book thief essay topics

The Book Thief

71 pages • 2 hours read

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• Prologue-Chapter 8
• Chapters 9-24
• Chapters 25-32
• Chapters 33-40
• Chapters 41-48
• Chapters 49-56
• Chapters 57-64
• Chapter 65-Epilogue
• Character Analysis
• Symbols & Motifs
• Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Books come in all shapes and sizes in the novel. Pick two. Describe their physical characteristics and their meaning to the characters. 

Describe Death’s personality as it can be inferred from his narration. 

What is the significance of Hans’s accordion? How does it connect various characters in the story? 

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The Book Thief

Markus zusak, everything you need for every book you read..

Death himself is the narrator of The Book Thief , and the setting is Nazi Germany during World War II, so there is a constant feeling of danger and suspense in the story. The narrator also reveals the fates of most of the characters beforehand, particularly the details of their deaths. This creates a different kind of suspense, where the reader knows some of the story's end but still wants to know how the characters…

Words and Language

Markus Zusak constantly reminds the reader of the importance of language through his writing style. The disjointed narration, postmodern style (the starred, bold-faced interjections), and poetic phrasing emphasize the words used to tell the story, to the point that the reader is never allowed to sink unconsciously into the plot. There are also many reminders of language within the novel's action – Liesel and Hans write on the back of sandpaper, the newspaper becomes imprinted…

Related to words and language is the theme of books, which begins even in the novel's title. Books as objects play major roles in the plot, and the story itself is divided among the different books Liesel steals or is given. The Nazi book-burning is a central plot point, and represents the suppression of free speech but also an acknowledgement of the power of books themselves – Hitler fears books that contradict his propaganda. Liesel…

Stealing and Giving

In the setting of Nazi Germany, the idea of criminality is turned upside down – Hitler 's laws require citizens to commit crimes against humanity, and when Liesel or Hans show kindness to Max (or any other Jew) they are harshly punished. The thievery of the novel's title also seems like less of a crime in the context of the story. When Liesel and Rudy steal books and food it is a small way of…

Color, Beauty, and Ugliness

When he takes a soul, Death remembers the color of the sky to distract himself from his grim work. He begins the story with the colors of his three meetings with Liesel , the book thief – white, black, and red – and combines these to form the Nazi flag, which hangs over the story like the colors of the sky. Later Liesel acts similarly to Death in describing the sky to Max when he…

The Book Thief Markus Zusak

The Book Thief essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

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The Book Thief Essays

Liesel's emotional journey through the book thief anonymous, the book thief.

“It’s just a small story really, about, among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist fighter, and quite a lot of thievery” (Zusak 5). And of course, there is Death. Set in Nazi Germany during the...

Zusak's Death Breaks the Mould Emily Giambalvo 12th Grade

In The Book Thief, Zusak expounds upon the concept of death as a passive force and not a vengeful creature. Zusak presents the character Death in a manner that is more effectively conceived than the traditional rendition of Death’s personae. This...

Guilt in The Book Thief Elizabeth Zhang 9th Grade

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is set in Nazi Germany in World War II. Narrated by Death, the novel takes as its protagonist Liesel Meminger, a girl who grows up in a foster home where Jews aren't seen as evil, in a departure from attitudes in the...

The Toil of Good and Evil: Multi-Faceted Kindness in The Book Thief Zachary Palmatier 11th Grade

Humanity is always engaged in an eternal power struggle between good and evil, and the well being of society often hangs in the balance when such forces collide. This presence of good and evil of humanity is a central theme in Markus Zusak’s The...

Stealing the Narrative: The Irony of Reading in The Book Thief Timothy Sexton College

The dominating theme of Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief is an ironic one. Here is a novel where a main character is nothing less than the symbol of mortality itself, Death, yet the story continually celebrates the life spirit that is contained...

The Responsibility of German Citizens: Rhetoric, Close Reading, and Meaning in The Book Thief Novy Kay O'Connell 9th Grade

Does following orders and laws justify allowing the mass persecution of a race? Is protecting one’s family a viable reason to tolerate the mistreatment of the Jews? During the Nuremberg trials, judges ruled simply following orders was an...

Violence in The Book Thief: Close Readings of Key Scenes Anonymous 10th Grade

In works of great literature, violent scenes often play prominent roles. However, these scenes of violence do not exist for their own sake, but instead add value and depth to the story being told. The Book Thief, written by Markus Zusak, is no...

