Loyalty and Duty in Zusak's The Book Thief Essay Sample

To survive through a war, people must rely on the loyalty and duty of others. People have to support each other and not falter in their loyalty to the people around them, because it is their duty to morally support their peers going through war alongside them. Markus Zusak shows these qualities of loyalty and duty throughout “The Book Thief” through the townspeople and the way they rely on each other like family because they are all going through the same thing. Zusak shows that people show loyalty and duty to others despite the danger they are in, the townspeople blindly rely on the loyalty of other to survive during a war and that no matter what you must rely on the loyalty and duty of others to get through a horrific situation such as war.

In “The Book Thief” the townspeople have a great sense of duty to others despite the danger they are in. This is evident when Hans Hubermann takes Max in his home despite the immense danger it puts him and his family into. Hans “gamble[d] on a Jew”, because of the duty he had to his past comrade from war. Max also wanted to support the Hubermann’s in any way possible, he wanted to do whatever it took to pay them back; “he didn’t complain-he had no right” even when living in horrible conditions with “very little food”. Due to their connection through Max’s father, both Max and Hans felt a great sense of duty to protect each other at all costs.

Zusak presents the idea that people must blindly rely on the loyalty of others to survive through the war. Due to Liesel’s unfortunate luck losing her birth family, she had to rely on her chosen family and their loyalty to keep her safe in times of war. From the moment Liesel stepped into her new home, she was treated like part of the family and her new parents felt a duty to keep her safe. Liesel was told to “call...[Hans] papa” moments after she met her new family because of the loyalty the Hubermann’s wanted her to feel. In her new home, “trust was accumulated quickly” which led to Liesel having an immense feeling of loyalty to her family. Hans felt a vast duty to Liesel and was loyal to her at all costs; “he would not leave her” and that showed Liesel “trust and love” that filled her new home. The people in “The book Thief” ultimately show that they will do anything for each other and won’t falter with their loyalty to each other.

No matter what, it is shown throughout “The Book Thief” that in times of war everyone ends up having to rely on the loyalty and duty of others to survive. Ultimately by the end of the novel the town bands together support each other and get through the war. When bombs hit with “everyone else they sat and waited”. They would tell stories and when tragedy would strike Liesel would “read to the bereaved”. When someone was weak or distressed a “crowd [would] gather... behind them”, because it was their duty to support each other in their time of grief. Inevitably the town shows loyalty to each other and feel a duty to protect each other through the war.

Ultimately by the end of the novel, the author shows that to survive through a time of crisis such as a war you must rely on the loyalty and duty of others.