THE BOOK THIEF
PART II
1. DISCUSS THE GREATER SIGNIFICANCE BEHIND LIESEL’S DESIRE TO
FINISH READING HER FIRST BOOK?
• Liesel doesn’t have much closure in her life.
• The fact that she has something stable makes her
feel comfortable.
• ***Liesel completing The Gravedigger’s Handbook is
also like closing the door on her past with her
brother and her mother. Liesel doesn’t want to
forget, but she wants to move forward.
2 IN WHAT WAYS IS RUDY’S FIRST LETTER TO LIESEL MORE
APPROPRIATE THAN THE SECOND, APPROVED VERSION?
• Letters are meant to be a private, intimate message
between close friends/family.
• Rudy’s first letter indicates his knowledge of who
Liesel is and what she likes, as well as a part of their
friendship.
• Rudy’s second letter sounds very formal and
impersonal.
3. WHAT DOES THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE OUTCOME OF LIESEL’S
LETTER TO HER MOTHER DO FOR YOUR REACTION TO THE EVENTS
LEADING UP TO LIESEL’S DISCOVERY OF THIS INFORMATION?
• Invokes a feeling of sorrow for Liesel that she checks
the mail every day. Even Hans feels sorry that she is
continuously checking the mail for a response.
• The fact that Rosa beats Liesel for stealing money
also invokes a feeling of sympathy because if they
would have told Liesel in the first place that her
mother was gone, she may have let it go and never
have stolen the money.
4. “IS THERE COWARDICE IN THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF FEAR?”
• Opinions are accepted.
5. WHY MIGHT LIESEL, LOVER OF BOOKS, WANT TO WATCH THE
BONFIRE?
• It is human nature to be attracted to fire.
• She also wants to be close to the books.
6. WHY DID HANS REACT THE WAY HE DID WHEN LIESEL STATES
THAT SHE HATES THE FÜHRER?
• He wanted to protect her.
• He knows that the possibility of him being blackballed by the party could hurt her if she acts out
against Hitler in public.
7. WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SETTING OF THE ABOVE SCENE?
• Hans tells Liesel she can feel however she wants to
feel when they are in their own home, but not in the
public street.
• This shows how a lot of the Germans hid their true
feelings about Hitler and the Nazi Party.
8. DISCUSS HANS’S “MISTAKE.” WHAT WAS IT? WHEN IS IT A
MISTAKE? WHEN ISN’T IT?
• Hans painted over slurs that were painting on a
Jewish business.
• Because of this mistake, Hans was denied
membership in the Nazi Party.
9. GIVE SOME PREDICTIONS AND THOUGHTS ABOUT “THE SHADOW.”
• “Fluffy hair” denotes that it was the Mayor’s wife
watching Liesel pick up The Shoulder Shrug.
• Because she is the mayor’s wife, she could turn
Liesel in.
THE BOOK THIEF
PART III STUDY GUIDE
1. WHAT KIND OF SECRET MIGHT BE STIRRING IN PAPA THAT LIESEL
MAY SOMEDAY HAVE TO KEEP?
• This is foreshadowing. If you’ve finished the chapter,
you know what Papa is hiding.
• With the information from this chapter alone, you
might assume that Papa is going to do something
that is definitely not approved of by the Nazi party.
2. IDENTIFY AND EXPLAIN SOME OF THE MISCOMMUNICATIONS
DURING THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN THE MAYOR’S WIFE AND
LIESEL.
•
•
•
•
•
Why Ilsa has the books when she opens the door
Why she wants Liesel to come inside
Who her son is
What happened to him
Why she was sorry
• The relationship between them is one that lacks
warmth. Both Liesel and Ilsa have been through a
lot and both are very wary to open up to other
people.
3. WHY DO THINK THE DESCRIPTIONS OF THE SOUNDS OF MAX’S
EATING ARE SO VIVID?
• Zusak wants you as the reader to feel how Max felt
while he was eating.
4. WHAT IS THE MEANING BEHIND THE OPEN WINDOW IN THE
MAYOR’S LIBRARY?
• The mayor’s wife is essentially letting Liesel in.
• By leaving the window open, she is allowing Liesel
to come and go as she pleases and is giving her the
gift of words.