The Pen is Truly Mightier Than the Sword Anonymous 10th Grade

Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief follows the life of the once illiterate Liesel Meminger and her progression into literacy set primarily during WWII in Molching, Germany. Liesel is adopted by a German couple in Molching, Germany after the death of...

The Implications of War: A Comparison of The Book Thief and Life is Beautiful Catherine Matters 12th Grade

Markus Zusak’s narrative The Book Thief and Roberto Benigni’s film Life is Beautiful use historical perspective to explore the impact of war. Zusak’s The Book Thief uses the narration of death to follow the life of a young girl in war torn...

Allegorical Characters: Everyman and The Book Thief Anonymous 10th Grade

If someone was asked to name their favorite book character, his or her answer would most likely be the name of either a person or an animal. While many books and stories contain wonderful human and animal characters, some pieces of literature...

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The Book Thief Essay Topics & Writing Assignments

Essay Topic 1

Many characters in this novel suffer from recurring nightmares. Choose two characters who suffer from nightmares and describe the visions they have. How do these recurring nightmares affect the way these characters interact with the world and each other?

Essay Topic 2

Both Liesel and Hans have an artistic talent that brings peace to stressful situations. First, describe both Liesel and Hans' talents. Then, describe at least one situation when these characters use their artistic skill in the attempts to calm a crowd. What is the effect of their attempts?

Essay Topic 3

Rudy and Liesel have an interesting and dynamic relationship from the moment they meet. First, describe how Liesel and Rudy meet. Then, describe how the relationship between these two children changes over the course of the novel. Choose at least two major incidents from the novel and explain how these incidents affected the relationship between...

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The Book Thief Discussion Questions

• In the opening of the book when Liesel steals her first book, The Gravedigger’s Handbook , this event can be thought of as the first of many turning points for her. What are some of the others? Talk about each major character and what their turning points are, as well as turning points for the community as a whole.
• Knowing that Liesel is called a “thief,” how does the book complicate our ideas of justice and judgment? Which characters do you view as just/unjust or brave/cowardly, and why? Which events or details most color your perceptions of these characters?
• What choices do characters make about groups they will belong to? What groups do they belong to without choice? What are the consequences?
• Discuss Liesel’s friendship with Rudy. Does she love him in the way he loves her, or is it a child’s love? Do you think he reminds her of her brother?
• Zusak’s books often portray characters with a tendency to fight—including Max and Liesel. Is a child who fights more forgivable that an adult who fights? Why?
• From Hans to Liesel to the mayor’s wife, discuss how some of the characters in The Book Thief deal with their past. Discuss themes of memory and punishment.
• Is Hans Hubermann a courageous man? How does he show courage, or lack of courage?
• Name some acts of resistance in the book, from large to small. What does the author intend with his inclusion of these acts?
• Who has power in this book? How does Liesel gain power, and how does Max? Toward the end of the novel Liesel remarks to herself that words give power. How so?
• Discuss the meaning of Max painting over Mein Kampf . What is he able to express by doing this and by drawing over it, that he cannot convey in person?

Thanks to Facing History and Ourselves for its valuable input on these questions.

Content last updated: October 31, 2012

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Essays on The Book Thief

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The Theme of Guilt in The Novel "The Book Thief"

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Liesel’s Character Growth in The Book Thief

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Review of The Novel "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak

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2005, Markus Zusak

Historical Fiction

Narrated by Death, the story follows Liesel Meminger, a young girl living with foster parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann, in Nazi Germany during World War II. Liesel settles down into her new home and during her time there, she is exposed to the horrors of the war and politics. Hans, who has developed a close relationship with Liesel, teaches her to read during this time. Recognizing the power of writing and sharing the written word, Liesel not only begins to steal books that the politicians are seeking to destroy, but also writes her own story.

A theme that stands out from the beginning is literacy and power. While language initially is a struggle for the main character, Liesel, it becomes one that empowers her and allows her to quietly rebel against Hitler's regime. Other major themes include kindness, and cruelty of humans, reading and writing, the duality of the Nazi era, mortality, and love.

The Book Thief features innovative stylistic techniques. The most obvious innovation is narrator Death's use of boldface text to relay certain information. The mood of "The Book Thief" is defiantly a somber time, and fear is in the air in Nazi Germany.

