilot thanks him in

English , then he dies .

Deathtakes the pilot's soul and he sees the sky eclipse with the shape of a swastika. Death

wonders how humans could be so beautiful and ugly both at the same time, but he still envies

their ability to die.

8. HOMECOMING :

In AprilHansis discharged from the hospital. He comes home at night and everyone is

overjoyed, and he tells LieselandRosathe details of his experience in the war. That night he

sits with Liesel while she sleeps. Liesel enjoys three months of happiness before Death comes

again.

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Part Ten : THE BOOK THIEF

1. THE END OF THE WORLD (PART I) :

Death gives some hints about the bombing– Himmel Street will be bombed, and Death will

come forRudy,Rosa,Hans,Frau Holtzapfel,Frau Diller, andTommy Müller, but not forLiesel.

Liesel will survive because she is in the basement writing her own life story. Later the local

LSE will pull her from the wreckage and she will scream for her Papa, still clinging to the

book that saved her life.

2. THE NINETY-EIGHTH DAY :

The story returns to talk about the Hubermanns enjoy ninety-seven days of happiness

afterHanscomes home. There are a few more parades of Jews, butLieseldoes not

seeMaxamong them. On the ninety-eighth day, however,Michael Holtzapfelhangs himself.

Death explains that he killed himself because he felt guilty for living while his brother dies.

Michael leaves a suicide note asking his mother's forgiveness, and saying he will be with his

brother Robertsoon. The neighbors elect Hans to tellFrau Holtzapfelthe news, and when she

hears she lies down in the street and screams, and Hans sits with her.

3. THE WAR MAKER :

After the funeral of Michael Holtzapfel,Lieselreads‗The Dream Carrier‘ toFrau Holtzapfelas

usual. Deathdescribes how busy he is with the Allies' bombing of Hamburg. Hitleris starting

to lose the war, but he doesn't scale back the fighting or the murder of Jews.

4. CHAPTER 4: WAY OF THE WORDS :

There is another group of Jews down Munich Street,Liesel recognizes Max. This time she

sees him, as he also searches the crowd for Liesel. Liesel feels her heart break and she steps

out into the road, calling for Max. They find each other and Max tells her he was caught on

his way to Stuttgart.

A soldier seesLieseland drags her away fromMax, throwing her to the ground. Liesel gets up

and then returns from a different direction. She finds Max again and quotesThe Word

Shakerto him. The world seems to stop. Then he is whipped again until he falls to the ground,

and the soldier whips Liesel several times.Rudyfinds her and helps her away,she fights him at

first, then she allows him to help her.

5. CONFESSIONS

Liesel tells Rudy aboutMaxand the days he spent in their the basement of their house after

making him promise many times to keep it a secret. Liesel wants Rudy to kiss her then, and

she realizes she has always loved him, but again nothing happens.Deathsays Rudy has a

month to live.

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6. ILSA HERMANN'S LITTLE BLACK BOOK

Lieselheads towards the mayor's house, hoping to steal another book. On the way she thinks

of a quote from‗The Last Human Stranger‘about the earth as a stew, but Liesel thinks instead

it should say "an uglystew." She looks at the beautiful Amper River and thinks about the

ugliness of humanity, and how it doesn't deserve such a river.

Lieselclimbs through the library window and sits on the floor. She thinks about all the horrors

she has seen, and aboutHitler, and she looks around at the beautiful books and hates them for

making her happy. Overwhelmed by her sadness and anger, Liesel calls the books "lovely

bastards" and starts ripping pages out and tearing them apart. She thinks about the words, and

how they gave Hitler his power, and wonders what value they could have.

After that, Lieselfeels guilty, and she writesto Frau Hermannan apologetic note mentioning

that she "wanted to kill the words" and saying she won't come back and then she leaves.

Three days laterIlsa Hermannshows up at the Hubermanns' door. She tells Lieselthat she can

write well, and gives her a little blanck notebook. Ilsa says that Liesel shouldn't punish herself

like she did, but should perhaps try writing a book of her own. Liesel invites her in and they

drink coffee together.