• Ilsa is also seeing Liesel struggling and is somewhat
empathetic toward her.
5. DISCUSS THE EXCERPT, “SHE WAS A GIRL. IN NAZI GERMANY. HOW
FITTING THAT SHE WAS DISCOVERING THE POWER OF WORDS.”
• Liesel could never understand the things that were
happening to her because she didn’t understand
the words.
• Words in Nazi Germany, and even today, can be
twisted and contorted to make you believe things
and feel emotions that you don’t feel or believe.
• Liesel, for the first time, is starting to understand
words and how they can be used to manipulate,
which is incredibly important.
6. HOW IS THE DESCRIPTION OF RUDY AS, “BARELY ABLE TO CONTAIN A GRIN.
IT RAN ACROSS HIS FACE LIKE A SKID,”(PG. 162) A TYPE OF FORESHADOWING?
• Rudy knows what will happen to Otto when he goes
across the ice.
• On page 163 Otto’s bike slides all over the ice,
leaving skid marks on the road.
THE BOOK THIEF
PART IV
1. EXPLAIN WHEN DEATH SAYS “I’VE SEEN SO MANY YOUNG MEN OVER THE
YEARS WHO THINK THEY ARE RUNNING AT OTHER YOUNG MEN. THEY
ARE NOT. THEY’RE RUNNING AT ME.”
• Death is talking about how “young men” think they
are fighting for a cause, or to defeat a person or
idea, but in reality, they are just dying for a cause.
2. WHAT IS THE DEEPER MEANING OF “DO YOU STILL PLAY THE
ACCORDION?”
• The question would cause Hans to recall how he
came upon that accordion and if he remembers
the promise he made Erik Vanderburg.
3. WHAT ARE SOME OF LIESEL’S SIGHTS, SOUNDS, AND THOUGHTS ON
THE NIGHT MAX COMES?
• She immediately recognizes the shape of a book
when she seems him first in the kitchen.
• She doesn’t recognize her foster parents because
they are not behaving as themselves.
• She sees him as “noiseless and opaque”
• “a nest of lopsided hair and no sound.”
• She hears silence and the sound of eating.
4. WHAT CAN YOU COMPARE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WALTER
AND MAX TO?
• The relationship of Walter and Max is very similar to
the one between Liesel and Rudy.
5. ON PAGE 193, WALTER SAYS “CHAOS IS WHAT WE NEED.” WHY?
WHEN IS CHAOS NEEDED?
• Chaos can cause a distraction in times of need.
• The chaos that was going on enabled Walter to
help Max escape into hiding.
6. THE IDEA LIESEL UNKNOWINGLY GAVE TO HANS IS REVEALED ON
PAGE 195. WHAT WAS HIS PLAN?
• Hans used Mein Kampf as a hiding place for a key
to their home.
• He was using a book to save someone’s life, and
Liesel believed in the power of books.
7. “THE REPLY FLOATED FROM HIS MOUTH, THEN MOLDED ITSELF LIKE A
STAIN TO THE CEILING.” WHAT DOES THIS QUOTE TELL YOU ABOUT MAX’S
INNER THOUGHTS?
• Every time Max says “Thank You” or “I’m sorry” he
feels a guilt that will stain him forever because he
knows that he could do something besides cause
danger and distress.
8. DISCUSS HANS’ LECTURE TO LIESEL ABOUT MAX? CAN YOU
COMPARE IT TO ANYTHING?
• Hans’ lecture to Liesel is about how she must keep a
secret or she will lose anything that she has become
attached or accustomed to.
• This is similar to Mr. Steiner’s speech to Rudy during
the Jesse Owen’s incident.
9. EXPLAIN THE PARADOX, “EVERYTHING WAS GOOD. BUT IT WAS
AWFUL TOO.”
• Paradox – Pairing two seemingly opposite words or
situations.
• Liesel and Hans had a moment in the basement
where she was forced to think about what could
happen if this secret were to get out. Hans tells her
that as long as she keeps the secret they will be
safe.
• Liesel was comfortable wit the fact that she had to
keep a secret, but now has to think what could
happen if they were found out anyway.
