Essays on The Book Thief

It is important for texts to challenge preconceived assumptions and ignite new ideas about the human experience, providing insight into society and the wider world and the anomalies of human behaviour. The texts “All the Light We Cannot See” and the “Book Thief” epitomize this...

The dominating theme of Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief is an ironic one. Here is a novel where a main character is nothing less than the symbol of mortality itself, Death, yet the story continually celebrates the life spirit that is contained within books. Books...

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is set in Nazi Germany in World War II. Narrated by Death, the novel takes as its protagonist Liesel Meminger, a girl who grows up in a foster home where Jews aren’t seen as evil, in a departure from...

Humanity is always engaged in an eternal power struggle between good and evil, and the well being of society often hangs in the balance when such forces collide. This presence of good and evil of humanity is a central theme in Markus Zusak’s The Book...

“It’s just a small story really, about, among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist fighter, and quite a lot of thievery” (Zusak 5). And of course, there is Death. Set in Nazi Germany during the 1900s, The...

It was a snowy night when Liesel Meminger (the book thief) and her brother Werner which is six years old, were travelling with their mother by train to the town Munich. This town is where Liesel and her brother will be given over into the...

The Book Thief is a film adaptation of the book of the same name, depicting World War II. Throughout the film, “Death” narrates the story of Liesel Meminger, a survivor of World War II. It begins with Paula Meminger travelling with her children to their...

In works of great literature, violent scenes often play prominent roles. However, these scenes of violence do not exist for their own sake, but instead add value and depth to the story being told. The Book Thief, written by Markus Zusak, is no exception to...

Words are very powerful and one of the most common ways we communicate with each other. The novel, The Book Thief, tells a story of a young girl named Liesel, and certain challenges she faces in Nazi Germany in 1939 through the eyes of death....

In The Book Thief, Zusak expounds upon the concept of death as a passive force and not a vengeful creature. Zusak presents the character Death in a manner that is more effectively conceived than the traditional rendition of Death’s personae. This unconventional characterization is validated...

Marcus Tullius Cicero once said, “A room without books is like a body without a soul.” This is true to Liesel, the main character in The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak, because her body is as if it does not have a soul since she...

Throughout the years, humans have been known to stand up for what they believe in. As many people know, history tends to repeat itself. In the novel The Book Thief, written by Markus Zusak, he uses characters to repetitively show acts of courage in the...

Markus Zusak`s historical novel, The Book Thief opens exceptionally, with the narrator, who turns out to be Death. The Book Thief tells a touching story of Liesel Meminger who suffers from the death of her brother and separation from her mother. She experiences great suffering...

Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief is a story about family. Liesel Meminger loses her first family, her brother dying and her parents giving her away. Her second family is the Hubermanns, Hans and Rosa. Partway through the story, Max Vandenburg also joins the family. Throughout...

In Section II, Liesel moves in with Hans and Rosa Hubermann, who are her foster parents. Rosa is abrasive and abusive, but Hans acts as a true father to her (the only one she’s known). When she has nightmares in the middle of the night,...

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...

Mentors often assert their dominance over individuals and teach them the morals required to live in society. Through experience and wisdom, these mentors are responsible for changing the course of an individual’s life. These individuals adapt to society and can comfortably live a good life,...