Deathexplains thatIlsahas given Lieselnot just a book, but a reason to see that words can also

be used for good. There will be pain but also happiness in words and in writing, just like life.

That night Liesel goes down to the basement and starts to write her own life story. The title

is‗The Book Thief‘ : a small story by Liesel Meminger.

7. THE RIB-CAGE PLANES

That first nightLieselwrites eleven pages, starting with her brother's death and finding‗The

Grave Digger's Handbook‘in the snow. Every night after that Liesel keeps writing. Sometimes

she interjects the story with present actions, like describingHansplay theaccordion, and how in

some ways heisan accordion, breathing and moving and making music .

Lieselis finished with her book by the timeDeathcomes for Himmel Street, but she is still in

the basement. Death wonders what she was doing when the first bombs fell, and he imagines

her looking at the painted sky and words on the basement wall, or rereading the last lines of

her own book –‗‘I have hated the words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them

right.‘‘

8. THE END OF THE WORLD (PART II)

The sirens start too late that night to warn of the air raid in time, and most of the residents of

Himmel Street are sleeping when the bombs fall.Death describes how he takes the souls of

Tommy Müller,Frau Holtzapfel,Frau Diller, the Fiedlers,Pfiffikus, and the Steiners. He comes

also for Rudy, Then he comes for the Hubermanns,Hans and Rosa. After the bombing Death

sees the men of the LSE pullLieselfrom the rubble .

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Lieselwanders around, confused because none of the buildings are there. She carries her book

with her, looking forHansandRosa. Then she sees the brokenaccordion and starts to accept

reality. She sees Rudy's body, and she drops her book and runs to him. She tells him she loves

him and kisses him, but he is already dead.

NextLieselfindsRosaandHans, and she repeats out loud her best memories, and she truly

breaks down at the sight of her Papa. She lays the accordionnext to his body and imagines

him standing and playing, and she thanks him for teaching her to read and saving her, and

promises she'll never drink champagne again. The men from the LSE take her away then,

andDeath see ‗The Book Thief‘ in the rubble. He rescues it as it is thrown into a garbage

truck.

VII. Characters

Death :the narrator of the story.It is initially sardonic,it has the sense of humor and it has

feelings for souls he collects.

Liesel Meminger :the protagonist of the story.An adopted girl with blonde hair and brown

eyes.She is fostered by the Hubermanns after her biological father abandons their family.Her

brother dies,and her mother is forced to send her to a foster home due to her political

belief(communism),which is forbidden at that time.She is the book thief referred to in the

title.She is fascinated by the power of words,as she said ‗I have hated the words and I have

loved them‘.She steals books from the Hermann‘s library.

Hans Hubermann(Papa) :Liesel‘s foster father,he is patient and gentle with her and is the

first adult able to win her trust.He helps others and his strong sense of right and wrong causes

him to act against his own best interests.

Rosa Hubermann(Mama) :Liesel‘s foster mother,unlike her husband,at first she was cold

and impatient.The story reveals through her treatment of Liesel,however,that beneath her

through exterior she is in fact kind and caring.

Max Vandenburg :the Hubermann‘s secret lodger.As he grows stronger,he reveals his

tremendous hate towards Hitler.From all the characters,he most understands Liesel‘s

experience and the two become not just friends,but soulmates.

Rudy Steiner :Liesel‘s best friend.He is athletic with his blond hair,blue eyes.He has

sensitivity and compassion.He is in love with Liesel and always there for her.

Alex Steiner :Rudy‘s father,he is initially to sacrifice his son to the Nazi training camp results

in his being drafted into the army.

Ilsa Hermann :the mayor‘s wife.At the start of the book she is so shattered by the death of

her son,but once she begins interacting with Liesel,she opens up and show sensitivity and

concerns.

