Category: The Book Thief

Imagine reading a prolonged novel about, say, a prince saving a princess; now think about how much more challenging it would be reading an intensely gloomy novel subjected to the horrors of WWII Germany and narrated by Death himself.

I understand all too well that some books really aren’t easy to read. When you are challenged by a novel and start to lose interest, the pages don’t seem to turn as quickly anymore. In The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, I was challenged a lot. This included: the dark period of the Holocaust as a setting, sadistic narrator, and the not so happy ending. I later realised that these thought-provoking aspects are actually hidden gems and are what made the novel so notable and worthy to read.

The fictional historical story is from the perspective of an atypical narrator, compassionate Death. He points us to a young, lonely orphaned girl called Liesel, who steals books, learns to read, and finds comfort in words during World War II. The story follows Liesel, her foster family and friend Rudy when everyone is struggling to survive the glare of German Nazis.

One reason that The Book Thief was challenging was because the book is set in a dark period. It focuses on the holocaust. It portrays many details about the life of Nazis and the life of the German people. The book was challenging because it contained scenes of cruel fate, sacrifice, and heroism of the characters. As it was based on historical facts, it is easy to feel there could have been similar situations and struggles for German people. Some situations in the novel were extreme, but considering the difficult time period, these situations could have happened. This life situation which could be real makes readers feel more sympathetic towards the characters.

Death is the narrator. This point of view is challenging for anyone reading it death usually isn’t thought of as a person. Zusak used personification of death to offer a unique, omniscient perspective on all the death and dying occurring during this historical period at a more personal level. Death begins the chapter asserting ‘one small fact – you are going to die.’ Parataxis is used to demonstrate both arrogance and light heartedness in this assertion. Zusak portrays Death as an omniscient narrator. This is frightening because it means he knows the thoughts and feelings of the characters. This allows readers to be able to perceive the hard life in Germany at the time better because of death’s pessimistic and honest tone. It benefits the reader by allowing them to interpret the characters’ emotions.

Death as the narrator offers amusing, didactic, or gloomy remarks. Zusak could have used a third-person narrator, but by using Death the author is able to take a sceptical view of the war and mortality itself. After Rudy, one of Liesel’s only friends, dies, it is described as Death ‘taking’ him. But Death expresses sadness that Rudy died so young. Zusak communicates Death’s feelings when the narrator says, ‘Even Death has a heart’. This challenged my previous thoughts because I had never considered death having a heart, along with many other readers, but as personified in The Book Thief, Death does care about humanity.

What is different about this novel is the way it creates a series of emotions for the reader. This is mainly because it isn’t an average, typical novel with an issue and moment of clarity. In most other novels, you feel contempt when you have finished reading. It has nearly killed you, but you did it. It feels good, and the story sweet. Whereas, in this story there is a lingering sense of anti-climax. So, something I found challenging was all of the stages and that there was never a complete resolution or happy ending.

In The Book Thief, I expected a happy ending. This is certainly not how The Book Thief ends. This reminded me of the novel Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens, in which the happy ending I presumed between the two main characters never came to fruition. Similarly, to Dickens, Zusak plays with our emotional attachments to the characters by breaking the mould of typical novel expectations. The truth these authors communicate is that in real life not everyone has a happy ending. Even though I expected all the characters to live happily in the end, I enjoyed the fact that the book did not end that way. It made it seem real. I liked the idea that the story of Liesel seemed like something that could have really happened.

To conclude, I’m sure The Book Thief has challenged every reader in different ways. It depends on the understanding of reading and opinions are formed based on the way the reader perceives the story. However, the challenges I faced as a reader would be similar to those of other readers. The distinctive narrator and the disheartened aura imbedded into the story made me rethink the essence of writing. The unexpected conclusion of the novel questioned my initial beliefs of a storyline but gave me a changed perspective on the set time period.

The Book Thief is about a girl named Liesel, who grew up in Molching, Germany during World War ll. After Liesel’s brother dies, her mum sends her to live with foster parents, Hans and Rosa. Amidst the novel, Liesel steals numerous books but does not know how to read. Hans observes Liesel’s theft and teaches her how to read and how to make sense of the letters. Rosa and Hans are German, but they do not approve of the Nazi regime. They secretly fight against it by hiding a Jewish man, Max in their basement. Their actions remain a secret until Hans assists a Jew who struggles to keep up with a Jewish group when they are being marched to a concentration camp. Nazi soldiers see this and whip both the struggling Jewish man and Hans. Hans and Rosa begin to worry that the occurrence will draw suspicion to their family and that Max is no longer safe in the basement so, Hans sends him on his way. Once Max leaves, Liesel is given a book that he made her called ‘The Word Shaker’. Max wrote about his friendship with Liesel and promised that they would be reunited. Hans becomes drafted into the German army but ends up breaking his leg, so, he is sent home to recover. Max was not able to escape the Nazi’s and Liesel sees him marching through town one day to the concentration camp. Towards the end of the novel, Molching is bombed where Hans, Rosa and Liesel’s best friend Rudy are all killed. Liesel escapes the bombing and once the war ends and the Jews are freed, Max goes to find Liesel and they are reunited (Foist, 2018).

Themes

Two extremely powerful themes that are represented throughout the novel The Book Thief, these are, The Power of Words and The Kindness and Cruelty of Humans (SparkNotes, 2016). The theme ‘The Power of Words’ is displayed throughout the book. There are many examples of how the power of words can attribute to one’s survival. Liesel reading gently to the masses that are with her in the bomb shelter, Max and his connection with Liesel through words giving him the will to live, Max gifting Liesel a book named ‘The Word Shaker’ and Hitler’s birthday celebrations where books are being burned to prevent the spread of propaganda and education are all examples of how the author communicates just how powerful words can be when characters are put into a pressurised situation. All characters in the novel are under an immense amount of pressure being as it is World War II and all find some relief in the written word. The Kindness and Cruelty of Humans is another theme which explores how humans during the wartime, turn from being kind and gentle to be aggressive and cruel to one another. An example of this is from the mayor’s wife, Ilsa Herman. Liesel has the job of doing her laundry. Ilsa allows Liesel to read her books, without Liesel knowing that Ilsa is watching her. Ilsa begins to interact with Liesel and shows compassion and concern towards her even though she is not of the same social status as herself. An example of cruelty is where Max is being marched to a concentration camp. Liesel sees Max and runs over to him to talk to him. A Nazi soldier begins to whip Max and also whips Liesel. The Nazi soldier does not care that he is whipping Liesel. His cruelty is evident through his blatant disregard for someone even of his race. An important thing to note is that we must learn from history and events which are told in this story. Not all Germans can be said to be horrible, aggressive and murderous. There were German’s that were decent humans and did not believe in the plight of Hitler and what he stood for.

