10th Grade Summer Reading: Entry #2

          The Book Thief by Markus Zusak has an extremely diverse set of main characters that all have different roles and objectives in the plot.  One of these characters is the book thief herself.  The reason Liesel is called the book thief is quite self-explanatory even though her intent is not remotely identical to one of the common thief.  Her intent is not to steal for gain of money or possessions, but rather for education and her interest in books even though she struggles to read.  She is a 10 year old girl who just wants to learn how to read and write so reading books is the best way for her to accomplish her goal.  Rosa Hubermann (Liesel’s foster mother) may seem strict and mean, but her intentions are very selfless.  Her goal is to provide extra income for the family in the hard times during the war and do chores around the house that Liesel helps her with such as cooking, cleaning and laundry.  She provides laundry services to the neighbors to get the little bit of extra income that the family needs in the harsh times.  Hans Hubermann (Liesel’s foster father) has two main desires.  These desires include bringing in money to the family by painting and comforting Liesel.  He was the first person to reach out and help Liesel get used to her new home early on in the book by welcoming her and calming her during her nightmares.  He also wants to help Liesel increase her knowledge of reading and writing,  “Papa would say a word and the girl (Liesel) would have to spell it aloud and then paint it on the wall, as long as she got it right” (Zusak 72).  Lastly, Rudy Steiner had similar intentions as Hans except in different context.  Rudy the first kid to comfort and welcome Liesel into her new environment and often stood up for her when other kids made fun of her due to her inability to read.

            While reading this book I have noticed many themes that are starting to develop, but there are two main ones that have been most prevalent throughout the story.  The first theme I have noticed may sound quite cliché, but it really opens the readers eyes to what life was like for many Germans.  This theme is, seek out what both sides are like before you judge either of them”.  Unlike most books about Germany during WWII, this book is about a family and a group of people that are not Jewish.  This book has showed me that some Germans did not practice anti-Semitism and that most German’s lives were not a walk in the park by any means. It also showed me that Germany under Hitler was not that amazing for the citizens either.  Another theme I noticed is, knowledge is not only power, but is also commonly taken for granted by many as well.  This is shown by the fact that Liesel treats the three books she has like three million dollars and that most people today see reading and school as more of a chore than a privilege.

            The Book Thief has a structure that is an offset compared to many other books.  Like many books, the story is told in chronological order.  However, the difference is that there are often flashbacks and flash-forwards throughout the story.  The reason for these flashback and flash-forwards are to explain an event or thing mentioned earlier in the book and to help fill in the gaps in the story line.

            

Himmel Street (Liesel's Home/Average German's home):