Frau Holtzapfel :the Hubermann‘s neighbor.She is Rosa‘s enemy,she spits on the

Hubermann‘s door every time she passes.

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Trudy Hubermann :Rosa and Hans‘s daughter.She is not present in the novel,but it is clear

that she and her parents are not close.

Hans Hubermann Junior :Rosa‘s and Han‘s son.He is deeply patriotic.

Tommy Muller :Liesel and Rudy‘s classmates.Physically weak because of his bade ears,he is

often pathetic.

Arthur Berg :the first leader of the apple_stealing gang.

Victor Chemmel :the second leader of the apple_stealing gang.

Franz Deustscher :the leader of Rudy‘s Hitler youth group.He is a sadist who represents the

Nazi ideal.

VIII. Themes

Words and Propaganda

Liesel learns throughout the course of the novel that words hold a remarkable power to

compel people to commit acts of cruelty. At age 9, Liesel is illiterate, and the first book she

learns to read is a manual about grave digging. Learning to read brings Liesel closer to the

understanding that Hitler's propaganda is the root of his power and the reason why her

mother, father, and brother are dead. Max, who understands well the effect Hitler's

propaganda has had on his race, helps impart this lesson through his allegorical story "The

Word Shaker." The story describes Hitler's use of oratory to brainwash Germany and compel

German citizens to turn against the Jews; a young girl who understands the power of words is

capable of defying the Fuhrer through words of compassion and love. Reading -- particularly

reading Max's writings to her -- brings Liesel great joy throughout the novel, yet she despairs

after seeing Max on his way to a concentration camp, and rips up a book, wondering what

good words are. Ilsa gives Liesel a blank book and encourages her to write. Liesel ends up

writing the story of her life, ending with the line, "I have hated the words and I have loved

them, and I hope I have made them right." This line conveys Liesel's realization of the

manipulative power of words and indicates her attempt to master the art of writing for

compassionate use, to make words "right."

Thievery

Liesel's thievery is a form of defiance and self-actualization. By stealing a book from a book

burning, she defies Nazi censorship and takes her education into her own hands. When Ilsa

offers Liesel a book, Liesel refuses it because she is enraged at Ilsa for firing Liesel's foster

mother Rosa. Instead, Liesel breaks into Ilsa's home and steals the same book, later stealing

others. Ilsa realizes what Liesel has done and is amused by it; she "helps" Liesel steal from

her library by leaving her window open and placing books in visible locations. Ilsa is an

encouraging figure who desires to help Liesel continue to read, even if it must be on Liesel's

terms. Rudy and others steal food because they are hungry, yet Rudy is unable to burglarize a

wealthy home despite his anger over the Army having "stolen" his father.

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Humanity and Dehumanization

The novel shows the varying degrees of people‘s kindness and cruelty, from the slight to the

most extreme examples. Among the small acts of kindness we see are Ilsa Hermann inviting

Liesel into her library and Rudy giving the teddy bear to the dying pilot represent the kind end

of the spectrum. On the other hand, we see similar acts of cruelty, such as Viktor Chemmel‘s

and Franz Deutcher‘s treatment of Rudy. We also see far more dramatic examples of each.

The Hubermanns commit a great act of kindness in hiding and caring for Max. They keep him

alive at great risk to themselves and always treat him with the utmost respect. Notably, they

care for him not only physically by providing food and shelter but also emotionally, making

him feel like a part of the family. Liesel in particular is kind to Max, and the two develop a

strong bond. Given the political context of the time, with hatred and violence against Jews

being rampant, Max clearly finds Liesel‘s kindness to be extraordinary. Meanwhile, the

concentration camps linger unseen in the background of the book as the most extreme

example of cruelty.