CHARACTERS UNDER PRESSURE

During the time of World War II, gender roles for men and women were very different from that of today. Wartime requirements increased employment demands for both male and female workers. Wartime economy created job opportunities for women in industries that used to traditionally belong to men. Male workers interpreted the completion of physically challenging tasks by women as an intrusion on ‘their’ work (The National WWII Museum, 2016).

Women in Nazi Germany were to serve and support their family whilst the men were indefinitely in charge and had to protect their family. Hitler stated that this ‘way’ was the ‘natural order’ and said women were ‘equal but different from men’. Hitler believed that women’s lives were to revolve around the children, kitchen, church and to reproduce for the Aryan race (BBC, 2019).

Gender Roles

The four main characters of The Book Thief, Liesel, Hans, Max and Rosa, all challenge traditional gender stereotypes throughout the whole novel. Liesel is active, in terms of running, fighting and playing with boys. Liesel frequently challenges male authority and stands up for what she believes in. Hans is caring, considerate and not depicted as the role model in his family. This description of Hans is the opposite of what a man would likely be considered as during World War II. Even so, Hans is firm and has a strong moral character when he is putting his life and the lives of others at stake. Max, the Jew expresses his emotions and cries in front of Liesel. Again, this is not a typical stereotype for a man living during World War II and instead challenges traditional ways of humans under pressure. Rosa is portrayed as a cold, demanding women who is the main source of income and authoritarian for the family, instead of being caring, gentle, soft and maternal as what would be expected in these times from women (Pop Culture Pug, 2017).

Social Pressure

Two characters in the novel that endure an immense amount of pressure are Liesel and Hans. Liesel faces numerous complications to see her bravery and to keep fighting through her emotional pain. At the beginning of the novel, Liesel has her family taken away from her when her brother dies, as her mother leaves her to foster parents. For countless years while Liesel is staying with Hans and Rosa, Liesel has to remain strong and not be crushed by all of the stress, horror and death in Germany. Liesel puts people she has never met before, such as Jews before herself and risks getting whipped and executed by helping them. Liesel is a character that faces pressure each day during the war and finds it hard to find hope for an end (School Work Helper, 2018). Hans is under pressure when Max knocks on his door. Hans has the duty and responsibility to protect him because of a promise he made to Max’s father in World War I. All Jewish people were to go into concentration camps, so, with Hans risking his life and his family’s safety by hiding Max in the basement, he is under a lot of pressure to keep the Nazi’s away from his house. The family faces constant pressure as they are visited many times by Nazi soldiers looking for Jews. If found, Hans would face death. Rosa also puts Hans under pressure by not wanting Max there because she fears for her family (School Work Helper, 2016).

Discuss Voices

The voice of the narrator is ‘death’. Death appears throughout the book and can be anywhere at anytime. Death has various powerful phrases within the novel, and this is seen as effective during wartime and makes you consider the reality of war. We mainly hear the voice of German’s both for and against the war. It is hard to hear Max’s voice because he is a Jew and is hiding. In the novel, the voice of the weak is not as strong. We hear the voice of Hans a lot as he has a conscience and constantly thinks about the consequences of his actions and what would happen to his family. He also becomes active in the war and describes his experiences thoroughly.

The author, Markus Zusak was very creative in telling The Book Thief story. The themes and messages from the novel are valuable to the modern-day, lessons and life. Is war good? Is war productive? To what extent can books influence our lives? Does one good deed, in turn, deserve another and to what extent? Books are a great source of education as they broaden our views and allow us to explore and make meaningful choices. Having Death as the narrator is very powerful, it forces you back to the reality of war. The way death speaks about war and death is hard-hitting for readers. Death puts things into perspective and into a context that you cannot ignore or shy away from. A final message of the novel is that death is always looming and is a part of life, and it will find you when the time comes.

There have been many lessons learnt from World War II, and The Book Thief showcases how a dictator such as Hitler was able to oppress and control a nation through words. We also learn not to judge a book by its cover, not all German’s are evil. The Book Thief showcases how cruel the acts of war were and how people can rise above when under enormous pressure. The Book Thief describes how strong the influence of an authoritarian like Hitler can be. World War II serves as a reminder of how powerful one man can be, to take the lives of so many in his hands.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is engaging and authentic to the reader as it shows how Liesel was able to escape from her awful reality after she began to steal books and learn to read for herself. Reading books allowed her to retreat away from all the horrible things happening in her life. Leisel learns how words can bring death, despair, love, humour and peace. Zusak cleverly has Death narrating the story to give us a glimpse of life and death, particularly Liesel’s life, during the holocaust. This unique use of foreshadowing by Zusak tells the reader that there will be plenty of death to come.

Zusak introduces “The Book Thief” as a character and only introduces her as Liesel after her younger brother passes away. By foreshadowing Liesel as a thief, this engages the reader to want to learn more about her character and what happened to her brother. However, as you read on you realise how his death wasn’t seen as a tragic event, which seems authentic to how times were during the Holocaust. Death was a normal occurrence in people’s everyday lives. The truly, engaging and authentic chapter ‘The Flag’ (page 13), describes the book thief as the colour red. “Earlier, kids had been playing hopscotch there, on the street that looked like oil-stained pages. When I arrived I could still hear the echoes. The feet tapping the road. The children-voices laughing, and the smiles like salt, but decaying fast. Then, bombs.” Zusak’s use of imagery makes the reader feel so unsettled as Death described Liesel as red, meaning the blood covering Liesel was the children all around her. This imagery helps the reader gain an understanding of how the holocaust affected everyone in Germany regardless of their religion, making it a truly authentic representation of that time.

