English I
Ms. Heninger
Name: ________________________________
SOCRATIC SEMINAR – THE BOOK THIEF
DUE: 8:00am – Thursday, September 17th
 Submit electronic copy to Haiku Dropbox BY 8:00am AND bring in a printed hard copy BY the start
of class.
DIRECTIONS: Please type your answers to these questions in bullet-point form using complete sentences.
 Support your ideas with specific examples and quotes from the novel.
 Every time you include a quote, you must cite it. [Ex. “sample quotation here,” (Zusak 81).]
 While you may have conversations about the book with your peers, remember the honor code. Your
responses must be in your own words and reflect your own ideas.
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Reminder: You must print out these notes to have in front of you for our Socratic Seminar discussion.
SOCRATIC SEMINAR QUESTIONS
1. In The Book Thief, Zusak presents Death as a character with thoughts and emotions
(personification). How would you characterize Death as he appears in this novel? Select one
commentary by Death that stood out to you. Write down the quote and explain what that passage
reveals about Death.
2. Regarding the guards, Death says, “When it came down to it, one of them called the shots. The other
did what he was told. The question is, what if the other is a lot more than one?” (23). What does this
quote reveal about the nature of leaders and followers? How can you connect this to your own
observations of society? (Connect this idea to a specific example from the news or your life.)
3. How does Rudy influence Liesel in her transition to making a new life in Molching? What does Rudy
receive in return (from their relationship)? Provide specific examples to support your ideas.
4. Review pages 56-59. Why is Rudy pretending to be Jesse Owens particularly upsetting to his
father? Is Mr. Steiner being rational? Explain.
5. In some ways, Rosa Hubermann appears to be an unfeeling and difficult person. However, she is far
from one-dimensional. Explain two specific examples of Rosa’s softer side (making sure to cite page
numbers for quotes you use to support your explanation.)
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6. Zusak writes, “Hans Hubermann wore a face with the shades pulled down.” What does this description
reveal about Hans Hubermann’s reaction to the Nazi rally? How does this observation connect to the
moment when he slaps Liesel’s face? What did Liesel do wrong (116)?
7. Review pages 262-263 where Liesel discovers “the injury of words…the brutality of words.” What is
critical to note about this scene between Liesel and Ilsa Hermann (the mayor’s wife)? How does the
author use vivid details to show the “injury” behind Liesel’s words? (Remember to bring in supporting
quotes to help you explain your thoughts.)
8. Why do you think Max created the illustrated book The Standover Man for Liesel? What was significant
about the materials he used to make the book?
9. How does Max’s life give Liesel purpose? What brings these two together as friends? Provide specific
examples.
10. With each year, the war brings greater destruction to Germany. As Rudy and his sisters place the
dominoes, Death says, “…they would watch everything that was so carefully planned collapse, and they
would all smile at the beauty of destruction” (408). What might the dominoes symbolize?
11. The last line of Liesel’s book reads, “I have hated the words and I have loved them, and I hope I have
made them right” (528). Explain why you think Liesel has these range of emotions – supporting your
answer with specific examples from the novel.
12. Analyze Death’s final statement to the reader: “I am haunted by humans” (550). What about humans
haunts Death?
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