THE BOOK THIEF - MARCUS ZUSACK - ANALYTICAL ESSAY

Brutality and Beauty are both aspects of the human spirit and therefore are evident in society and have been through the ages. History can be examined to bring forth examples of both, often side by side, often in times of great destruction such as in times of war. In the novel, The Book Thief, Marcus Zusak explores and compares the juxtaposition between great brutality and beauty in the human spirit evident in the German town of Molching during WW2. The author demonstrates how the characters in the novel can overcome cruelty and ruthlessness with acts of extraordinary kindness and humaneness. This is shown through the novel with Max and Liesel’s friendship, when Hans gives one of the Jewish camp prisoners a piece of bread and when Rosa and Hans protect Max from the Nazis. Zusak illustrates that a human’s capacity for hope is difficult to destroy regardless of the circumstances.

Throughout The Book Thief, Max and Liesel’s friendship is developed amidst war and suffering. Given the circumstances of the time and Max’s background, they still manage to develop a special bond between the two of them. This is made evident several times in the novel including when Max gives Liesel the book, The Standover Man for her birthday. This story that Max writes himself defines the significance of their friendship, as he says in the story; ‘Now we are friends, this girl and me’. He illustrates and expresses his love and friendship with Liesel by comparing their dreams with each other as they have both have this in common. It also allows Max to ‘understand that the best standover man I’ve known isn’t a man at all...’, so his friendship with Liesel helps him uncover things he wouldn’t have been able to without her. Furthermore, the message that Zusak is trying send is that friendships can still be made no matter what the circumstances are.

Zusak shows that regardless of the cruelty and brutality of humanity, beauty can always overcome brutality somehow. This is evident when Hans gives one of the starving Jewish camp prisoners a piece of bread when they are marched through Molching on their way to the Dachau death camp. When Hans ‘held his hand out and presented a piece of bread, like magic’ to the Jew it symbolises the beauty amongst all the war and suffering. This was a very risky decision that Hans made and despite the fact that he regretted it afterwards and asked himself ‘what was I thinking?’. Hans was possibly more concerned with the danger to which he had exposed his wife Rosa and his ward Liesel. Such a character as Hans was not concerned with his own safety even in the face of the brutality of the German prison guards.

Offering asylum to a Jew during the time of the Holocaust was what some would see as either an act of great bravery or great stupidity. Hans owed the Jew Max's father a great favour accrued in WW1. Hans had always promised to repay a debt, and thus Max arrived on his doorstep in his attempt to avoid being sent to a concentration camp in Hitler's campaign to rid Europe of Jews so the Aryan race would not be sullied. The Hubermanns offer Max love and friendship in contrast to the hatred the general populace shows Jews in response to Hitler's edicts. in Rosa accepts Max without considering turning him away. Even though her character is presented as brusque, foulmouthed and impatient, she has a good heart. Sheltering Max puts the whole family in danger of being shot as traitors, but Max lives as comfortably as possible in the freezing basement, never venturing outside except if the air raid siren goes off. In 1933, 90 percent of Germans showed unflinching support for Adolph Hitler. That leaves 10 percent who didn't. Hans Hubermann belonged to that ten percent. (10.9) The beauty of this harbouring of a Jew in the time of the Holocaust was an act of breathtaking bravery in the face of Nazi brutality, showering hope on Max who was in a hopeless situation.

Markus Zusack demonstrates how the characters in The Book Thief overcome cruelty and ruthlessness with acts of extraordinary kindness and humaneness. Max and Liesel’s friendship is heartwarming in the face of the brutality occurring outside the relative safety of the basement. Hans' extraordinary act of kindness in the face of great danger when giving one of the Jewish camp prisoners a piece of bread and showed great beauty in the face of great brutality. It was a kind act punishable by death, but Rosa and Hans protect Max from the Nazis. In his novel, Zusak illustrates that a human’s capacity for hope is difficult to destroy regardless of the circumstances. As the narrator Death himself says that humans are capable of both brutal and beautiful things.

This essay does not generally have referenced quotes. You will need to find some for your essay.