It is crucial to gain a better understanding of Leisel and to do this the reader needs to see where she is moving to and starting her life in a foster family, without her birth mother. “Himmel = Heaven” (page 26) this translation is ironic as on the next page Zusak writes, “The buildings to be glued together, mostly small houses and unit blocks that look nervous. There is murky snow spread out like carpet. There is concrete, empty hat stand trees and grey air.” This quote explains the setting of Himmel Street as Leisel arrives with her mother. The way Zusak has personified the buildings and saying that they “look nervous” makes you wonder how the people living there must feel. It certainly does not sound like “heaven”. At first Liesel was having nightmares sleeping next to what should’ve been her brother’s bed and she would scream herself awake. By doing this her bond with her foster father, Hans, was stronger as he kindly held her and told her “shh, I’m here, it’s alright”. Zusak engages the reader by hooking us into this father daughter relationship in the hope of Liesel attaining a better life after she’s experienced so much sadness. Zusak uses Death to comfort readers throughout the novel by changing the plot structure, which warns readers of the forthcoming bombing of Liesel’s home on Himmel Street. This forewarning of immediate devastation to her home attempts to protect the reader by revealing characters’ deaths. However, the emotional weight of these warnings is not felt until the bombing of Himmel Street occurs within the novel and readers experience it with Liesel.

Interestingly, Zusak chose to write from the perspective of a young Christian girl living in Germany during the holocaust period and how she suffered during this awful time. Usually books written about the holocaust are from a Jew’s perspective and their experiences. Zusak chose this method of storytelling to show that non-Jewish people living in Germany also suffered immensely from Hitler’s reign. This engages the reader as it shows how controlling the Nazis were to all the people in Germany. Every person is expected to love and worship Hitler and his ideology without question, otherwise they would have been killed. Zusak’s unique point of view is very authentic to the holocaust time.

Shockingly, Liesel has become to understand death more so throughout the novel. Sadly ‘Death’ is becoming consistently more common in her life. Liesel is able to remove herself from death and this is shown in the quote on (page 570) “She leaned down and looked at his lifeless face and Leisel kissed her best friend, Rudy Steiner, soft and true on his lips. He tasted dusty and sweet. He tasted like regret in the shadows of trees and in the glow of the anarchist’s suit collection. She kissed him long and soft, and when she pulled herself away, she touched his mouth with her fingers…She did not say goodbye. She was incapable, and after a few more minutes at his side, she was able to tear herself from the ground. It amazes me what humans can do, even when streams are flowing down their faces and they stagger on…” This quote is engaging because it’s quite unbelievable a 10-year-old girl would have to live through this and understand what has happened. As this is Death’s quote it is proving, even he is amazed of how a young girl can be so resilient during the most horrific event. Liesel was a young, innocent girl and Zusak transformed her throughout the book into a powerful, resilient teenager.

“Usually we walk around constantly believing ourselves. ‘I’m okay’ we say. ‘I’m alright.’ But sometimes the truth arrives on you and you can’t get it off. That’s when you realise that sometimes it isn’t even an answer–it’s a question. Even now, I wonder how much of my life is convinced.” This quote is quite relatable as often people don’t give an honest response of how they are or even acknowledging to themselves that they are not okay. To give an honest response makes you vulnerable and is not as socially acceptable as believing and saying you are fine. Leisel is trying to tell herself she is okay, and everything is fine when deep down she knows that it just keeps coming back when she says, “sometimes the truth arrives on you and you can’t get it off.” Zusak uses inclusive language in the quote, ‘we’ would be referring to the whole population not just Liesel. By using this pronoun, it includes the reader in Liesel’s journey making the novel more engaging.

Overall Zusak encourages the reader to be empathic to Liesel throughout the novel by letting the reader experience her journey. Zusak does not give the reader a sense of closure at the end of the novel, rather the ending has been left open for the reader to decide. The reality of the horrifying events during the holocaust were not only felt during that time but for a lifetime after. Zusak was able to effectively engage the reader throughout the novel using many literary techniques, authentically describing the Holocaust period.

Literature is a voyage of discovery that illuminates the reality of our human condition. One such voyage is Markus Zusak’s (2005) novel, The Book Thief, which takes us on a journey to the many complex aspects of our unpredictable human nature; our inclinations towards violence, generosity and love. This coming of age novel, set during one of the darkest times in Nazi Germany revolves around the tormenting life of a young girl named Liesel Meminger. Despite being traumatised by her past pains of losing her beloved brother and witnessing some of the cruellest human acts of modern history, Liesel is surrounded by the endless love of her foster parents; Hans and Rosa and is driven towards seeing the beauty in the world by them as well as by her curious loyal friend, Rudy; and the resolutely kind-hearted Jew hidden in her basement, Max. The novel delves into the heart of our humanity and shows that even during the worst times, humans have the capacity to sustain the love, hope and compassion they have for one another. Zusak effectively presents this altruistic perspective of humanity, through the contrast between the characters and the setting, symbolism and contradicting thoughts of a distinctive narrative voice- Death.

Zusak employs the juxtaposition between the character and setting to present an altruistic perspective on humanity and convey that even in a traumatic street full of misery and destruction the characters in it have the potential to unleash its remarkable beauty. Despite being set during a time period where Germany was overpowered by the rampant hatred and bitterness towards Jews, Liesel’s “silver eyed” (pg.573), loving foster father, Hans Hubermann magically brings love and beauty to the world. In one moment of the novel, as the Jews were being vigorously marched down the streets from Molching to Dauchau, another Jewish concentration camp, Hans Hubermann commits a great act of courage and kindness by impulsively handing a piece of bread to an exhausted Jew; “The Jew stood before him, expecting another handle of division, but he watched with everyone else as Hans Hubermann held his hand out and presented a piece of bread, like magic” (pg. 421). This is an extraordinary moment in the novel and emphasises to the reader that such small acts of kindness during difficult times can be so valuable and memorable. The Hans’ actions as well as “the brute strength of the man’s gentleness” (pg.37) juxtaposes with the war-stricken setting the reader is presented with. Nazi values were promoted by a totalitarian government, led by a compelling leader, Hitler and people carried out acts that would now be considered dehumanising, but we are also still consistently seeing unbelievable acts of kindness and generosity. The stark contrast between an awfully distressing setting and a selfless character such as Hans Hubermann, conveys the intricacy of our human nature. The novel emphasises the darker side of humanity, this being the ultimate despair but most importantly highlights the selflessness of humans and our ability to still express human generosity and love during a time of human war.

