June 2011: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

thoughts

Do you have any thoughts about this book not covered in the following questions? Discuss them here.

The word shaker

Why does Max only want Liesel to have The Word Shaker "When she's ready".

Books and accordians

When Liesel reads aloud to the others in the bomb shelter for the first time, a voice inside her says, "This is your accordion." What does she mean?

Colors

What is the significance of colors in the book?

Words

They state words have the power to both destroy and save lives. Discuss.

Favorite

Who is your favorite character and why?

Liesel and Max

Do Max and Liesel end up married? I thought maybe they did because in it said, "In her final visions, she saw her three children, her grandchildren, her husband, and the long list of lives that merged with hers. Among them lit like lanterns, were Hans and Rosa Hubermann, her brother, and the boy whose hair remained the color of lemons forever." If Max hadn't been mentioned already as her husband, wouldn't she have mentioned him with the others?

Death

Discuss the symbolism of Death as the omniscient narrator of the novel. What are Death's feelings for each victim? Describe Death's attempt to resist Liesel. Death states, "I'm always finding humans at their best and worst. I see their ugly and their beauty, and I wonder how the same thing can be both". What is ugly and beautiful about Liesel, Rosa, and Hans Hubermann, Max, Rudy, and Mres. Hermann? Why is death haunted by humans?

The Book Thief

The Grave Digger's Handbook is the first book Liesel steals. Why did she take the book? What is significant about the titles of the books she steals? Discuss why she hides The Grave Digger's Handbook under her mattress. Describe Hans Hubermann's reaction when he discovers the book. What does the act of book thievery teach Liesel about life and death? Explain Rudy's reaction when he discovers that Liesel is a book thief. How does stealing books from the mayor's house lead to a friendship with the mayor's wife? Explain how Liesel's own attempt to write a book saves her life.

Rosa

Liesel believes that Hans Hubermann's eyes show kindness, and from the beginning she feels closer to him than to Rosa Hubermann. How does Hans gain Liesel's love and trust? Why is it so difficult for Rosa to demonstrate the same warmth toward Liesel? Discuss how Liesel's relationship with Rosa changes by the end of the novel.

Abandonment

Abandonment is a central theme in the novel. The reader knows that Liesel feels abandoned by her mother and by the death of her brother. How does she equate love with abandonment? At what point does she understand why she was abandoned by her mother? Who else abandons Liesel in the novel? Was she abandoned by circumstance or by the heart?

Guilt

Guilt is another recurring theme in the novel. Hans Hubermann's life was spared in France during World War 1 and Erik Vanderburg's life was taken. Explain why Hans feels guilty about Erik's death. Guilt is a powerful emotion that may cause a person to become unhappy and despondent. Discuss how Hans channels his guilt into helping others. Explain Max Vandenburg's thougt, "Living was living. The price was guilt and shame." . Why does he feel guilt and shame?

Liesel and Max

Compare and contrast the lives of Liesel and Max Vandenburg. How does Max's life give Liesel purpose? At what point do Liesel and Max become friends? Max gives Liesel a story called "The Standover Man" for her birthday. What is the significance of this story?

A Mountain to climb

Death says that Liesel was a girl "with a mountain to climb". What is her mountain? Who are her climbing partners? What is her greatest obstacle? At what point does she reach the summit of her mountain? Describe her descent. What does she discover at the foot of her mountain?

Cowards

Hans Junior, a Nazi soldier, calls his dad a coward because he doesn't belong to the Nazi party. He feels that you are either for Hitler or against him. How does it take courage to oppose Hitler? There isn't one coward in the Hubermann household. Discuss how they demonstrate courage throughout the novel.

Liesel and Rudy

Describe Liesel's friendship with Rudy. How does their friendship change and grow throughout the novel? Death says that Rudy doesn't offer his friendship " for free" (page 51). What does Rudy want from Liesel? Discuss Death's statement, "The only thing worse than a boy who hates you is a boy who loves you" Why is it difficult for Liesel to love Rudy? Discuss why Liesel tells Mr. Steiner that she kissed Rudy's dead body.

Foreshadowing

How does Zusak use the literary device of foreshadowing to pull the reader into the story?

Beauty and Brutality

Liesel Meminger lived to be an old woman. Death says that he would like to tell the book thief about beauty and brutality, but those are things that she had lived. How does her life represent beauty in the wake of brutality? Discuss how Zusak's poetic writing style enhances the beauty of Liesel's story.