Abuse of Power in The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Theme is defined as the main concepts or underlying meaning of a literary text, which may be stated directly or indirectly. The two types of themes that can appear in literary text are major and minor themes. Abusing power is when somebody in a position of authority uses the leverage they have to oppress someone in an inferior position or manipulate them to commit wrongful acts. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak details the story of Liesel Meminger who is separated from her parents and forced to live with her adoptive parents Rosa and Hans Huberman during the World War II in Germany. When her foster father discovers that she cannot read he teaches her to using books that she stole such as “The Gravediggers Handbook”. Once she learns to read, she becomes captivated with reading anything she can to escape her miserable life. The text is set in Germany during World War II and the Holocaust where six million Jewish people were killed by the Nazis. Adolf Hitler and the Nazis party, rose to power in 1934 and began enforcing their anti-Semitic policies and German aggression which resulted in the World War II (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2016). This text will discuss how Zusak directly and indirectly writes about how characters in the text abuse their power and the effect it has.

One of the major direct abuses of power Zusak uses throughout the entire text is Adolf Hitler. Zusak portrays Hitler’s abuse of power through a historical lens and in the plot when Liesel reads his text Mein Kampf and attends his Nazis Youth along with Rudy. When Hitler rose to power, he established a dictatorship and enforced his discriminative policies. He used his political position to exercise threat and actions against those who were in disagreement with his policies. He also went as far as to exploit the nativity of children in the German Youth teaching them Nazis ideology. Relating back to the text Liesel and Rudy both are forced to attend Hitler Youth despite neither of them nor their family believing in Nazis ideology. Hitler and the Nazis party installed such intense fear within their civilians that they couldn’t as said disagree with their politic views this was something Liesel struggled with as she is close friends with Max Vandenburg a Jewish man who hides in her basement. The more she learnt and witnessed of Hitler and his cruel acts and when she figured out he had something to do with her parents’ disappearance and her and her brother having to be sent away the more her adoration for him decreases. After this epiphany she expresses her anger which makes her develop a hatred for him and vindictive tendencies. When she states “I hate the Furfe .I hate him” to which Hans Huberman slaps her telling “Don’t ever say that again”. Hans doesn’t have any ill intention to hurt Liesel he just has to discipline her because had anybody heard her express hatred for the Furfer and she had not been punished for doing so they may have called the authority on her and her family and they would have been punished or possibly executed. Although, Hans too disapproves of Hitler and his policies he cares too much for Liesel to witness her in any pain or potentially loose her. Therefore, Zusak directly portrays Hitler’s abuse of his power as chancellor through his instilment of fear of punishment and death in any civilians who dared to question, judge or express any disapproval of him or his political policies.

Zusak uses intertextuality by having Max Vanderburg read Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler and The Word Shaker by Olivia Jeffers. In order to avoid being killed as a Jewish man in Germany in the 1930s he had to transition himself as a Nazis thus he was reading and preaching Nazi ideology to Liesel. To begin the way in which Max proudly talks about Hitler makes Liesel adore him like everyone else but once she becomes aware and questions everything, he does she feels unease about him. As he is reading to her he describes Hitler’s words as “word shakers” who are as he states “people who control the power of words that grow in trees”. The author narrates that “Yes, the Führer decided that he would rule the world with words. “I will never fire a gun,” he devised. “I will not have to.”… His first plan of attack was to plant the words in as many areas of his homeland as possible. He planted them day and night, and cultivated them” in other words stating how Hitler’s power come from his speech which is so powerful that it control’s an entire nation. In other words, Zusak directly explains Hitler used his book to spread his political ideas and the power and danger his words held and afflicted. Zusak uses the text to show another aspect in which Hitler controls Germany as Max states “The Furfer decided to rule the world with his words”. In one-chapter Liesel is reading a book and Hans Junior walks in and asks “What trash is this girl reading? She should be reading Mein Kampf” which highlights the theme and how much influence his words held and how they deeply affected people’s interests. Therefore, Zusak utilises intertextuality to highlight the theme of how much power and control Hitler’s books have on the nation and their actions.

In the text Zusak portrays personal abuse of power of Liesel from her foster mother Rosa Huberman through the way she interacts with her. The verbal assaults, mistreatment and unwelcomeness she endures from her foster mother makes her feel unwanted. Upon her arrival she feels a range of emotions from anger, sadness to neglect from being abandoned by her biological parents and Rosa doesn’t make her feel any better. She preys on her insecurities regarding her family and kicks her while she’s down showing no care for her emotions. Although the author describes her “loving and caring” her treatment of Liesel at the beginning of the text says otherwise. Rosa curses Liesel calling her “pig girl” when she refuses to obey orders. When she refuses to work to support her family Rosa instils fear in her that she’ll hit her if she doesn’t do as told which results in her obeying her every order and taking each insult without a reaction. In contrast, Zusak depicts Hitler’s abuse of power which is done solely out his backwards and sociopathic mentality to instil fear in people in order to be able to do anything he wants whereas, Rosa’s is to discipline Liesel to protect her from the harsh climate they live in. Therefore, Zusak directly depicts the harassment and abuse of Liesel by Rosa although all whilst underlining her genuine care for her.

In conclusion, abusing power is the improper use of authority by someone is in a place of authority towards a person in an inferior position. Markus Zusak directly and indirectly highlights the theme the abuse of power in his text The Book Thief through characters and intertextuality. From grand scales of abuse of power such as political to personal from parental guardians the theme is directly highlighted but both are done evidently with different intentions. One being to instil fear in a nation in order to able to go forward with a discriminative and dangerous regime and another to discipline one to protect them from this regime.