Worth a read: "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak
Nazi Germany from Death's point of view
Death. Is it really the enemy?
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is a novel about an orphan named Liesel Meminger who is a German girl growing up in Nazi Germany. To begin with, Liesel goes through a lot as a little child becoming a teenager, she’s facing a situation where she has to learn the ropes of living in constant fear. Her mother is a communist and hence, taken to a concentration camp, while Liesel and her brother get sent to live with a foster family in Munich. Her brother dies in Liesel’s arms on the train on the way and she begins her book thievery adventure by taking the book called The Gravedigger's Handbook, which the two gravediggers of his brother’s grave drop while digging. Liesel meets new people and discovers different values that teach her what’s really significant in life. She gradually grows up to become a mature woman who is not reluctant to build intimate relationships, from an indifferent girl who used to maintain a silent attitude towards everyone. She gains consciousness of the things surrounding her. The book touches on a lot of topics, from the transformation of the protagonist to the agonizing life conditions of not only a Jew but also an ordinary German family living in the era of Nazis. In other words, several themes such as friendship, death, and the power of words, are depicted effectively through this touching story.
Primarily, friendship is one theme that is exceedingly emphasized throughout the novel. For instance, at the beginning of the novel when Liesel initially arrives at “Himmel Street”, she displays acts of extreme shyness however afterward, develops friendlier relationships with people she encounters. To explain further with an illustration of a scene, Liesel doesn’t respond to her foster mother, Rosa Hubermann, when she welcomes her right after Liesel enters the Hubermann house for the first time and runs into her. In the early stages, Rosa appears as an aggravating and enraged character with her constant cursing. She calls Liesel names such as Saumensch, of which the English translation is “pig girl”. Their relationship starts with frowns and scowls but develops into mutual love and care, which is a form of friendship. One more example of friendship is the intimate relationship between Max Vandenburg and Liesel. Max is the son of Hans Hubermann’s friend who died. He is a 23-year-old young Jew. When the Gestapo -the Nazi Police- come over to his house where he lives with his mom to arrest them, he manages to run away and tries to find Hans, according to an address his father gave him years ago. Although Hans, Liesel’s foster father, is a German and not a Jew, he doesn’t support the warped ideology of Führer; therefore, he and Rosa takes Max to their houses and hide him. When he is living with the Hubermanns, Liesel stays with him virtually all the time unless she’s outside. Max can’t go upstairs when it’s morning, so Liesel goes downstairs and describes the weather to him. “The sky is blue today Max,” she reports. They both speak about their deep feelings about Hitler and all the things going on in the world. Through their little interactions, Liesel becomes aware of the value of small joys. What’s more, Max knows Liesel is fond of reading and books, therefore, he even writes her a short book to her representing their valuable friendship. After all of the streets get bombed, Liesel is the only survivor of Himmel Street. In the meanwhile, Max survives the concentration camp after getting caught. They reunite later on in her life when WW II is finally over. Moreover, the moment Max shows up in the Hubermann house, Rosa is inclined to treat him as if he was her own son. The reader is able to observe her kind and loving side, as she does anything in her power to hide and protect Max from danger. This also raises the respect Rosa has in Liesel’s eyes, which contributes to their friendly relationship. In short, through the relationships of various characters, friendship is a significant value depicted in this book.
The novel shows how people were labeled as being “Jews” and viciously treated during that time.
Everyone faced tough experiences. Throughout the book, we follow death delve into humans' lives and learn about the kindness and cruelty of humans. It also touches on the realistic fact that not only Jews but people who helped them also suffered. As readers, people examine the hardships Liesel endures on her journey with words like her fellow travelers. However, this story doesn’t only give insight into how the environment and people were in those times but it also teaches the reader timeless values and enhances their reading experiences by teaching them what the essential things in life are.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak depicts various themes and greatly affects people because almost everyone can find a piece of themselves in this story of a young girl struggling in Nazi Germany.