This essay is compiled using Anti Essay and Denise Covey's input. 

http://www.antiessays.com/free-essays/The-Book-Thief-87478.html

THE BOOK THIEF - MARCUS ZUSAK - LITERARY TECHNIQUES - ACTIVITIES

FRAU Diller was a sharp-edged woman with fat glasses and a nefarious glare. She developed this evil look to discourage the very idea of stealing from her shop, which she occupied with soldier-like posture, a refrigerated voice and even breath that smelled like Heil Hitler. The shop itself was white and cold, and completely bloodless. The small house compressed beside it shivered with a little more severity than the other buildings on Himmel Street. Frau Diller administered this feeling, dishing it out as the only free item from her premises. She lived for her shop and her shop lived for the Third Reich. Even when rationing started later in the year, she was known to sell certain hard-to-get items under the counter and donate the money to the Nazi Party. On the wall behind her usual sitting position was a framed photo of the Führer. If you walked into her shop and didn't say Heil Hitler, you wouldn't be served.

(Zusack, pp.55-56)

READ THE ABOVE PASSAGE FROM 'THE BOOK THIEF', THEN ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS:

1. What sort of a person do you think Frau Diller is from the description in this passage? Quote from the passage to justify your answer.
2. What does 'a sharp-edged woman' mean?
3. What literary technique is used in 'fat glasses'?
4. The author says: 'The shop itself was white and cold, and completely bloodless.' Why do you think he described the shop in such a way? 
5. What literary technique is used in this passage: 'The small house compressed beside it shivered with a little more severity...' 
6. Can a small house 'shiver'? Why does the author use this term?
7. What was the Third Reich? (You may have to google this one if you don't study history).
8. What term do we use for goods bought under-the-counter?
9. Who was the Führer? Why was he referred to as such?
10. What was the significance of the Heil Hitler salute? 

THE BOOK THIEF - MARCUS ZUSAK - NOVEL - VOCABULARY

Vocabulary Study Sheet

The Book Thief

Markus Zusak

(cover the right side of the sheet to quiz yourself)

alleviate alleviate the pain to lessen something that is bad -- especially to lessen pain amiable She seemed an ideal candidate--attractive, amiable, intelligent and energetic. friendly and kindly audacious It was an audacious act of piracy. bold and daring (inclined to take risks) -- especially in violating social convention in a manner that could offend others castigate She praises and castigates without hesitation. to criticize severely contempt -- as in: feels contempt towards him Familiarity breeds contempt. lack of respect -- often accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike or disgust daunt a challenge that would daunt a lesser diplomat to discourage or intimidate deride Critics derided her as unprofessional. laugh at or make fun of--while showing a lack of respect deter Tax uncertainty deters investment. try to prevent; or prevent disdain She tries to be polite, but cannot hide her disdain for authority. a lack of respect -- often suggesting distaste and an undeserved sense of superiority or: to reject as not good enough diverse The college wants a diverse student body. varied (different) -- especially with regard to ideas or members of a population group dubious She was dubious about agreeing to come with us. doubtful; or suspicious; or full of uncertainty eccentric The home was built and then abandoned by an eccentricbillionaire. unconventional or strange; or a person with such traits emulate It wasn`t just that she copied her older sister`s hairstyle. She tried to emulate her in every way. imitate (copy) futile a futile effort doomed form the start effort that is pointless because it is unproductive or unsuccessful Hitler -- as in: Adolf Hitler Hitler killed disabled children as his first action of "racial hygiene." He pretended to end the program when the public protested. German Nazi dictator during World War II; murdered millions of Jews and others who were not of the Aryan race (1889-1945) immutable immutable laws of physics not subject or susceptible to change incessant a child`s incessant questions continuous -- often in an annoying way indulgent indulgent parents risk spoiling their children treat with extra kindness or tolerance or: enjoy excessively inevitable It is as inevitable as death and taxes. certain to happen (even if one tried to prevent it) innate She has an innate musical talent that cannot be taught. of a quality: present at birth; or arising from within rather than having been learned or acquired innocuous She made some innocuous comments while being careful not to hurt anyone`s feelings. unlikely to harm or disturb irony -- as in: situational irony the irony of acting like the father he detested when what happens is very different than what might be expected -- especially when amusing or an entertaining coincidence irony -- as in: verbal irony She was being ironic when she said she couldn`t wait to see you again. saying or writing one thing, while meaning the opposite or something else -- usually as humor or sarcasm Judaism Jerusalem is a holy city for Judaism, Christianity and Islam. the oldest of the three major monotheistic religions -- having its spiritual and ethical principles embodied chiefly in the Torah and in the Talmud morose She drank alone in the corner, looking morose. unhappy -- often with a withdrawn personality Nazi There are still racists who call themselves Nazis today. a member of the National Socialist German Workers` Party -- typically in reference to the fanatical party during Adolph Hitler`s reign who thought they were superior to all others or more rarely: derogatory term for a person who is fanatical in their belief of superiority and their determination to control others prudent She was promoted to manager because she is so prudent. sensible and careful scrutiny She scrutinized her reflection in the mirror. careful examination of something stoic She suffered quietly, courageously, with a stoic acceptance of her illness. seeming unaffected by pleasure, pain, or emotions trepidation She began her first day at the new school with sometrepidation. fear or anxiety about what will happen