Liesel Meminger, Death, Hans Hubermann (Papa), Rosa Hubermann (Mama), Rudy Steiner, Max Vandenburg, Ilsa Hermann, Werner Meminger, Paula Meminger (Liesel's Mother), Hans Jr (Hans' and Rosa's son)

Published in 2005, The Book Thief became an international bestseller and was translated into 63 languages and sold 16 million copies. It was adapted into the 2013 feature film, The Book Thief. The novel has also win several awards, such as Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best Book, Michael L. Printz Honor Book, Best Books for Young Adults (American Library Association).

“The only thing worse than a boy who hates you: a boy that loves you.” “I have hated words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right.” “Even death has a heart.” “Imagine smiling after a slap in the face. Then think of doing it twenty-four hours a day.”

1. Buráková, Z. (2019). Whose trauma is it? A trauma-theoretical reading of The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak. Holocaust Studies, 25(1-2), 59-73. (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17504902.2018.1472874) 2. Koprince, S. (2011). Words from the basement: Markus Zusak's The Book Thief. Notes on Contemporary Literature, 41(1). (https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA255494819&sid=googleScholar&v=2.1&it=r&linkaccess=abs&issn=00294047&p=AONE&sw=w&userGroupName=anon%7E7cb76d72) 3. Yarova, A. (2016). Haunted by humans: Inverting the reality of the holocaust in Markus Zusak's' The book thief'. Papers: Explorations into Children's Literature, 24(1), 54-81. (https://search.informit.org/doi/abs/10.3316/ielapa.033178079846317) 4. Brady, B. K. (2013). Beyond the basics with Bakhtin: a dialogical look at Markus Zusak's The Book Thief (Doctoral dissertation, Rutgers University-Camden Graduate School). (https://rucore.libraries.rutgers.edu/rutgers-lib/40257/) 5. Gipson, E. M. (2017). A Close Encounter with Death: Narration in Markus Zusak's The Book Thief (Doctoral dissertation, The University of Southern Mississippi). (https://www.proquest.com/openview/eba2b3153629faedca16050fdb2c21ff/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750) 6. Adams, J., & Adams, J. (2011). ‘Into Eternity’s Certain Breadth’: Ambivalent Escape in Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief. Magic Realism in Holocaust Literature: Troping the Traumatic Real, 144-172. (https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/9780230307353_6) 7. Stevenson, D. (2006). The Book Thief. Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 59(9), 389-390. (https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/article/197387/summary) 8. Lee, G. (2015). Literacy in The Book Thief: Complicated Matters of People, Witnessing, Death (Doctoral dissertation). (https://whitelibrary.dspacedirect.org/handle/11210/49)

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The Book Thief Themes and Analysis 📖

‘The Book Thief’ is a historical novel based on the events of the Holocaust and Second World War and the suffering and death experienced by people.

The Book Thief

Markus zusak.

When analyzing The Book Thief , there are several themes one needs to look at. The majority are themes of the power of words, kindness, and cruelty of humans, reading and writing, the duality of the Nazi era, mortality, and love.

The Book Thief Themes

The power of words.

In The Book Thief , we see that words and, in extension, stories are among the most powerful ways people connect. So many examples show how the words connect people up throughout the story. Through learning the alphabet and how to use it to make words, Liesel and Hans Hubermann began developing their deep bond. Liesel’s descriptions of the weather to Max later in the novel also help establish a bond between them. 

In the book, the greatest gift Max gives Liesel is words in the form of the ‘The Word Shaker,’ the story he writes for her. In the story he wrote, he suggests that words are the most powerful force there is. He said that Adolf Hitler uses just words and not guns or money or some other instrument to take over the world.

The story shows how Liesel has used words to create a refuge for herself amid Nazism and later uses words to calm her neighbors during the air raids by reading from her book. Again, the power of words is seen in the book she left behind, giving her a connection to Death as we saw at the end of the story.

The Kindness and Cruelty of Humans

We see the various degrees of human cruelty and kindness in the novel, from the slight to the most extreme examples.

