His mother is asleep when death comes onto the train. Death highlights the darkness of humanity in this chapter, describing the misery of the jews as they marched. To death, war does not serve as a friend but an employer, and a demanding one at that. Taught to read by her kindhearted foster father, the girl begins borrowing. A parade of jews marches through molching on its way to dachau, a nazi concentration camp. A summary of part ten in markus zusaks the book thief. It is a story about the power of friendship and imagination, and yes love. The book thief featurette bringing history to life 20 geoffrey rush movie hd duration. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of the book thief and what it means. Told from the perspective of death, it follows his observations of one girl, the book thief, and her childhood in nazi germany. The group of jews passes down munich street, and death sees them as a procession of death colors. I wanted to ask her how the same thing could be so ugly and so. On page 394395 hans hubermann shows compassion for the jews that are on the death march by offering one of the men a piece of bread, in front the. After the death of her younger brother on a train to the fictional town of molching, germany on the outskirts.
Narrated by death, the book thief is the story of liesel meminger, a nineyearold german girl who given up by her mother to live with hans and rosa hubermann in the small town of molching in 1939, shortly before world war ii. The film is based on the 2005 novel of the same name by markus zusak and adapted by michael petroni. March 2016 marks the 10year anniversary of the publication of markus zusaks the book thief. I also liked that the book shows the germans side of the holocaust. The book thief was released on bluray and dvd on march 11, 2014. The book thief by markus zusak tuesday, april 20, 2010. Soon she is stealing books from nazi bookburnings, the mayors wifes library, wherever they are to be found. Maybe, if more people read the book thief death would make fewer appearances on the all those top ten lists. The book thief cliffsnotes study guides book summaries. The role of theme in the novel the theme in the novel the book thief enhances the importance of the external and internal conflicts that young lisesel the protagonist faces. What does the act of book thievery teach liesel about life and death.
For another, death is in some ways pretty humanespecially considering how inhumane a lot of the homo sapiens running around in the book thief are. Its january 1939, and ten year old liesel is traveling by train with her mother and her little brother werner. The young adult novel, narrated by the character death, has received tremendous acclaim, including a printz honor, the book sense book of the year award for childrens literature and the sydney taylor book award from the association of jewish libraries. Then, the book thief, whose name is liesel meminger, sees that her brother, werner, has died. In markus zusaks the book thief, death is made to seem or resemble humans. Set in germany in the years 19391943, the book thief tells the story of liesel, narrated by death who has in his possession the book she wrote about these years. When her foster father helps her learn to read and she discovers the power of words, liesel begins stealing books from nazi book. Death himself narrates the world war iiera story of liesel meminger from the time she is taken, at age nine, to live in molching, germany, with a foster family in a workingclass.
It was adapted into a 20 feature film of the same name. It is perhaps death himself, thoughdespite all his awful collecting of soulswhose resistance is the. The book thief is narrated by death yup, you heard that right who tells us the story of liesel meminger. Death relates that himmel street will soon be bombed and he will pay a visit to collect the souls of the victims, which will include rudy, rosa, hans. April 2, 2006 nprs john ydstie interviews markus zusak, author of the book thief, a novel set in world war ii germany with death himself as the narrator. Read a plot overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter summary and analysis. The book thief is a 20 war drama film directed by brian percival and starring geoffrey rush. Fiction 14 comments zusak has created a work that deserves the attention of sophisticated teen and adult readers. Kintsugi in the bible phinney ridge lutheran church. The book thief is a historical novel by australian author markus zusak and is his most popular work published in 2005, the book thief became an international bestseller and was translated into 63 languages and sold 16 million copies. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. The jews were forced to walk great distances without food or water.
How does stealing books from the mayors house lead to a friendship with the mayors wife. A while later, liesel sees max among a group of prisoners and joins him in the march, ignoring a soldiers order to step. Death has never been busier, and will be busier still. I feel in love with liesel and death as the narrator was really unique and intriguing. The book thief part ten and epilogue summary and analysis. With one eye open, one still in a dream, the book thiefalso known as liesel. Death is a very wellknown figure that is feared by many in all countries. He is suspected of being cruel, disturbing and all synonyms of horrifying. The book thief isnt just a story about a girl growing up, or a story about world war ii and the holocaust. Nominated as one of americas bestloved novels by pbss the great american read.