10. DISCUSS MAX’S FEELINGS OF GUILT.
• Max’s feelings of guilt come from abandoning his
family.
• “They left, without looking back. It tortured him. If only he’d turned for
one last look at his family as he left the apartment. Perhaps then the
guilt would not have been so heavy. No final goodbye. No final grip
of the eyes. Nothing but goneness.” (Zusak, 124)
• Max couldn’t look back at his family because he
didn’t want to feel their guilt on him.
• He also feels guilty that his one life is causing so
much danger to perfect strangers.
11. COMPARE THE DISTRACTIONS LIESEL FINDS IN RUDY’S FRIENDSHIP
WITH THOSE IN THE WHISTLER.
• THIS QUESTION CAN BE BETTER ANSWERED IN
SECTION V***
12. EXPLAIN MAX’S FEELINGS TOWARD MEIN KAMPF.
• Max believes that it is powerful propaganda.
• Max says that he thought about giving Liesel Mein
Kampf to read for her birthday, but doing that
would be like “a lamb handing the knife to a
butcher.”
13. WHAT ARE THE COMMONALITIES BETWEEN LIESEL AND MAX?
• They both have nightmares.
• They were both uprooted from their lives based on
who their family is/was.
• They both rely heavily on words.
14. WHAT MIGHT HANS BE FEELING WHEN LIESEL SAYS SHE IS OLD
ENOUGH TO DEAL WITH HER OWN NIGHTMARES?
• He could be concerned that his talk with her is
making her pull away from him, but most likely he is
feeling that she is maturing.
15. EXPLAIN THE QUOTE ON PAGE 223: “YOU CAN DO ALL MANNER OF
UNDERHANDED NICE THINGS WHEN YOU HAVE A CAUSTIC REPUTATION.”
• Rosa’s personality allows for her to treat Liesel poorly
to keep her away from the basement without her
seeming suspicious.
16. WHAT THEMES AND SYMBOLS CAN YOU IDENTIFY IN THE
STANDOVER MAN?
Themes
• Friendship
• Fear
• Paranoia
• Trust
Symbols
• Birds
• Shadows
• Reflections
• Dreams
• The white-wash of
the pages of Mein
Kampf
THE BOOK THIEF
PART V STUDY GUIDE
1. WHAT SECRET ABOUT RUDY IS REVEALED IN THE FIRST CHAPTER OF
THIS PART?
• “He didn’t deserve to die the way he did.” (Zusak,
pg. 241)
• We know that he will die two years from this point.
2. WHAT IS DEATH’S REASONING BEHIND GIVING YOU IMPORTANT
INFORMATION BEFORE IT HAPPENS?
• Death doesn’t like mystery or the build up of it.
• “I don’t have much interest in building mystery.
Mystery bores me. It chores me. I know what
happens and so do you. It’s the machinations that
wheel us there that aggravate, perplex, interest,
and astound me.” (Zusak, pg. 243)
3. WHY MIGHT LIESEL HAVE EXTRA INTEREST IN CUTTING MAX’S
HAIR?
• Liesel is very interested in Max and everything about
him. She has compared his hair to feathers before.
• Him trusting her with his haircut is also a step further
in their friendship, which is growing deeper every
day.
4. WHY WOULD MAX ENVISION HIS FIGHT WITH THE FUHRER AS AN
UNFAIR ONE?
• Because everyone fears the Fuhrer, they would
bend the rules to allow him to win.
• Pg. 242 – Ref explaining the rules to Max and Hitler
• Page 244 – Propaganda.
• No matter what the outcome of the fight is, Hitler has found
a way to brainwash a nation into hating a group of people
based on their religious affiliation and families they were
born into.
5. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ONLY MAX AND LIESEL ARE
CAPABLE OF FULLY UNDERSTANDING AND SHARING WITH EACH OTHER?
WHY IS THIS SO?
• Liesel and Max can share their dreams and each
understands fully. Both hate the Fuhrer for separate,
but equal reasons.
• The two also share a love of the written word. Max
and Liesel both understand how words can be used
to harm and each holds the responsibility of words
very dearly.