One of the small acts of kindness we see in the novel includes hiding and caring for Max by the Hubermanns even at great risk to themselves, Rudy giving the teddy bear to the dying pilot, Ilsa Hermann inviting Liesel into her library. Liesel is specially kind to Max, and the two share a strong bond. Because of the political context of the time, with hatred and violence against Jews being rampant, Max finds Liesel’s kindness to be extraordinary. On the contrary, we also see acts of cruelty, like the treatment of Rudy by Viktor Chemmel and Franz Deutscher. Again, the concentration camps linger unseen in the book’s background as the most extreme example of cruelty.

There was a scene that showed both kindness and cruelty at once. There, Hans Hubermann tries to help a weak Jew suffering hunger and deprivation, being marched through town on the way to Dachau. Hans reaches out to him and gives him a piece of bread, a small act of great kindness. Immediately though, one of the Nazi soldiers mercilessly whips Hans and the Jewish man, a great act of cruelty heightened by the fact that it comes in response to Hans’s kindness.

We can not analyze the themes in The Book Thief without talking of mortality as Death is the book’s narrator. The book shows us that mortality is very present in the lives of each character as Death introduces the book to the reader. All through the novel, the deaths of the main characters reaffirm the presence of mortality. Since The Book Thief story takes place during World War II, Death and genocide are almost omnipresent.

Death is presented in a less distant and threatening manner as he narrates and explains the reasons behind each character’s destruction. Again, Death expatiates how he feels that he must take each character’s life, so there is a sense of care instead of fear. At a point Death states, ‘even Death has a heart.’

Reading and Writing

We see language, writing, and reading presented as symbols of expression and freedom all through the novel. Reading and writing provide identity and personal liberation to those characters who have them and provide a framework for Liesel’s coming of age. At the start of the story, shortly after her brother’s funeral, Liesel finds a book in the snow, but she cannot read. Learning under her foster father Hans, she slowly learns to read and write. By the time the novel comes to an end, her character arc has been shaped by her progress in reading, writing and learning a language. 

Writing and reading skills also serve as social markers since wealthy citizens are literate, owning books and even their libraries. On the other hand, the poor and illiterate do not own books or libraries. Rosa Huberman’s harsh and, at times, scathing remarks towards her family and others are an example of the despairing lives of the poorer classes. In contrast, Liesel’s repeated rescues of books from Nazi bonfires show her reclaiming freedom and also refusal to accept being controlled by the all-pervasive state.

The Dualities of Nazi-era Germany

We notice that the characters often have two sides or faces starting from the time Rudy paints himself black in imitation of Jesse Owens.

Superficially, Rudy looks like an ideal Aryan, such that the Nazis try to recruit him into a special training center. However, deep inside him, he is similar to an African-American, which directly contradicts Nazi ideology. Max also does something similar when he travels from Stuttgart to Molching when he pretends to be a non-Jewish or gentile German, calmly reading MKPF, while on the inside, he is a terrified Jew who finds the book despicable. This clearly shows the theme of duality in the book.

The Hubermanns are part of the theme and started living double lives immediately after they started hiding Max.

To their neighbors and friends, they pretend to be law-abiding citizens to their friends and neighbors; they harbor their dangerous secret inside. Hans teaches Liesel about this double face after he slaps her for saying she hates Hitler in public. He told her that she can hate inside the house but once they are outside, she must behave in a certain way. In fact, duality is a theme of life in general for Liesel and Rudy as they both spend a lot of time engaged in typical teenage activities like playing soccer in the street. However, these moments are broken up with events like the parade of Jews through town or the bombings that threaten and ultimately destroy Himmel Street. 

In spite of the fact that war, Death, and loss caused a lot of damage to Liesel and the others, love is seen as an agent of change and freedom. This is because love is the only way of forming a family where real freedom exists. Liesel got the best of her traumas by learning to love and be loved by her foster family and her friends. At the start of the novel, Liesel is traumatized by the Death of her brother and her separation from her only family and the larger issues of war-torn Germany and the destruction wrought by the Nazi party. 

Liesel’s relationship with her foster father Hans helps create healing and growth reflected in the relational dynamic between the Hubermann family and Max. The Hubermanns’ association with Max defies the Nazi regime in a society governed by policies that presume to judge who is really human. Furthermore, the love that Max and Liesel develop through their friendship creates a strong contrast to the fascist hate in the story’s backdrop.