Symbolism is embodied in the novel and reflects the utter complexity of our human nature, pin pointing our best and worst qualities. Han’s Accordion and Hitler’s Mein Kampf are both symbolic in the novel as they represent both the beauty and (unpleasantness ??) in the world and shows how these qualities can also be noticeable in humans. Mein Kampf is a powerful political manifesto that clearly symbolises the utmost worst qualities of our human nature, showing how a man has the capability to motivate a whole nation to outrageously dehumanise and discriminate the Jewish population. In the novel, the book is epitomised as a shield that protected the reputation of families as it allowed them to hide the struggle in accepting the callous acts that were occurring at the time. This is showcased when Hans’ son comes to visit the family and blames him as being “pathetic” for being “against” the “Fuhrer”, while accusing Liesel for not reading Mein Kampf, “And what trash is this girl reading? She should be reading Mein Kampf” (pg. 113). Thus it alerts the reader that many people in Germany, like Hans Junior were caught by the power of Hitler’s words and influenced to feel hatred for their loving families. However, our capacity to be so cruel and inhumane is completely juxtaposed with the (virtuous?) symbol of the Hans’ accordion. The accordion is a significant object that was inherited by Hans after Erik Vandenberg, Max’s father died and signifies his capability to bring kindness and happiness to others. After the bombings of Himmel street, Liesel goes to Hans corpse with the accordion and imagines him playing it, “The bellows breathed and the tall man played for Liesel Meminger one last time as the sky was taken from the stove” (pg 573). The power of the accordion is enhanced in this truly breath-taking moment as the reader is encouraged to imagine Hans’ enlightening soul. Likewise, it symbolises the human capacity for hope and tolerance during an unfortunate and heart-breaking situation. Therefore, through the symbolism in the novel we can see humanity’s ability to be so hopeful, compassionate and loving under the shadow of a looming immoral society like Nazi Germany.

Zusak also manipulates an unusually omniscient narrative point of view- death, to present the duality of our human nature, encouraging the reader to view Nazi Germany through the conflicted mind of our peculiar narrator. In the novel, Death is constantly looming over us as he goes“about his business…handing souls to the conveyor belt of eternity”(p.23) and faces both the loveliness and ugliness of our human soul. He is completely shocked by the darker side of humanity, this being our attachment to greed, violence and torture. Similarly, this is reinforced through the novel’s setting where Death is exposed to the “living hell” (p.26) of Nazi Germany as he encounters … However, Death is also mesmerised by our remarkable human “beauty”. He is admired by Liesel’s family, especially by their love and kindness towards each other, their resilience and by their generosity towards a Jew; Max. The contrast between such aspects of human kind is evident in Death’s closing thoughts,

I wanted to tell the book thief many things, about beauty and brutality… I wanted to explain that I am constantly overestimating and underestimating the human race – that rarely do I ever simply estimate it. I wanted to ask her how the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious, and its words so damning and so brilliant… (p.584)

Death’s confusion about our human nature suggests that it is no simple thing and that in society we are still questioning how humans have the capacity to conduct such atrocious acts but on the same hand also have an extraordinary amount of good qualities in them. Likewise, in the last line of the novel Death confesses that “he” is “haunted by humans” (p.584). This encapsulates the powerful message that the extent for the human race to be so touching and brutal is complex enough to haunt a narrator like Death that haunts us humans. Deaths commentary enables the reader to realise that most importantly, being human means to rise above such “brutality” and ugliness and to love and trust ‘beautifully’.

Overall, Markus Zusak’s (2005) novel, The Book Thief, presents an altruistic perspective of humanity, highlighting the shades of good and bad that co-exist within humans, suggesting our complexity in many ways. He weaves juxtaposition in the novel by presenting selfless characters like Hans that commit astonishing acts of kindness and generosity in contrast to the traumatic setting of Nazi Germany. The symbolism of Mein Kampf and Hans’ accordion represents our ability to be both cruel and compassionate. The real creativity of the novel lies in the way, Zusak manipulates a distinctive and peculiar narrative voice- Death, who is perplexed by our unpredictable human nature, suggesting that the human race has the ability to be both beautiful and brutal. As a whole, the novel celebrates how we humans are able to withstand the love, compassion and generosity we have for one another during one of the darkest times in history. Perhaps Death is reminding us to continuously carry our altruism because “at some point in time, I will be standing over you, as genially as possible. Your soul will be in my arms. A colour will be perched on my shoulder. I will carry you gently away”(pg.4).

A small fact: “you are going to die “1939. Nazi Germany: The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier. Liesel a nine-year-old girl is living with a foster family on Himmel Street. Her parents have been taken away to a concentration camp. Liesel steals books. This is her story and the story of the inhabitants of her street when the bombs begin to fall. (Zusak, 2005)

Nazi Germany, just before world war two was about to start is where Australian Author Markus Zusak decided would be the setting of his new book – The Book Thief. The eye-opening book was first published in 2005 by Picador. The book Thief is narrated by Death himself but in no way is death portrayed as sinister or evil but rather someone who is compassionate and who takes pity on Liesel, he feels sympathy for all of his victims.

