Analysis Essay Example of The Book Thief

Mark Zusak's ‘Book Thief’ is a coming-of-age historical fiction novel, narrated by death, following a young girl, Leisle Meminger, as she grows up in Nazi-occupied Germany.  I will explore the novel's plot, distinguish the main character, examine the theme, and provide an overall analysis of the book. To be capable of understanding any of these topics, the plot of the novel must be understood.

PLOT SUMMARY

Mark Zusak Book Thief takes place on the impoverished street of Himmel in Molching Germany during World War Two. The protagonist of the book Liesel Meminger resides with her foster parents Hans and Rosa Huberman, Liesel faces the challenge of being the daughter of a communist who has a habitat of thievery most creditably towards books. The Fuhrer Adolf Hitler is undoubtedly the antagonist of the book representing the Nazi ideals and propaganda that challenge Lieasle on many occasions throughout the book. Three major events that lead up to the climax of the story are; Leaisle stealing the Grave Diggers Handbook after her brother dies; this is the first time we see Lieasle commit an act of thievery, the second event being her stealing from the Nazi's book-burning ceremony; this shows Liesel distaste towards the burning of the books and showed her first act of resentment towards the Nazis, and finally the last event being the hiding of the Jew Max Vanderburgh in the Hubbermans basement. The climax of the book occurs when Himmle Street is detrimentally bombed and as a result claimes the lives of Rudy Steiner (Lieasle’s best friend) and her foster parents Rosa and Hans Huberman, this event results in the protagonist of the book Liesel facing her biggest challenging yet losing the ones she loves and considers family. Two events that represent the falling action are Liesel being taken in after the bombing by the Burgermeister and his wife Ilsa Herman and Max reuniting with Lieasle after he had miraculously survived a concentration camp. The book concludes with Leisle being taken away by death in her home in Sydney Australia, it was here where she lived a long life having a husband, children, and grandchildren. 

CHARACTERIZATION

The protagonist of The Book Thief is 10-year-old Liesel Meminger. She is a determined,  brave, and loyal character. Lisel can be described as determined because of her insistence to learn how to read and spell. We can observe this in particular on page 68 where Lieasle is learning the alphabet but is not ready to end her learning session by asking her papa Hans to teach her “A few more words?” (Zusak 68). Liesel can be observed as brave throughout many occurrences in the book, we see this trait most prominently on page 115 where she is full of anger and hate for the Fuhrer. ``I hate the Fuhrer, I hate him” (Zusak 115) Here we can clearly see an act of bravery from Liesel as she voices her true opinion on Hitler despite this being a dangerous action. Liesel shows acts of loyalty towards many of the characters throughout the book, however, she is specifically loyal to Max Vanderborugh. This can be distinctly examined on page 316 when “For hours, she sat with him as he shivered and slept”(Zusak 316) this shows Liesel's true commitment towards Max. Overall it can be concluded that Lieasle Meminger’s most prominent traits are Bravery, Determination, and Loyalty. 

THEME

The cruelty of humans is the most prominent theme in the book, we see this portrayed on many occasions throughout the novel. The first act of cruelty can be observed when Lieasle attends school for the first time and is picked on for being illiterate. As she is called to the corridor after being unable to write her name on the chalkboard “She could hear them all laughing in the classroom, between Sister Maria's striking hand. She saw them. All those mashed children. Grinning and laughing, Bathed in Sunshine,” (Zusak 78). A major example of cruelty displayed in the book is when Himmle street is bombed detrimentally by the allied forces. Here is where the ones closest to Lieasle become casualties despite them not being personally involved in the conflicts of war “Rudy Steiner slept. Mama and Papa slept. Frau Holtzapfel, Frau Diller. Tommy Muller. All Sleeping. All dying.” (Zusak 498).  The greatest act of cruelty however can be observed in the treatment of Jews. Throughout the story, Jews are the target of hate and violence and are viewed openly as non-human. We see vile acts of cruelty towards Jews firsthand when a Jewish man and Hans are punished after Hans feeds the starving jew as he makes his way to a concentration camp, “ The Jew was whipped six times. On his back, his hand and his legs. You filth, you swine, blood dripped from his ear. Then it was Papa's turn”. (Zusak 394) It can be concluded that Mark Zusak makes cruelty a major theme throughout the book as it makes the most emotional impact on the reader.

ANALYSIS

The Book Thief stands out for its historical accuracy of a “typical” lower-class German family living under Nazi rule, it accurately illustrates the struggles German families would have had to face during this time period like rationing, constant Nazi influence, and the dangers of war. Mark Zusak wrote the Book Thief to shed light on the hardships of all the German people during Nazi rule and how the events of the war brought needless suffering to every citizen despite them being Nazi supporters or not. Mark Zusak was inspired to write the book off on the devastating events of World War Two, particularly events that occurred in Nazi-occupied Germany like Kristallnacht, Nazi book burning ceremonies, the Holocaust,  conscriptions, and the rise and effects of the Hitlers youth. Mark Zusak uses fictional elements to clearly support the theme of human cruelty in the book. This allows the reader to appreciate the story as it will forever resonate with them. The  Book Thief movie released in 2013 and directed by Brian  Perciva, highlights the key points of the book that contribute to the overall plot line and theme. After watching the 2013 film it allows the plot and theme to have a bigger impact on the reader as the story comes to life through the cinematic visuals. 

CONCLUSION

It can be concluded that Mark Zusak's‘ Book Thief’ is an impactful read. It allows the reader to understand life in Nazi Germany and come to terms with the endless struggles and devastating events the German people faced. It is clear that the theme of the book is cruelty from humans as this concept is the reason behind many tragic events in the story. In the end, it can be said  Mark Zusak's‘ Book Thief’ is a powerful read that gives a historically accurate perspective of Nazi Germany during World War 2.