Analysis of Key Moments in Animal Farm

• When Liesel’s brother died. This event marked the start of the story, which led her to foster parents. It also started Liesel’s stealing of books when she picks up The Grave Digger’s Handbook at the site of her brother’s burial.
• Arrival on Himmel. This event sets the stage for the rest of the book as it marks Liesel coming to live with Hans and Rosa Hubermann after the loss of her family.
• Early school failure. Liesel didn’t succeed in school when she tried earlier and she became determined to learn how to read.
• Book burning day. The event of burning books on Hitler’s birthday helped Hans discover that Liesel is stealing books. 
• Arrival of Max Vandenburg on Himmel Street. This event changes the Hubermann’s lives when Max arrives on their doorstep in 1940. Hiding him put their lives in immense danger.
• Max writing The Standover Man for Liesel. This event helped to bring Max and Liesel together and they not only read words but also share them.
• Giving bread to the Jew. The event of Han giving bread to a weak Jew is significant because it leads to Max’s departure and Hans being sent away to fight in the war.
• Rudy idolizing a black man despite his perfect Aryan features. Rudy used the Jesse Owens event to exemplify the views of the main characters of the book.
• The Nazi recruiting Rudy. The Nazis noticed Rudy’s physical and mental capacities and therefore recruited him to go to school to become the perfect German. His parents refuse, and Alex Steiner is sent to war.
• Bombing of Himmel Story. This is a major event in the book where Liesel’s street is bombed and she lost most of her friends and family.
• Death of Liesel. This marked the final major event in the book when death came to her soul. 

Style, Tone, and Figurative Language

The style and language of The Book Thief is simple because it was primarily meant for young adults. He used a lot of foreshadowing to give the reader a sense of what is coming up in the story.

In the book, the narrator of the story, Death, uses foreshadowing in many different events to keep the reader focused on how the characters meet their ends. In Death’s side notes, foreshadowing is constantly scattered throughout the book in boldface text. A good example is when Death alludes to the death of Rudy, who is Liesel’s best friend. …He didn’t deserve to die the way he did.” 

The tone of The Book Thief is serious most of the time and mocking or hopeful the rest of the times. When you have death talking about humans in the time of war, the tone will be serious and somber. Death spends a lot of time mocking, or making fun of, humans. For instance, when Death talks about humans and destruction in the quote above, he is making fun of how people like to see things get destroyed.

In the book, we see so many figurative languages used in The Book Thief . These are vivid and stimulating word choices that author’s use to add color and meaning to their work. In the book we have many of the likes of simile, metaphor, contrast, hyperbole, personification, etc. Even the narrator, death, is personified. Here are examples of other figurative languages used in the book. 

She would wake up swimming in her bed, screaming, and drowning in the flood of sheets.

This quote from The Book Thief shows metaphor as the figurative language when death was describing the nightmare Liesel was having.

She did have it easy compared to Max Vandenberg. Certainly, her brother practically died in her arms. Her mother abandoned her. But anything was better than being a Jew.

Here, the figurative language is contrast as death is trying to tell the readers that any hardship is better than being a jew.

Within seconds, snow was carved into her skin.

The figurative language used is hyperbole. Sure, snow was all over her body but it was extreme exaggeration to say it carved into her skin.

Analysis of Symbols

The Book Thief uses symbols extensively because it is not just a story about a little girl. It is an important historical novel that delved into the suffering of people who lived in Germany during World War II. The story has a lot of lessons especially in mortality, kindness and love and the symbols embody all these.

Giving bread anywhere is a sign of care and comfort. Once you give bread to somebody, you have shown absolute compassion for that person. You have also comforted the person and probably solved his hunger issues. It is a symbol of empathy in the story and it was clearly demonstrated by Max when he offered bread to the weak Jew as they were marching to the gas chamber.

The accordion in the novel was inherited by Hans Hubermann from Max’s father during World War I and it became part of Han’s identity. He played regularly to those around him to give them comfort. He plays it during trying times to give comfort and care to those who hear it. Example is when Liesel realises that her mother is not coming back again and when she first came to their house.

Books were a source of comfort to Liesel and later Max. It is another major symbol in The Book Thief and it was the source of Liesel’s transformation from a weak girl to an empowered young woman. She developed a great relationship over books when she learned how to read and write and thus got the power she needed from the books. This power helped her to develop a strong character, mature emotionally and became kinder and more understanding to those around her.

What is the main theme of The Book Thief ?

The Book Thief has many themes and they include love and kindness as expressed by Liesel and her foster family; literacy and power, as seen when Liesel learns to read and explore the world of words, cruelty and suffering as experienced by the Jews in the hands of the Nazis.