THE BOOK THIEF - NOVEL - SCHMOOP INTRODUCTION

IN A NUTSHELL...

Based on its title, you might think that The Book Thief is a spy thriller or a Holmes-style detective story.  But really, this is the emotional story of a young girl living in Nazi Germany during the Holocaust.  Yep, a ten-year-old girl is the title's thief.

The Book Thief was first published in Australia in 2005 and in the US in 2006. It's Australian author Markus Zusak's fifth novel, and it emerged on the scene when Zusak was only thirty years old. Winning a slew of awards, mostly in the Young Adult category, and selling at least a million copies,The Book Thief is monumentally increasing this young author's fame.

Liesel Meminger, a young German girl growing up in Nazi Germany, is the star of the show. She's also the chief book thief in the novel, which is narrated by Death. When Liesel's foster parents decide to give refuge to a young Jewish man hiding from the Nazi regime, the characters grow and change in horrible and beautiful ways.

Zusak took over three years to complete the piece and even went to Munich, Germany to research some of the finer points. He tackles all sorts of dicey issues concerning one of the most difficult topics ever – the Holocaust. This is the name for the large scale persecution and murder of some six million Jews along with other people considered "undesirable" by the Nazis.

Zusak's parents grew up in Germany during World War II and shared their stories of these times with Zusak. According to a review in the Guardian:

Zusak […] has said that writing the book was inspired by two real-life events related to him by his German parents: the bombing of Munich, and a teenage boy offering bread to an emaciated Jew being marched through the streets, ending with both boy and Jewish prisoner being whipped by a soldier. (source)

You'll see definite echoes of the whipping incident in several crucial points in the novel, and you can read more details about the story Zusak heard here. In interviews, Zusak discusses an additional inspiration for the novel – tales of a real book thief in Zusak's hometown of Sydney, Australia (source).

At times hilarious (believe it or not), at times heartbreaking, The Book Thief is rich and creative. It's a heartfelt reminder of the power of words – they can destroy or heal, depending on how we use them.

The Book Thief, by Markus Zusack - BOOK REVIEW

Markus Zusak has not really written "Harry Potter and the Holocaust." It just feels that way. "The Book Thief" is perched on the cusp between grown-up and young-adult fiction, and it is loaded with librarian appeal. It deplores human misery. It celebrates the power of language. It may encourage adolescents to read. It has an element of the fanciful. And it's a book that bestows a self-congratulatory glow upon anyone willing to grapple with it.

Bronwyn Rennix

Markus Zusak

THE BOOK THIEF
By Markus Zusak
Illustrated. 552 pages. Alfred A. Knopf. $16.95

"The Book Thief" resembles other, better novels that have been widely popular. Its roundabout approach to the Holocaust suggests "Everything Is Illuminated" Lite. Its embattled, feisty young heroine has a Potterish appeal as she makes her way through a mystifying adult world. There is a Vonnegut whimsy to the mordant turns of fate here. And Mr. Zusak's narrator offers constant manipulative asides, as in the clever Lemony Snicket books, although in this case wit is not much of an option. The narrator is Death.