IX. Motifs

Book and writing

Books and writing figure prominently in the novel, and several characters‘ lives are changed

or affected in some way by one or the other. In fact, three lives are saved through books or

writing. Max ironically receives the fake identity card that helps him survive in a copy of

MKPF, and then he reads the book for cover as he travels to Molching. Hans‘s life is saved

when he is recruited to write letters rather than go into a deadly battle with his platoon. Lastly,

at the end of the novel, Liesel escapes death in the bombing of Himmel Street because she is

writing her life story. On the other side of this equation, Liesel realizes her mother is most

likely dead when she fails to write back to Liesel. Writing also builds some of the

relationships in the story. Max‘s friendship with Liesel blossoms when he writes her a book

on the pages of ―Mein Kampf.‖ Liesel begins stealing books from Frau Hermann‘s library

after Frau Hermann gives her a letter apologizing for firing Rosa, and their friendship resumes

after Liesel writes an apology for destroying one of the books.

Darkness

At the beginning of the book, Death observes that people generally only notice color at dawn

and dusk—in other words, the end and beginning of darkness. Darkness, symbolizing

ignorance and despair, figures prominently throughout the book, from the dark basement of

the Hubermanns where Liesel learns to read, bringing the light of knowledge into the

darkness, to the dark closet where Max hides as he waits to leave Stuttgart. Because of Max‘s

profession, he creates darkness when he paints over peoples‘ blinds for black outs, so in this

sense the motif of darkness symbolizes safety, as well. Max can only look at the stars under

cover of darkness. But, in a book about reading, darkness is an obstacle, and Liesel and the

other characters must constantly fight the darkness if they want to see the words they read and

write.

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Stealing

The act of stealing appears repeatedly in the novel, beginning with Liesel taking the book

dropped by the gravedigger right at the start. As the novel progresses, Liesel as well as others

begin stealing more regularly. Liesel and Rudy join a band of boys who frequently take apples

and vegetables from a nearby orchard. They also cause a delivery boy to fall on his bike and

steal the food he was carrying. The most notable thefts, of course, are of books, earning Liesel

the nickname of the ―book thief.‖ Initially she just steals what she finds, like the book she

takes from the book burning held in celebration of Hitler‘s birthday. Later, the thieving

becomes more deliberate as she starts taking books from Ilsa Hermann‘s library. In the

context of the novel, these thefts aren‘t portrayed as crimes. Liesel and Rudy at first steal food

because they‘re literally almost starving, and eventually, stealing becomes an act of

empowerment. The Hermanns decision to stop using Rosa to do their washing made Liesel

feel helpless, and stealing from their library serves as a way for her to reclaim some small

measure of power. Rudy similarly feels empowered by the act, which is why he steals to cheer

himself up when he‘s had a string of hard defeats. For both characters, stealing is a way of

taking back some control over a world that is largely beyond their control.

X. Symbols

Books :much of the novel‘s symbolism derives from the books it features.For lots of

discussion,these books comment symbolically on Liesel and how book stealing functions as a

symbol of resistance against the Nazi regime.Sure it‘s theft(not usually good),but in this case

it is also rebellion,and that‘s something to be proud of.

Bread :giving bread is an act of selflessness in the novel.It represents the kindness of

people.When Max is hiding in the storeroom,his friend brings him bread to help keeping him

alive.Also,when Hans gives the Jewish prisoner bread as the Jews are marching through town

to Dachu.It‘s much bigger sacrifice in the sense that Hans knows he will be punished for

it,and in fact the is badly whipped as a result.Liesel and Rudy also give bread to the Jewish

prisoners while marching through town.

Adolf Hitler,The Swastika and The Nazi Flag :the most terrifying symbols ever.Hitler and

the Nazi Party used mass communication,like radio and print to involve the German people in

carrying out the Holocaust.Hitler reproduced in photos,films,and radio broadcasts,become

symbol of power and leadership for those who follow him,and a symbol of horror and terror

for his targets.Today,the Swastika featured in the Nazi flag,has come to symbolize Hitler,the

Holocaust and Nazism.The word ‗Swastika‘came from Sanskrit(an ancient language of

India)and means good fortune(source).Due to its misuse by Hitler,Swastika will be only

associated with evil for a long time.