Liesel meminger is a young girl growing up outside of munich in nazi germany, and death tells her story as an attempta flying jump of an attemptto prove to me that you, and your human existence, are worth it. The book thief by markus zusak tuesday, march 16, 2010. March 28, 2015 i think that this book was wonderful to read. Since liesel has nobody left, the police hold her, not sure what to do with her. Death is inevitable and that is the most fearing aspect of his persona. Liesel meminger is a foster girl living outside of munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by. Liesel stands with rudy and her papa while they watch the emaciated, sickly jews walk down the street.
He was constantly whistling a tune called the radetzky march, and all the kids in town would. Why were liesel and her brother werner supposed to be placed in foster care in january 1939. Explain how liesels own attempt to write a book saves her life. The long walk to dachau in markus zusaks the book thief. By her brothers graveside, liesels life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. See a complete list of the characters in the book thief and indepth analyses of liesel meminger, max vandenburg, hans hubermann, and rudy. But dont go cowering under the covers on his account. With the help of her accordionplaying foster father, liesel learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids. For one thing, death aint the bad guy that would be hitler. Explain rudys reaction when he discovers that liesel is a book thief. Liesels story, named the book thief finishes with the words, i hated the words, and loved them, and i hope i have made them right. The film is about a young girl living with her adoptive german family during the nazi era. He has successfully illustrated how words are a vital part of human existence and give us huge power to do good and evil.
Teach your students to analyze literature like litcharts does. Their mother is taking them to a town near munich to foster parents. World war ii was a grave event in the twentieth century that affected millions. The book thief tells the story of preworld war ii by death daily. The group of jews passes down munich street, and death sees them as a procession of deathcolors. Death explains the distinction between what people think about warand about death and the reality. In the novel, the book thief narrator, death, sees the world, people, and events in colors. In many ways, the book thief is a novel about words. The book thief by markus zusak book club discussion. Markus zusak quotes quotable quote they say that war is deaths best friend, but i must offer you a different point of view on that one. Meanwhile, they were taunted, provoked, and beaten into submission. What was the relationship between erik vandenburg and hans hubermann.
It describes a young girls relationship with her foster parents, the other residents of their neighborhood, and a jewish fistfighter who hides in her home during the escalation of world war ii. The book thief also offers an existentiallyaltering new scope for the genre. To me, war is like the new boss who expects the impossible. The book thief is a story about the power of words and the ability of books to feed the soul. Death itself narrates liesels journey, offering the perspective of a universal handyman exasperated by humanitys. And even as those she most loves are dying, she writes down their storiesstories death steals from her, book thief to book thief, and shares with us. This image released by 20th century fox shows nico liersch, from left, sophie nelisse, and emily watson in a scene from the book thief. Death finds it impossible to weigh the value of human beings, with some capable of great malice and criminality like hitler and others capable of great strength and bravery like liesel and hans.
The book thief is a novel by australian author markus zusak. The differences between humans and animals in the chapter the long walk to dachau, markus zusak, emphasizes the differences between humans and animals. Liesel stands with rudy and her papa while they watch the. Markus zusak on the book thief, 10 years later bookpage. Jaimi plater kraftwillson eng 1d1 april 8, 2016 journal 3. Markus zusaks the book thief, set in germany during world war ii, follows young liesel meminger as she struggles with the loss of her mother and brother and must go to live with foster parents, hans and rosa hubermann. Summary a parade of jews marches through molching on its way to dachau, a nazi concentration camp. Analysis of the book the book thief 854 words 4 pages. Why was the book about grave digging significant to liesel. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still. In despair over their deaths, liesel drops her book, but its picked up by death.
The book thief is a novel by markus zusak that was first published in 2005. In the novel, the book thief narrator, death, sees the. Its just a small story really, about among other things. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on litcharts. Get free homework help on markus zusaks the book thief. In february 1938, a male voice, representing death itself, tells about how the young liesel meminger has piqued his interest. Ultimately, the book thief is framed by deaths ongoing contemplation of humanity. It is the gravediggers handbook, left behind there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. March 2006 by knopf books for young readers amazon goodreadssynopsis. Instant downloads of all 1291 litchart pdfs including the book thief. The book thief is a historical novel by australian author markus zusak and is his most popular.
843 616 1159 1231 686 432 145 1155 399 1257 180 1444 354 562 429 1586 564 182 828 1256 1441 1154 1447 222 1085 1176 796 1302 138 237 433 1272