How can a tale told by Death be mistaken for young-adult storytelling? Easily: because this book's narrator is sorry for what he has to do. "To me, war is like the new boss who expects the impossible," he confides, on one of many occasions when he campaigns to win readers' approval. "You see?" he says, about the demise of one of the book's best-liked characters. "Even death has a heart."

The youthful sensibility of "The Book Thief" also contributes to a wider innocence. While it is set in Germany during World War II and is not immune to bloodshed, most of this story is figurative: it unfolds as symbolic or metaphorical abstraction. The dominoes lined up on its cover are compared to falling bodies. The book thief of the title is a schoolgirl named Liesel Meminger, and the meaning of her stealing is not left unexplained. She has been robbed of a brother, who dies at the start of the book. Her mother disappears, and then Liesel is left in foster care. A great deal has been taken away from her. She steals books to settle the score.

The first book taken by Liesel offers a sampling of Mr. Zusak's real but easily oversold charm. It is called "The Grave Digger's Handbook," and is subtitled "A Twelve-Step Guide to Grave-Digging Success." Liesel finds it at the cemetery where her brother is buried. And it becomes her link to the past, even after she is put in the care of Rosa and Hans Hubermann, whose household is colorful to the point of dangerous whimsy. Hans finds life-affirming ways to play the accordion, for example.

Liesel lives in a town called Molching, which is close enough to Munich for its residents to see Jews being sent to the Dachau concentration camp nearby. Since Liesel is Lutheran, she is not in any danger of sharing this fate, although the effects of the war on Germans are strongly felt. But Liesel finds herself forced into a Hitler Youth uniform. And perversely, the Führer's "Mein Kampf" becomes one of the books that are important in her life.

Mr. Zusak does his imaginative best to make sure that no Nazi touchstone like "Mein Kampf" is treated in a predictable way. Hitler's book first helps to save a young Jewish man named Max Vandenburg, who is hidden by the Hubermanns. Then, with its pages turned blank by white paint, it is transformed into an entirely different book altogether. And it helps to forge an everlasting connection between Liesel and Max.

"The Book Thief" is a long, winding tale, punctuated by Death's commentary. ("By the way — I like this human idea of the grim reaper. I like the scythe. It amuses me.") Most of it is confined to Molching and has a coyly claustrophobic outlook. As Liesel and her best friend, Rudy Steiner, trade dubious endearments (most of which translate as "You filthy pig!"), they also commit small, meaningful acts of defiance against the Nazi regime. Even transgressions as tiny as the stealing of apples are woven and rewoven into the story.

"So much good, so much evil," Death says of human nature. "Just add water." Beyond its many variations on that idea, "The Book Thief" adds up to a string of anecdotes that are tinged with quiet horror. At its most effective, the book's tone can be terrifyingly matter of fact. "For the book thief, everything was going nicely," Death observes, as the extermination camps flourish in the summer of 1942. "For me, the sky was the color of Jews."

It's possible to be overwhelmed and impressed by such moments in Mr. Zusak's novel. It's also possible to wish there were more of them, that their impact were sharper, and that the book were less fussy, more certain of its own strength.

To be sure, "The Book Thief" attempts and achieves great final moments of tear-jerking sentiment. And Liesel is a fine heroine, a memorably strong and dauntless girl. But for every startlingly rebellious episode — Rudy's Führer-baiting impersonation of the black American athlete Jesse Owens, the building of an indoor snowman for a Jew in hiding, the creation of books and drawings that frame Liesel and Max's experiences as life-affirming fairy tales — there are moments that are slack.

"The Book Thief" will be appreciated for Mr. Zusak's audacity, also on display in his earlier "I Am the Messenger." It will be widely read and admired because it tells a story in which books become treasures. And because there's no arguing with a sentiment like that.

By JANET MASLIN

If you'd like to compare covers of The Book Thief from around the world, check out this link...It is amazing how different countries see things different ways. There are 35 different covers for this book.

CREATIVE WRITING - VIGNETTE - WHAT IS A VIGNETTE - EXAMPLE

What is a vignette?

Vignette is a word that originally meant "something that may be written on a vine-leaf".  In literature it may refer to: short, impressionistic scenes that focus on one moment or give a particular insight into a character, idea, or setting.