The book surrounds the life of Liesel who is taken to live with a new family because her mother cannot afford to look after her and her brother anymore after their dad who was a communist is taken to concentration camp. On their way to their foster family Liesel’s brother dies, while burying him, her life changes when she steals her first book called “The Gravedigger’s Handbook “. Liesel always keeps this book close to her heart as it is the last remaining link to her brother and real family that she has left. Liesel and her new Papa set out reading the book every night before bed until they finish it, before this Liesel could not read. Liesel is very disruptive when she is at school and ends up fighting with boys. Slowly Liesel becomes a thief – her item of choice is books, she has no particular type just any book that she can get her hands on. Reading becomes her way of coping with the world going on around her and in the end is the reason she lives.

Rosa who is Liesel’s new “Mama” is someone who can be describe as showing tough-love because she beats Liesel with a wooden spoon however right before the end of the book she is describe as a “good woman for a crisis “, she shows compassion towards Max who is a Jewish boxer that takes shelter in the Hubermann basement for a while. Hans owes Maxes dad who is dead a favour and so they take him in and hide him.

Max and Liesel grow exceptionally close as they can both relate to feeling the loss of loved ones and the fact that the two of them have a deep hatred for Hitler. Max feels guilty for leaving his family but at the same time he is relieved that he gets to live while they die – this guilt lives inside of him and is the reason that he fights so hard to survive everything that he goes through. Both Liesel and Max have grief that they must deal with and overcome however they are different, the grief that Liesel goes through is because of the choices someone else in her life made whereas Max’s grief is a consequence of the choice he made, and he will forever have to live with that.

As the war is progressing – death takes the lives of more and more people. The air raids happen more frequently. Max decides that he can no longer stay with the Hubermann family as he is putting them in danger and so he leaves but before he leaves, he paints over the pages of “Mein Kampf “and gives it to Liesel to use. Everyone except for Liesel was sleeping when the bomb that was not meant for Himmel Street fell – she was the only survivor in Himmel Street. The mayor and his wife took Liesel in and she died in Sydney but not before Liesel and Death talk about life and about her book. Death says that he is “haunted by humans “

This book is definitely an eyeopener because many books that are written about Nazi Germany are written from an outsider’s perspective and people living in Germany are seen as evil, but this book shows that they are also victims of the war. They also faced hardships and lost loved ones as well as the countries also at war. You do not realise the effect that the book has on you until the end when you realise how much Liesel has had to go through as a child, the sadness slowly creeps up on you and you catch yourself surrounded by sadness when you read the last pages and close the book.

Zusak choosing Death as a narrator is different to books that I have read in the past because usually a narrator is a character that is actively involved in the book or the book/story revolves around them however this is not the case. By death being the narrator, it gives us as readers an insight as to what is going on around Germany and not just on Himmel Street.

Many have said that they do not think that this book was written for children however, I believe that this book is good for young adults because it shows them the reality of what was happening and opens up their minds to new ideas and allows them to learn things that they might not have been exposed to at school. I would highly recommend reading this book even if you have no interest of world war two and Nazi Germany because the story line is beautifully written and easy to follow although it does take some time getting into.

Bibliography

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2. Goodreadscom. 2019. Goodreadscom. [Online]. [18 March 2019]. Available from: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19063.The_Book_Thief Commonsensemediaorg. 2019. Commonsensemediaorg. [Online]. [18 March 2019]. Available from: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/the-book-thief
3. John green , J.G. 2019. Nytimescom. [Online]. [18 March 2019]. Available from: https://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/14/books/review/14greenj.html
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5. Theguardiancom. 2014. The Guardian. [Online]. [18 March 2019]. Available from: https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2014/mar/17/review-the-book-thief-markus-zusak
6. Independentcouk. 2006. The Independent. [Online]. [18 March 2019]. Available from: https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/the-book-thief-by-markus-zusak-430360.html

Crossword Puzzles

Every Thursday, when Leisel collects and delivers mama’s washing and ironing, she looks for newspapers with crosswords to bring home for Max. Every week she looks forward to finding a newspaper with an empty crossword to give to him. They sit together in the basement while Liesel reads and Max does the crosswords. The narrator, death, explains, “Where Hans Hubermann and Erik Vandenburg were ultimately united by music, Max and Leisel were held together by the quiet gathering of words” (Zusak 248). The crossword puzzles are symbolic of Leisel’s connection with Max, and their shared fascination with words. It is also a symbol of Leisel’s kindness towards Max.

Bread

The act of giving bread symbolizes humanity and selflessness. First, Hans gives bread to a Jew during the march of Jews down Molching Street. Then later, after Hans and Alex are both sent to war, Leisel and Rudy give bread in another similar march. Leisel looks at Rudy giving bread and notices “How things had changed, from fruit stealer to bread giver. His blond hair, although darkening, was like a candle. She heard his stomach grow–and he was giving people bread” (Zusak 440). Hans, Leisel, and Rudy all show sacrifice by giving bread. Hans sacrifices his own safety to give bread to the Jew at the march, and ends up being beaten because of it. In that quote it can be seen that Rudy selflessly decides to give bread to others, even though he is hungry himself.

Dominoes

When the Gestapo men come to the Steiner household to inquire about recruiting Rudy to the army, Rudy and his siblings are playing with dominoes in the next room. Upon watching the dominoes topple down, Rudy’s brother Kurt remarks, “They look like dead bodies” (Zusak 410). It is clear that the dominoes are a symbol of war and death. However, at a closer glance, one can see that the toppling of the dominoes also symbolizes how one bad thing can spiral and cause more and more bad things to happen, creating a domino effect. This relates to another quote by death earlier in the novel, who says that “one opportunity leads directly to another, just like risk leads to more risk, life to more life, and detath to more death” (Zusak 83). The dominoes show how death almost always leads to more death.

The Standover Man

On Leisel’s twelfth birthday, she gives Max a hug for the first time. After this, Max decided to give her something in return, and makes her a book by painting over pages of Mein Kampf. The short book is filled with depictions of Max himself as a bird and description of how his whole life he felt like someone has been standing over him. At the end of the books he concludes, “It makes me understand that the best standover man I’ve ever known is not a man at all… (Zusak 235). The Standover Man is symbolic of Liesel and Max’s relationship, and how for the first time in his life, he has someone who stands over him in a good way. In addition, the act of painting over the Mein Kampf is symbolic of Max covering up Hitler’s hate with his own love. While the Mein Kampf encourages hatred towards Jews from the Germans, The Standover Man is a symbol of love between a Jew and a German.