What is an example of a theme?

In most literature work, we have themes that the author uses to pass his message across. Some of the common themes that run through them are love, mortality, war, peace, revenge, grace, betrayal, fatherhood, patriotism, life, isolation, cruelty, motherhood, forgiveness, treachery, wartime loss, rich versus poor, and appearance versus reality.

Is survival a theme in The Book Thief ?

There are many themes in The Book Thief like love, mortality, kindness, etc. One of the themes you will find in the book is the theme of survival. Most of the major characters in the book namely Liesel, Max, Rudy, the Hubermanns, passed through many awful ordeals but they still survived. 

How do you identify a theme?

A theme is the idea the writer wishes to convey about an event, subject, or person. It is from the theme that you learn about the author’s view of the world. To identify the theme, you have to be sure that you have first identified the plot of the story, the way the story characterization, and the primary conflict in the story.

What are the steps in analyzing a theme?

Generally, here are the ways in which you can begin to analyze the theme of any literature you read. First, you look for recurring images in the story or poem, then ask questions about the author’s message. Through your answers, you’ll be able to identify the different tools the author uses to express the theme

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Essays on The Book Thief

The book thief, by markus zusak.

In the novel of The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, the protagonist expresses the interpretation of freedom that was allowed for the Germans and Jews during that time. Now in a biography of Olympic runner, Jesse Owens, reveals how much he pursued happiness even through the discrimination. Freedom comes at a time when a person is able to make their own decisions with responsibility and limitations. To be free could go many different ways simply because of a race, skin […]

The Book Thief Summary

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is based in Germany during the beginning and during World War 2. The narrator starts the novel by describing when he saw the Book Thief in action and all the times he has seen them doing their work. Then, he goes into describing a young girl named Liesel and her biological families struggles. Liesel is a young girl when her birth mother and brother are traveling to Molching, Germany. During their travels Liesel has […]

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Irony in the Book Thief

Irony, in many ways, is always all around us. It can come as a way to ease the truth of what’s going on around you. In the novel, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, irony plays a theme in blocking out what is really happening in the 1940s era of Germany. During The Book Thief, irony contributed to helping the formation of other themes such as foreshadowing and also themes of loneliness and despair that are presented in the storyline. […]

Midterm Research Paper, the Book Thief

All through perusing the original The Book Thief, there are glaring subjects that current themselves all through the novel and illuminate individuals on what was happening on the planet during that specific time-frame. The narrative of The Book Thief was written in the setting of World War II Germany, and it opens up a great deal in seeing how living in that time span probably been. There were such countless standards and implicit guidelines living in Germany during war times, […]

Rosa Hubermann from “The Book Thief”

Throughout the beginning of “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak, we see Rosa Hubermann as a mean and abusive mother to Liesel. She hits Liesel with her spoons and always scolds and reprimands her. But by the end of the novel, we see another side of Rosa that we have never seen before. We begin to see her act caring and loving towards others and realize that she has been a kind person since the beginning. Rosa first shows her […]

Hans Hubermann in the Book Thief

Hans Hubermann is a heartwarming instance in which survival is consistently portrayed. Hans’s character is depicted to ironically develop the theme of survival in The Book Thief because he is a soldier who is meant to fight at war but Hans manages to escape fighting on multiple occasions. Hans Hubermann is the kind-hearted, accordion playing, cigarette smoking foster father of Liesel Meminger. One example of Hans’ luck is when the narrator is telling the reader about his escape of Death […]

The Protagonist Liesel Meminger

Intro/Characters: The protagonist of this book is Liesel Meminger. This is because in the beginning of the book she is very mean and an angry person but towards the end of the book she changes a lot and then she starts to care for others like her friends and her family and she would also do anything to help them. The antagonist is not in the book but because of consequences from his actions Adolf Hitler the antagonist because of […]

No Difficulty Can Discourage

“No difficulty can discourage, no obstacle dismay, no trouble dishearten the man who has acquired the art of being alive. Difficulties are but dares of fate, obstacles but hurdles to try his skill, troubles but bitter tonics to give him strength, and he rises higher and looms greater after each encounter with adversity.” This quote by Ella Wheeler Wilcox means that adversity gives you strength to continue to beat the odds. You should not stop in the face of adversity […]

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