A vignette is a short, well written sketch or descriptive scene. It does not have a plot which would make it a story, but it does reveal something about the elements in it. It may reveal character, or mood or tone. It may have a theme or idea of its own that it wants to convey. It is the description of the scene or character that is important.

EXAMPLE OF A VIGNETTE 

YEAR 11 TASK BASED ON THE WRITING STYLE OF 'THE BOOK THIEF' by Marcus Zusack

EARLY DRAFT IS POSTED HERE

~A thing about Death~
More than just a creature behind a cloak

I arrive at a house where the glass is shattered all over the wooden floor. I proceed to the kitchen where I see a body lying near the breakfast bar. The motionless body is in a puddle of blood, which is slowly creeping into the man’s clothing and transforming it into a red cloak which slowly attaches itself to the stationary body. It is evident that this man’s soul has been thrown straight into my arms by another’s actions.

 As I lean over and pick up the man’s blood-soaked soul, I can feel the innocent soul struggling to get out of my palms. I place my hand slowly over his cold soul and calm him down into a deep sleep for his next adventure. As I walk out the empty dark corridor, I think to myself, “How could human beings still stand each other when one kills another and throws them into my palm like throwing a ball in the playground”.

With the shattered soul heavy in my hands, I continue to my next appointment. I have to pick up and old lady’s soul, but she’s not quite ready yet. I don’t have far to go, just up the street. I see a crowd has gathered.

I walk through the crowd enjoying the questioning looks on the faces that feel me but can’t see me. What have I here? A rowdy group of school kids. Must be from the school across the road that I’ve paid a visit to. I remember those uniforms – blue and grey, just like in the American civil war.Not much fight in these kids though.

They’re all leaning over an old lady on the ground, looking as broken as the concrete footpath. At first I had thought this was a result on another human being’s actions but instead the kids were trying to help. She was a sad picture lying there, long grey coat open on the ground, her red scarf lying like a snake and her grey fur hat toppling down the sloping road. One of the kids was running around collecting groceries which fell from the shopping bag. Luckily, the lights were red and the cars waited patiently for the green light. Why don’t the drivers get out and help? Humans are so selfish.

I walk over and peer into the nearest car. All I see is a driver muttering to himself and bashing the steering wheel – as if that’s going to help. The light turns green and the impatient driver steps on the accelerator. He would have run straight over the old lady’s head if it wasn’t for the smart student with his arm out stretched with the other waving cars on.

I turn around to see one of the blue and grey students taking of his jumper, folding it, then placing it under the old lady’s head. Maybe they’re going to save her soul.

I see that one of the boys have distanced themselves from the crowd and taken the phone out of his pocket. He dials three consecutive numbers and holds it to his ear. His voice is loud and panicky, and I hear him saying “an old lady is hurt at Boundary Street, across from Brisbane State High School, come as quick as possible”. He slips the phone back into his pocket and rejoins the group.

With the help of these boys, I may leave empty handed. Not that I would complain.

I hear it before I see it – a lumbering white truck with an orange stripe down both sides and whirring lights on the roof. It screeches to a stop beside the lady and two officers dressed in white emerge from inside the vehicle. The pair of men separate and one of them kneels beside the lady to assess the situation, while the other runs to the back of the truck to obtain the stretcher and medicine bag, before quickly joining his fellow officer.

One of them reaches into the black bag and draws out a rubbery paraphernalia. He places it around the lady’s arm and begins to pump. Nodding his head, he reaches into the bag again and places a mask over the injured woman’s face. The officers look at each other and nod in agreement.

“step back everybody, this lady needs air”.

I always thought school boys were disobedient, but the crowd magically disperses, worried looks on their faces.

I was wondering what was going to happen next when I heard both of the officers shout in unison. “One! Two! Three! Lift!” The old lady was on the stretcher. Just a few steps and they rolled her into the back of the white truck. One jumped into the back with the lady, while the other hurried to the driver’s seat. He didn't forget to yell to the boys – “Be proud of yourselves, you helped save a life today.”

The ambulance tore up the road and sirens blaring, lights whirring.

The boys in grey and blue huddle together slapping each other across the back, proud of themselves. “Better hurry or we’ll be late for class”.

I hope they aren’t late for class after saving someone’s life.

Perhaps I better follow that ambulance just in case. Today I have seen both the best and worst in humans.