Teddy Bear

After an enemy plane crashes near the Amper River, Leisel and Rudy witness the dying American pilot take his last breaths. As Rudy watches the man die, he walks up and gives him a teddy bear that he had been carrying in a toolbox. Death describes, “From the toolbox, the boy took out, of all things, a teddy bear. He reached in through the torn windshield and places it on the pilot’s chest. The smiling bear sat huddled among the crowded wreckage of the man and the blood” (Zusak 10). The teddy bear is a symbol of comfort. Rudy tries to give the dying man some sort of comfort, as little as it may be, as he is about to die. Seeing Rudy do this act makes death feel a sense of love towards Rudy.

Toy Soldier

After Max falls ill in the winter between 1942 and 1943, Leisel brings him gifts every day in hopes that he will wake up. One day, she finds a toy soldier buried in the dirt near Tommy Müller’s apartment. When she describes it, she explains that “It was scratched and trodden, which, to Lesiel, was the whole point. Even with injury, it could still stand up” (Zusak 323). The toy soldier symbolizes Max and his strength in the face adversity. Although he is sick and weak and suffering, he is still surviving. Leisel admires Max for his perseverance.

Painting

Hans Hubermann makes a living as a professional painter. He uses his surplus of paint to write the alphabet and other words on the basement wall to teach Leisel how to read. Death narrates, “There were few luxuries in the Hubermann household, but there was an oversupply of paint, and it became more than useful for Leisel’s learning” (Zusak 72). Papa’s painting in the basement is how Leisel learns to read, which becomes of major importance to her. Hans also uses his paint for other sources of good, such as covering up Jewish slurs that were written on a shop owner’s door and painting people’s windows black to protect themselves from bombs for as little as a cigarette or a cookie. Overall, painting is a symbol of Leisel’s education and Papa’s desire to help other people.

The Grave Digger’s Handbook

The Grave Digger’s Handbook is the first book that Leisel steals in the novel, after her brother is buried. When she sees it in the snow, she picks it up and takes it with her, keeping it with her when she moves in with her new foster parents. Even though when Lesiel stole it she could not read yet, she cherishes it. Zusak explains the books meaning to her in a highlighted section, saying, “The Book’s Meaning — 1.The last time she saw her brother. 2.The last time she saw her brother” (Zusak 38). Leisel treasures this book because it is her only physical thing she has to connect her to her late brother. The Grave Digger’s Handbook is also the first book that Leisel reads, and is what begins her midnight writing lessons in the basement with her papa.

Snowman

On Christmas Eve of 1942, the Hubermanns, Leisel, and Max build a snowman in the basement. However, soon after they built the snowman, Max’s health begins to deteriorate significantly. He develops a persistent fever and sleeps for weeks without waking up. Leisel explains, “He was the second snowman to be melting away before her eyes, but this one was different. It was a paradox. The colder he became, the more he melted” (Zusak 316). As we can see in this quote, the snowman symbolizes Max and the decline of his health. Zusak also includes the symbolism of the snowman to communicate how something good can start to fade so quickly before your own eyes.

Seven-sided Die

“The Jew was sticking out of your pocket from the outset. He’s smeared to your lapel, and the moment you roll, you know it’s a seven– the ones things that somehow finds a way to hurt you” (Zusak 258).

Candy

At the end of the summer of 1940, Lesiel and Rudy find one pfening on the ground.They bring it tp Frau Diller in respect of getting mixed candy, but only receive on a piece of candy for the both of them. However, later on when Arthur Berg gives them a bag of chestnuts, they sell them and use the money to go buy mixed candy again. Death describe Liesel and Rudy’s acquiring of the candy as “Triumph before the storm” (Zusak 167). The candy foreshadows that something bad is about to happen soon. Candy also symbolizes Rudy and Leisiel’s innocence, highlighting that despite their many experiences that most children don’t usually face, they are still children.

Empty Fuel Containers

After a bombing in the town of Cologne, Death comes back to notice something about the children. He notices that “Just past the rubble of Cologne, a group of kids collected empty fuel containers, dropped by their enemies. As usual, I collected humans” (Zusak 338). While the children pick up these containers, Death picks up human lives. The empty fuel containers being dropped so carelessly is representative of the amount of human dying so frequently during this time. At that point, death and air raids had become such a regular aspect of life, that the children are not even scared of the fuel containers that were once used for bombs. The collecting of the empty fuel containers can also symbolize the innocence of children, even during times of war.

Boxing with the Führer

“In the basement of 33 Himmel Street, Max Vandenburg could feel the fits of an entire nation. One by one they climbed into the ring and beat him down” (Zusak 254).

Colors

“I do, however, try to enjoy every color I see–the whole spectrum. A billion, or so flavors, none of them quite the same, and a sky to slowly suck on. It takes the edge off the stress. It helps me relax” (Zusak 4).

Cigarettes

“More than anything, it was the smell of friendship, and she could find it on herself too. Leisel loved that smell. She would sniff her arm and smile as the water cooled around her.” (Zusak 72). “There were not many people who could say that their education was paid for with cigarettes” (Zusak 90).

Mein Kampf

“For most of the journey, he made his way through the book, trying never to look up. The words lolled about in his mouth as he read them. Strangely, as he turned the pages and progressed through the chapters, it was only two words he ever tastes. Mein Kampf. My struggle–The title, over and over again, as the train prattles on, from one German town ot the next. Mein Kampf. Of all the things to save him” (Zusak 160).

The Whistler

“For at least twenty mintes, she handed out the story. The youngest kids were soothed by her voice” (Zusak 381). Max imagining Leisel handing out words of The Whistler in the bomb shelter encourages him to write The Word Shaker.

