The Book Thief
Part Three
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What Books Does Liesel
Read?
The Gravedigger’s Handbook
 Faust the Dog
 The Lighthouse
 The Shoulder Shrug
 Dictionary (Ilsa leaves in window)
 The Whistler
 The Standover Man
 The Dream Carrier
 The Word Shaker
 The Last Human Stranger
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What Do The Books Have in
Common?
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Explain the situation in Germany at that time
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They all tell a story that is similar to her life
False faces (Hans hiding his true feelings, Rudy with Hitler Youth)
Talk about the power of words – demonstrate it
Symbolic of the Nazi regime – murderer who whistles, The
Word Shaker
They connect people – and offer escape even though they are
very dark stories
Dark stories for dart times
Give Liesel something to live for
Opens her mind; shows her that the world isn’t always a nice
place; Liesel finds comfort in that because she is not alone in
her experience
She becomes more aware and develops opinions of her own
How Do The Books Connect to
The Book Thief?
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They represent the norms and regulations in Germany at
that time
The Standover Man and The Word Shaker were written by
Max and explain the Nazi Germany to Liesel and us, the
readers
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Even though Max is Jewish hiding in Nazi Germany, he still
has hope
They give voice to the outsiders – Liesel, Hubermans, Max,
Rudy
The Whistler reminds us of Papa and the accordian and
how music can lighten even the darkest times up
They all illustrate the power of words
Literary Analysis of
The Book Thief
Character Traits of Death
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Emotional
Humorous
Caring/ hates his job
Duty not something he gets pleasure from
Distractable
He gets attached to people
Wit
Opinionated
Unpredictable: you don’t know when he is going to
interject – symbolic of death itself
He fears Liesel, and humans in general
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Fascinated and horrified with human’s ability to violently
cruel and murderous to each other and still have such
beauty and love so selflessly (even at the same time)
Who Is Liesel Meminger?
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Orphan
Loving and lovable
Loyal
Illiterate and then literate
Considerate
Spunky – stealing from the fire
Feisty – beats a boy up
Playful
Mischievous
Loves to read
Risk taker – thief
Trustworthy
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She kept the secret of hiding Max
Traumatized by the loss of her brother and mother
Dreamer and has nightmares
Stubborn
Wise beyond her age?
Encouraging – supports Rudy
What is the Significance of Rudy
Steiner?
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Loyal and brave
Trustworthy
Immature
Spunky
Trouble maker – steals food from the church
Impulsive
“permanently hungry”
Daring
“perfect German” – blonde and blue eyes
Generous – gives extra food he stole to others, including the Jews
Helpful – helps Tommy Muller in the Hitler Youth
Represents what life was like for a boy under Nazi rule
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Doesn’t like Hitler or the Nazis (father’s influence)
Conforms for survival
Positive person in a negative era; comic relief
friendship
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Hans
Soft
Caring
Loving
Compassionate
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Gives bread to the Jew
Sees the fraud of the Nazi party
Good listener
Puts others first
Intelligent
Open
Father figure
Teacher
Positive: sees the good in everyone
Patient
Doesn’t judge others
Understanding
Represents the 10% who had their own mind and
did not approve of Nazism – quiet rebels
Represents hope for Liesel
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Rosa
Comes across and very harsh and
cold
Actually has a big heart
Has trouble showing her emotions
because of the hardships
She good in times of crisis
Very strong
Bad cook
Leader and wants to be a mother
figure
Loves Hans deeply – accordion
scenes
Grew to love Liesel as a daughter
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See this when she comes to school to
tell Liesel Max is awake
The Hubermanns
The Significance of Max to Liesel and
the novel
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Fighter – not just physically but emotionally
Determined
Guilty – for leaving his family behind to be safe himself
Compassionate
Kind
Knows the power of words
Believer of what is right – integrity
Strong physically and mentally
Grateful for those who risk their lives to save them
He doesn’t blame Hans for giving him away by feeding another
Jew on the street
Represents the huge number of Jews that were persecuted and
hunted down and the Jews who were sheltered by others
Represents the Jews who were labelled and persecuted based
upon genetics not faith
Friend to Liesel and gives her strength
When he enters her world things become less black and white
and opens her eyes to the real world
The Themes
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Power of words
Hope
Death
Believing in what is right regardless of the consequences
Friendship
Trust
Loyalty
Change
Human struggle and suffering
Growing up – bildungsroman
Stealing
Duality of human existence – we are capable of such horrible acts
toward each other yet can love so deeply and unconditionally at the
same time; we are ugly and beautiful
World War II and Holocaust from German perspective
Discrimination
Poverty
Colours
Conflicts
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Person vs person
Person vs himself
Person vs society/Nazism/Hitler
Jews vs Hitler
Liesel vs dreams/imagination/brother
Person vs. nature
Rudy vs Hitler
Rest of world vs. Hitler and Nazi Party
Liesel vs Urge to Read
What is the Climax?
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The bombing of Himmel Street
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Liesel is saved by words
Everyone she loves dies but Max
Cannot save Max
Realized that she really loved Rudy – kisses him for the first time
but he is dead
What is the Resolution?
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Sees Max one last time
Death gives Liesel her book that she wrote which she left
behind when Himmel Street was bombed
Death is like a guardian/father and now it is time for him
to take her
In What Ways Do Words Save Liesel?
What Symbols Are Present and
What Do They Represent?
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The accordian
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Books
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Hope
Imagination/creativity
Happiness/joy
Power of words
Escape
Ability to recognize truth from falsehood
Represent real life
Wisdom
Helps one understand that everyone is troubled; you
are not alone; connect people
Soccer Ball
What is the significance of Color?
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Moods
Distraction for Death
Reds, whites, blacks = Nazi
Silver = wisdom, goodness, peace, compassion,
imagination/creativity
Grey = war, uncertainty, sorrow, prosecution, smoke from
burning, destruction, “grey area,” no one is pure good or pure
evil, false face
Brown
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Yellow or green
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Ray of hope; renewal, ability to start again
Sun, sunrise = a new day and a new start
Blue = infinity; normality in an abnormal time
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Dirty
Calmness, purity, peace, refreshing
Purple = beauty; royalty, elegant
Who is the Protagonist?
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Liesel
Who Is The Antagonist?
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Hitler and the Nazi Party
What Will You Take Away
From The Book Thief?
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To do what is right and be careful not to just think about
ourselves
How powerful words are for good and evil
Believing in what is right regardless of what you are told
to believe
I am glad I live in the 21st Century and did not have to
experience WWII or the Holocaust
Stay positive
Always have hope
Glad to be Canadian