6. WHAT EXPLANATION CAN YOU GIVE FOR LIESEL’S REACTION TO
THE MAYOR’S WIFE’S CANCELLATION OF HER LAUNDRY SERVICES?
• At the most basic level, she is hurting for her family
because they now have no means of income.
• On a deeper level, she knows that she will no longer
be able to see and read all of the books that were
in the mayor’s library.
7. WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DEAD BROTHER ON THE
MAYOR’S STEPS?
• Liesel’s dead brother appearing is somewhat like
her conscience telling her to not throw the mayor’s
son in his wife’s face.
• The connection in the dead family member that
bonded the mayor’s wife and Liesel is now gone
because Liesel did not even wish to acknowledge
Werner.
• “He whispered for her to stop, but he, too, was dead, and
not worth listening to. He died in a train. They buried him in
the snow.”
8. EXPLAIN THE SCENE WHEN LIESEL IS LOOKING FOR A WATSCHEN IN
THE KITCHEN?
• Liesel tried to make Rosa believe that it was her
fault that they lost the mayor’s washing, but Rosa
didn’t believe that Liesel could be so cruel to the
mayor’s wife.
• Liesel tried to get Rosa to take her frustration out on
her because she felt embarrassed and ashamed
that she had actually said those things to the
mayor’s wife, but Rosa did not lash out at Liesel.
9. WHAT SORTS OF THINGS ARE HAPPENING AT HITLER YOUTH?
• Franz Deutscher was beginning to get angry with
Tommy Muller and Rudy had an “inability to stay out
of things.”
• Tommy’s ear was starting to affect his hearing. Rudy stood
up for Tommy when Deutscher was yelling at him and got
them both punished.
10. COMPARE AND CONTRAST ARTHUR BERG AND VIKTOR CHEMMEL.
• Arthur Berg was not “tyrannical” like Viktor
Chemmel is. He had leadership qualities but was
not forceful or overly demanding.
• Berg would be willing to help his friends if they were
left behind and Chemmel believed in every man (or
woman) for themselves.
• Chemmel also “ran a tighter ship” (pg. 275)
• What does that mean for Liesel and Rudy?
11. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE UNDERLYING MOTIVATIONS FOR RUDY
AND LIESEL BEHIND THEIR ACTS OF STEALING?
• “I’m absolutely starving.” He paused. “I need a win,
Liesel. Honestly.” (pg. 283)
• Rudy and Liesel are both feeling pretty beaten
down at this point, aside from being starving, per
usual. Stealing something would make them feel like
they’re on the upswing of a stroke of bad timing
and misfortune.
12. WHAT MIGHT BE THE MOTIVATION BEHIND RUDY’S STUPIDITY?
• Potato – He didn’t have any luck with the apples
and was hungry, but not only was he hungry, he
wanted to feel like he “won”. The only way to feel
like he’d won is by taking the largest potato.
• With Deutscher – Franz berated Rudy at Hitler Youth
meetings on the regular, but being outside of these
meetings, Rudy wanted to show Franz that he was
not afraid of him…. Also ended in tragedy.
13. WE KNOW THE END OF THE FLOATING BOOK INCIDENT ALREADY. WHY IS
IT STILL INTERESTING TO READ PART II? WHY WERE WE TOLD THE END FIRST?
• You see what Rudy’s true motives were and how he
was doing it solely because he felt sorry that Viktor
took out his frustrations on Liesel.
• Again, Death doesn’t like mystery or the build up of
a story.
14. WHY WAS THE BOOK THAT WASN’T FOOD STILL A GOOD THING
FOR RUDY?
• Getting the book back for Liesel shows Rudy’s
strength of character. He is willing to do anything for
the people he cares about.
• By jumping in the freezing water and risking
hypothermia, he looks heroic, which is exactly what
he wants.
THE BOOK THIEF
PART SIX STUDY GUIDE
1. HOW DOES DEATH PUT A DIFFERENT SPIN ON THE EVENTS OF WWII
AND THE HOLOCAUST THAT WE ARE ALREADY FAMILIAR WITH?
• “It was a year for the ages.”
• “An Abridged Roll Call for 1942.”
• The desperate Jews – their spirits in my lap as we sat on the
roof, next to the steaming chimneys.”