The accordion : Hans Hubermann’s accordion represents hope, safety, and creativity for

Liesel. When she starts to read to the people of Himmel Street during the air raids, she feels

like reading out loud is her version of playing the accordion. The accordion means music in

spite of war, and entertainment and creativity in the face of suffering and death.

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Colors : Death spend all his time escorting dead people away from their bodies. So, it is no

wonder that he sees beauty wherever he can especially in the colors of the natural world. His

fascination with the colors of the sky functions as imagery and presents a vision of a universe.

It helps cast the mood of the story and creates much of the atmosphere. Death suggests that

there is a connection between person‘s death and the natural world.

XI. Color Theory in The Book Thief

Most people don't appreciate the ability to see colors because they consider it as a

"normal" ability. However, colors are very useful in our daily life. In fact, different brands use

different colors to fulfill their intentions. Many social networking logos, such as Facebook,

Twitter, and Flickr all contain the color blue, which is the color associated with trust and

dependency. So, what is the color theory ?

The color theory is a theory that revolves around the idea of colors meaning. It explains

that every color has its own set of emotions, meanings, and even connections to everyday

objects. This theory really allows artist, graphic designers, and even writers to give more

meaning to every piece of their work.

The color wheel :

Many different color wheels have been created for their own unique necessity. One color

theory wheel, which is used by many different professions, is the designer‘s wheel. This

wheel contains the meaning of different colors. It contains different common meanings for

each color. These different color wheels allow for the creator to put more meaning behind

each fragment of their final product. The different color wheels allow for a wide variety

emotions with every different color.

Not only artists who can use colors to portray a certain emotion in their works. writers,

too, use many different elements to give meaning to their stories. One of these elements is

color, which is not just there to create a mental image for the reader, but to also convey a

deeper meaning. One book that can be easily recognized for this is The Book Thief by

Markus Zusak. In the book thief, Death is the actual narrator, which produces a very unique

perspective throughout the story. As Death continues to read through Liesel's life story, the

reader is given glimpses of his own life story. These glimpses present a new perspective of

people through Death's eyes, which is what allows for the color theory to exist in The Book

Thief. So, what does Death's perspective have to do with the color theory?

In Mark Zusak's The book Thief, Death views humans in a much different way. Instead

of viewing them first by their looks, first impression, etc., he sees each human being as a color

before anything else. Death explains his job and explains in the beginning that he uses the

colors to distract him of his job, "It takes the edge off the stress. It helps me

relax...Needless to say, I vacation in increments. In colors." (Zusak, 4-5). When Death

begins to collect the spirits of the people, he tries to only notice the colors that surround him,

which contain different meanings. This is where the main use of the color theory can be seen

throughout The Book Thief.

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When Death reaches Himmel street to collect the souls of everyone close to Liesel, Zusak

writes, "The last time I saw here was red. The sky was like soup, boiling and stirring. In

some places, it was burned. there were black crumbs, and pepper, streaked across the

redness." (Zusak, 12). So, the sky was like a boiling, red soup. If this was to be compared to

a color wheel, it would be clearly connected to two different emotions, danger and love,

which were both present as Liesel's world fell apart.

In the summer of 1942, Death arrives to carry the Jewish souls and Zusak writes,

"Summer Came...For me, the sky was the color of Jews...When their fingernails had

scratched at the wood and in some cases were nailed into it by the sheer force of

desperation, their spirits came towards me...we climbed out of those shower facilities..."

(Zusak, 349). When carrying the Jews, Death's description of the yellow sky correlates to the

feelings of fright, uncertainty, and apprehension. The use of yellow in this situation really

allows to understand the Jew's emotions as death continuously appears around them.

Death's perspective is very unique because he views people much differently than humans

do. He first sees the colors of the people, which is essentially seeing their feelings. This

allows him to really see them for who they are rather than what they look like. Such a

perspective enables him understanding everyone much better. May be all society needs is to

view everyone just like Death does.