• The Russian Soldiers- taking only small amounts of
ammuntion, relying on the fallen for the rest of it.
• The soaked bodies of a French coast – beached on the
shingle and sand.
• Death adds a more personalized spin on the events
of 1942.
(CONTINUED…)
• “Some years, the souls and bodies don’t add up; they
multiply.” (pg. 308)
• Death also discusses how most people felt. Stalin had left
enough blood shed and dead bodies in his wake. The
world was not ready for Hitler’s slaughter when it arrived.
• Death’s job in the entire novel is to show the personal
side of the historical facts; to show that real people lived,
suffered, and died. His purpose is to show that history is
more than just the body counts.
2. WHAT IS THE IRONY OF A SNOWBALL FIGHT IN THE BASEMENT?
• “When Papa came in, she did not turn to face him, but
talked across to Max Vanderburg, at the wall. “Why did I
have to bring all that snow down?” she asked. “It started
all of this, didn’t it, Papa?” She clenched her hands, as if
to pray. “Why did I have to build that snow man?” Papa,
to his enduring credit was adamant. “Liesel,” he said,
“you had to.”’ (Zusak, pg. 316)
• Liesel’s snow made Max catch a cold, and helped that
cold to develop quickly. The cold ended up nearly killing
Max, but Liesel bringing the snow helped Max feel alive
and some-what normal, which he needed.
3. EXPLAIN THE PARADOX ON PAGE 316.
• “He was the second snowman to be melting away
before her eyes, only this one was different. It was a
paradox. The colder he became, the more he
melted.” (Zusak, pg. 316)
• We expect things to freeze as they become colder,
but as Max became colder, he did the opposite, he
melted. He was reduced to sweat and puddle.
1. HOW DOES LIESEL LEAVE MAX INTANGIBLE PRESENTS?
• Intangible – not capable of being held or touched.
• All of the presents, though seemingly junk, bear an
intangible meaning. As Liesel gave each gift, the wish
she had for Max to live became stronger.
• The gift of the cloud she gave to him in words (also
intangible). She knew that when Max woke, he would
appreciate the gift of words; something that they’ve
shared since they’ve met.
• The slab of grief – Liesel’s worry for Max was understood
by him, and he later felt guilt for making her grieve so
much.
5. WHAT SORTS OF EMOTIONS ARE MIXED IN WANTING MAX TO LIVE?
• Fear
• The fear of what to do with a body.
• The fear of being caught with a Jew’s body.
• Worry/ Grief
• Liesel now views Max as her brother, and is worried of losing
him again.
• Feelings of Obligation
• Rosa and Hans do not want the Jew that they brought into
their home to save to die.
6. EXPLAIN THE SCENE WITH THE GIRLS IN COLOGNE.
• Death was carrying the soul of a young girl, when a
group of young girls noticed objects falling from the
sky.
• The girls were speculating as to what it could be,
but then a father said that it was the fuel tanks from
the jets that dropped the bombs.
• Instead of being horrified, the girls wanted to keep
the containers.
• This is human nature – to want to keep reminders of
things that hurt.
7. HOW DOES THE NAZI JUDGMENT OF THE HUBERMANNS’ BASEMENT
DIFFER FROM THEIR OWN?
• The Nazi party deemed the Hubermann’s basement
unsafe and unlikely to be able to save anyone in an
emergency.
• The irony, and the difference, is that they’ve been
sheltering (and coincidentally saving) a Jewish boy
for months.
8. EXPLAIN THE LINE ON PAGE 350, “THEY WERE FRENCH, THEY WERE
JEWS, AND THEY WERE YOU.”
• What Death is saying, essentially, is that eventually
all who were deemed unworthy by Hitler would
have perished. It did not matter where they were
from.
• Even French Jews, on Polish soil, could not be
saved.
• Hitler’s goal expanded past Germany and if he had
not been stopped, there would have been no end
until all those undesirables would have been
exterminated.
THE BOOK THIEF
PART SEVEN
1. HOW DOES HANS COME ABOUT MORE PAINTING WORK? NAME
SOME POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF THESE JOBS.
• People are asking Hans
to paint their blinds
black to protect them
and give them privacy.
• Positive:
• Hans is making money.
• Hans is helping people.
• He gets to spend more
time with Liesel.
• He gets to show Liesel what
he does for work.
• Negative
• People who cannot afford
to pay Hans ask him to
paint for them.
• He runs out of paint for
good-paying jobs.
2. DISCUSS RUDY’S PREPARATION AND PERFORMANCE IN THE HITLER
YOUTH CARNIVAL.
• Rudy preps for six weeks by running while Liesel is
out doing jobs with Hans or working for Rosa.
• Rudy defeats all the other opponents in the first
three races, but during the last race he has a false
start (which he claims he has done on purpose) and
is ejected from the race.
• He wins three out of four false-gold medals and
leaves disappointed and ashamed.
3. DISCUSS THE NON-JEWISH BASEMENT; THOUGHTS, MOTIVATIONS,
ACTIONS.
• The families on Himmel street were evacuated to
Fiedler’s house.
• Twenty-two people were crammed into their basement during
the raids.
• People cling to their loved ones in times of panic. Some
will become harsh and cruel, but most of the people in
the Fiedler’s basement sat and contemplated in silence.
• What were some of the characters doing?
•
•
•
•
Pfiffikus was whistling
Frau Holtzapfel was glaring at everyone
Rosa even held Liesel and sang her a soft song.
Liesel held Rudy’s hand
4. HOW COULD A FALSE ALARM FOR THE AIR RAIDS BE AS BAD AS A
REAL ONE?
• A false alarm will heighten the fright of the people
and put them into an unnecessary panic.
• In times of unnecessary panic, people tend to overreact
and create chaos.
5. COMPARE LIESEL’S BOMB SHELTER READING WITH THE ONE SHE
GAVE AT SCHOOL.
• Liesel’s panic at school when she was worried
about reading in front of the class can be likened to
the panic she is feeling about Max and the raid.
• Reading calms her down, and reading aloud helped her
concentrate.
• However, this reading is different from her school
reading because she executed it flawlessly. People
were hanging on her every word.
• “She didn’t dare to look up, but she could feel their
frightened eyes hanging on to her as she hauled the words
in and breathed them out. A voice played the notes inside
her. This, it said, is your accordion.” (Zusak, pg. 381)
6. DESCRIBE THE CHANGE IN FRAU HOLTZAPFEL.
• She approaches the Hubermann’s house with an
offer to have Liesel read to her.
• She says she will stop spitting on their door and she
will give them her coffee ration in exchange for
Liesel’s words.
• When Liesel gets to their first meeting, Frau
Holtzapfel is still aggressive, but somehow kinder.
7. WHAT CONCERNS HANS ABOUT HIS FEEDING THE MARCHING JEW
MORE THAN HIS WHIPPING?
• Max in the basement.
• He knows now that they will come and scope out
the house. Hans is now going to be on the “watchlist” of the Nazi Party.
THE BOOK THIEF
PART EIGHT
1. WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DOMINOS IN THE SCENE
WHERE THE TWO NAZIS COME FOR RUDY?
• Dominoes rely on the Newton’s Third Law of Motion
• For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
• Domino Effect – action – reaction principle.
• In the scene, the two officers are trying to recruit
Rudy for a special school, and his parents say no.
• Them saying no, is similar to the dominoes, because
it will start a series of chain-reactions, all negative,
and destructive.
2. EXPLAIN THE 3 BOYS WHO “SHIVERED LIKE THE FUTURE” ON PAGE
413.
• Rudy, Jurgen Schwarz, and Olaf Spiegel were being
examined physically.
• The three boys were forced to strip naked and be
scrutinized over.
• “shivered like the future…” – their future, though
promised to be one with opportunities, will be a
cold and barren one after the war.
3. EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE IN THE MIDST OF WAR, LIESEL AND RUDY STILL
EXHIBIT SOME CONVENTIONAL ADOLESCENT BEHAVIORS. WHAT ARE SOME
OF THEM?
“The day after they’d visited Himmel street, Rudy sat
on his front step with Liesel and related the whole
saga, even the smallest details. He gave up and
admitted what had happened that day at school
when he was taken out of class. There was even
some laughter about the tremendous nurse and the
look on Jurgen Schwarz’s face.”
- They are giggling on the front steps about a
classmate and a situation.
- They are still sitting on the front steps and
talking with each other.
4. WHY DOESN’T HANS WANT TO TRUST THE “GOOD” NEWS FROM
NSDAP?
• He’s been blackballed previously by the party and
has yet to be punished for the incident in the street
during the first parade of the Jews.
• Being accepted to the party wouldn’t be a
punishment, but it means that they could keep a
closer eye on him and force him into situations.
5. DISCUSS THE THINGS THE HUBERMANNS AND STEINERS SAY THEY
ARE AND ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO DO. IN WHAT WAYS DO THEY
BELIEVE THEM?
• “to those who helped the helpless and those who
refused to let go of their children.”
• “When they come and ask you for one of your
children, you’re supposed to say yes.”
• If Hans and Alex would have followed their rules,
they would not be in these situations, but would not
have been able to live with themselves otherwise.
6. THIS IS LIESEL’S SECOND EXPERIENCE WITH A TRAIN STATION
GOODBYE. COMPARE IT TO THE OTHER EVENT.
• The last train-station goodbye was when she had to
say goodbye to her mother. She didn’t know
whether or not she would never see her again.
• Liesel also says goodbye to Hans also not knowing if
she would ever see him again.
• She clings to Hans
7. DESCRIBE RUDY’S ATTEMPT TO KILL THE FUHRER.
• Rudy and Liesel take off walking down the street.
• Liesel wants to go to find Hans and Rudy wants to kill the
Fuhrer and find his father.
“’Yes,’ He thought about it. ‘Actually, no. I think I’ll find the
Fuhrer instead.’ Rudy stopped. ‘Because I want to kill him.’
He even turned on the spot, to the rest of the world. ‘Did
you hear that, you bastards?’ he shouted. ‘I want to kill
the Fuhrer’” (Zusak, pg. 426)
Rudy yelled out about killing the Fuhrer, which we know is
not something he should be doing. We know that by
calling out something negative against the Fuhrer, he
could potentially put himself and his family in danger.
8. WE KNOW THAT HANS SURVIVES HIS TOUR OF DUTY BEFORE HE
BEGINS IT, SO WHY IS IT STILL DIFFICULT TO READ?
• Even though Hans survives his tour of duty, we still
see what he is going through.
• We also know that Hans is very sensitive and wants
to help whoever he can, and the job he is doing in
the service is not one where he can do much to
help people.
• Often in times of war, those who die are not the
only victims. People are subject to situations that will
scar them for the rest of their life.
9. EXPLAIN LIESEL’S MIXED FEELS AS SHE WATCHES THE JEWS MARCH
THROUGH TOWN.
• She’s worrying about Max.
• She thinks she saw him, and then is relieved when
she does not.
• She is also concerned about giving them bread
because she does not want to get into trouble, but
Rudy convinces her that her father would have
wanted her to.
• Hans’s bravery is the right way.
10. WHAT IS SIMILAR ABOUT RUDY’S STEALING FOOD AND HIS GIVING
IT TO THE JEWS?
• Both are breaking the law. Rudy puts himself in
danger in both situations.
• However, giving the bread to the Jews is different
because it is for a less-selfish reason.
• Why might it be a somewhat-selfish thing to do to
steal bread and give it to the Jews?
11. IDENTIFY SYMBOLS AND MEANINGS IN THE WORD SHAKER.
• Words – The power of words and propaganda has
been a prevalent theme throughout the novel.
• Fear – The Word Shaker’s friendship tree was
different than the other trees in the forest, which
scared the masses.
• Manipulation – Hitler’s ability to manipulate and
control without the use of weapons or force (at first)
is one of the most terrifying aspects about him.
• Nazi Symbol & Star of David – Hitler’s assigning of
physical symbols to show who a person is/was.
12. WHY IS THE SCENE IN THE TAILOR SHOP MORE IMPORTANT THAN
IT APPEARS ON THE SURFACE?
• This scene shows Liesel’s developing feelings for
Rudy.
• Though he is her “best friend”, she begins to realize
that she is starting to have romantic feelings for him.