The Complete Duden Dictionary and Thesaurus

Isla Hermann, the mayor’s wife, gives Liesel The Complete Duden Dictionary and Thesaurus. She leaves Liesel a note saying, “I hope you find this dictionary and thesaurus useful as you read your stolen books” (Zusak 369). This dictionary is just one of the many ways Isla helps Leisel get access and gain a love for words. Isla’s relationship with Liesel is significant one because she acts as a sort of mother figure for her, and encourages her thirst for words. Leisel uses the dictionary to learn new words and when she writes her own book, The Book Thief. It is symbolic of the power of language.

Accordion

“She didn’t see him watching as he played, having no idea that Hans Hubermanns accordion was a story. In the times ahead, that story would arrive at 33 Himmel Street in the early hours of morning, wearing ruffled shoulders and a shivering jacket. It would carry a suitcase, a book, and two questions. A story. Story after story, Story within a story” (Zusak 70). “Sometimes I think my papa is an accordion. When he looks at me and smiles and breaths, I hear the notes” (Zusak).

The Word Shaker

“The tear was made of friendship-a single word-and it dried and became a seed, and when next the girl was in the forest, she planted that seed among the other trees” (Zusak 446).

“Good novels take you to interesting places. Great novels take you where you need to go.”

Markus Zusak’s 2005 war novel, The Book Thief’s presentation of complex ideas and issues is a perfect example of one such “great novel.” The novel follows the story of a foster child, Liesel Meminger growing up in World War II Germany. With the help of warm-hearted foster father Hans Hubermann, Liesel learns to read, finding comfort in words and stories as well as building new relationships and learning important lessons about her world and humanity along the way. The Book Thief encourages readers to consider and embrace the darker and more confronting ideas and issues that fall outside their comfort zone by portraying the disturbing reality of world war two and human nature, exposing readers to the ugly dangers of government and certain ideologies while also entertaining through vicarious and dramatic experiences of Nazi Germany. Zusak effectively explores human duality while also emphasising the immense power and importance of words and literature, reminding us that the exceptional beauty and ugliness of humans can both co-exist in this seemingly chaotic and cruel world of ours. Through its unique perspective and writing style, The Book Thief makes us appreciate the power of words and stories to connect or destroy as well as educating us on the extent of the horrors of Nazi Germany.

One of the most applaudable attributes of The Book Thief, is how it not only gives a “novel worthy” entertaining experience of Nazi Germany but also encourages readers to see the disturbing reality of that period in history, allowing us to confront the darker truths of history and reality by showcasing the ideas of supremacy as a terrible force of unimaginable cruelty. Through Death’s unique perspective, we are told about the “forty million people [Death] picked up by the time the whole thing was finished (Death)” (Pg. 359), educating the reader on the lengths of damage and destruction caused by certain dangerous ideologies. It also effectively creates an image of life for Jews during that time with the use of diction and connotations in sentences such as “the jew was filthy” (Pg. 434) or the comparison of the Jew to an animal in describing his “mane of hair.” Both examples carry connotations of “dirtiness” and are “disrespected” thus dehumanising them and demeaning their worth. By addressing confronting truths of war, describing realities of disturbing events during the Nazi Regime and painting this very real picture of the injustice and suffering faced by Jews in Nazi Germany, it exposes us to reality and takes us out of our comfort zones as we don’t see this type of thing as contemporary Australian readers. This gets us to see what is wrong with the world and how in today’s society there are troubling similarities between people such as Donald Trump compared to Hitler or Nazi Germany compared to current civil wars, reminding us to put a stop to this racial discrimination to avoid a similar repeat in history.

As we are made to wonder why Jews were treated so inhumanely during the time, The Book Thief also provides the answer to this question by highlighting how words had the power to both destroy and save humanity, especially in Nazi Germany. What is so acknowledgeable about The Book Thief’s usage books as a metaphor, is it shows the power of language to make a positive difference in the world, describing the very best and very worst ways language can be used and suggesting that words are one of the most powerful ways of communication. This is effectively done by juxtaposing its capacity of good with the evil symbolism held in “Mein Kampf,” as mentioned before, which was a book Hitler wrote to discriminate and scapegoat an entire population of Jews, using words to spread hate and prejudice towards the entire population, thus symbolising the worst qualities in humans. By this, we see how Hitler’s rise to power was made possible, not by guns or money but by using his words to convey his message of hate to inflict this suffering upon Jewish people. Max paints over the pages of Mein Kampf and instead wrote stories for Liesel over it such as “The Word Shaker,” a story about their friendship and showed how Hitler used his words to create forests infected with Nazi ideology. Liesel instead grew her “word tree” to spread compassion and love, which grew the tallest and most powerful, becoming a refuge amid Nazi Germany. This juxtaposition between the trees demonstrates the idea that the power of friendship can overshadow words of hatred, showing that while words and stories can be used to inflict hate and prejudice amongst people such as the Jewish in Nazi Germany, they can also be used to transcend suffering and help humans find happiness in small moments of beauty and friendship.

The Book Thief encourages readers to engage with this intricate idea of human duality and our capacity for extreme good but also extreme evil. This is done by not only showing us the use of words for both good and evil but also through the manipulation of setting, contrasts, characterisation and Zusak’s unique writing style. Because the story is set in one of the darkest times in history where dangerous ideologies resulted in prejudice and destruction, even the smallest acts of kindness had immense effects. Take for example the quote “The Jew stood before him, expecting another handful of derision, but watched with everyone else as Hans Hubermann held his hand out and presented a piece of bread, like magic” (Pg. 809) as the Jews are marched through town to Dachau. Although Hans is punished immediately after, this scene’s contrast between an agonising setting and the selfless characterisation of Hans represents the kindness and selflessness that people are capable of, show the generosity he brings and beautifully highlighting the capacity for human kindness in a world full of darkness and hatred. In addition, not only does Zusak’s poetic writing style provide an “entertaining read” but it also makes us see how “beauty” and “ugly” co-exist in reality. The unusual narrator of “Death” is the perfect witness to grade humanity as it has “the endless ability to be in the right place at the right time (Pg. 992)” so is “always finding humans at their best and worst (Pg. 992).” Death’s sensory mixing in the narration of the phrase “chocolate coloured sky(Pg. 4)” or the paradoxical figurative language in “the brute strength of the man’s gentleness, (Pg.80)” demonstrate the simultaneous existence of opposites, such as light and dark or beauty and ugliness. Not only do these things encourage us to think outside our comfort zones and engage with deeper ideas about human nature and its duality but it also suggests these opposing factors can both coexist in one world, just like the evil and good of humanity.

Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief holds a beautiful balance between the “entertaining” side to the novel as well as effectively educating its audience, encouraging deeper intellectual thought and higher order thinking between readers. The novel effectively highlights the importance and power of words and literature, and more importantly how you use them, showing that while it’s power can be abused and used for evil in times such as Nazi Germany, it is also used to heal, spread hope, build connections and to fight against the injustice and chaos that is the world surrounding them. Its description of Nazi Germany through Death’s special perspective teaches us about the unsettling truths of its time, allowing contemporary readers to get drawn out of their comfort zone of today’s society and instead into a different time in history to see humanity at its darkest. This awakening assists us become more educated of it’s injustice in order to prevent adapting some aspects of it’s disgusting behaviour into modern day society. The Book Thief also effectively showcases the haunting duality of human nature and our capacity for both good and evil, most commonly at the same time. The Book Thief encourages readers to step out of their comfort zones and instead dwell deeper into more complex and confronting ideas, reassuringly showing how that at even one of the darkest times in history, human capacity for kindness and love is able to shine through and triumph.

‘Compare how far and in what ways death is presented as harder for those left behind’.

Death is often presented as a bringer of horror and destruction; it is a grave reminder of the loss of a loved one, and how the living continue to live on without their presence. Indeed, grief is carried in many ways and from many circumstances, as of which will be seen in the texts I will be discussing. Birthday Letters by Ted Hughes, and The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, both show us the implications of death and the horror of society, but also the individual experience and personal change that occurs after such a death. The Book Thief implies struggle and mystery, whilst Birthday Letters emulates tragic and nostalgic happiness. Most certainly, ‘those left behind’ face the brunt of grief, but is it always harder for everyone?

Firstly, the theme of guilt must be discussed. In The Book Thief, guilt is displayed universally, and is seen through all of the characters. The shared emotion connects these different people, despite their various and individual experiences, and we as the reader are connected to a world bound to collective mourning and suffering. This is contrasted slightly in Birthday Letters, where Hughes’ own choices are reflective and personal. In the reading of one of Hughes poems, Red, empathy can be found with Hughes in his struggle to comprehend the complexities of Plath’s internal suffering, which could be seen as being experienced by every reader of the anthology. However, it could also be argued that the emotional response after his wife’s [Sylvia Plath] death, was shared by reader and family alike, alerting to the impact of a loved member of one’s community, regardless of the circumstances. When Birthday Letters was published, Hughes described them as ‘so raw, so vulnerable, so unprocessed, so naive, so self-exposing & unguarded…’. In a sense, Birthday Letters represents the embodiment of grief in Hughes; it is his own personal memoir to Plath and the memory of her. This representation of one character impacting others is represented through The Book Thief’s protagonist Liesel Meminger, whose guilt is shown immediately: her brother’s death at the beginning of the novel. This death greatly affects her throughout the novel, and signifies the importance and how fleeting mortality is. Guilt is also shown through Liesel’s own thoughts: she imagines herself as a burden to the Hubermann family, and she is berated, ‘You filthy pig…” alluding to the family’s dislike of her. The negative influence death has on humans is probably because life is the only form of existence we experience, and ending of this life is associated with pain, loss and the ambiguity of afterlife. This aura of dislike due to terrible circumstances links to Hughes and his poetry in many ways. For one, the media outrage surrounding him after Plath’s suicide links to him receiving the majority of the blame due to his extramarital affair, and the reflection of these guilt-ridden feelings are, for one example, represented in the poem The Minotaur, where Hughes delves into the darker sides of Plath, ‘mapped with the scars of his whole life’ is symbolic of his life, person, and the mistakes and pains. She destroys a chair for him being late to care for the children. This could imply that the cause of her anger was his detachment from his children, maybe a detail to emphasise the insanity and reasonless of her rages. These emotions reflect similarly in The Book Thief, with the foster family adopting Liesel and as mentioned, their initial dislike towards her due to her being different and detached from the rest of the Hubermann family. Ultimately, after death, those left behind – in terms of guilt – will often feel responsible.

However, whilst these shared experiences of grief can indeed make it hard for those left behind, the individual experience of death can often determine how a story is presented. The Book Thief represents this point uniquely through Liesel’s journey as she progresses as a character. Much like how Zusak’s mother would tell him of what she saw in Nazi Germany, we see the horrors of human nature as she does. This individual sense of how death can affect one’s nature and mind, can entirely depend on what he or she sees, and therefore cannot always surround everyone. This is also heavily present in Birthday Letters; whilst Plath’s death was felt universally, the specific guilt surrounding her suicide could only be felt and appointed to Hughes himself, and no other. Liesel collectively shares this feeling; once Death has slipped into her experience, she is unable to ignore Him, and cannot ignore the feelings of guilt that He brings; Liesel is first introduced feeling guilty about her brother, and continues to feel this throughout the novel. However, these realisations do not occur to her until after her brother’s death, which represents Liesel as a character inexperienced with the concept of loss, and also suggesting that the knowledge of loss does not actually touch her until this moment, and thus further symbolises how death cannot be as hard for a collection of people, as is it for one person. Furthermore, in The Book Thief, Death is a character himself, personified as a human and acting as the narrator; in Birthday Letters this view is taken by Hughes, and while tragic and personal, the poems do not entirely reflect a complete and individual understanding of one’s life, and this is also justified by the anthology’s main purpose: for Hughes to argue against the accusation that he was the cause of Plath’s suicide. The three poems The Minotaur, Your Paris, and Red are a further insight into this view; however they seem to not all use fierce language as a justification. All poems seem to equally describe the death of Plath using an incredibly emotive poetic form, expressing a melancholic and reminiscent viewpoint. This contrast is mirrored in The Book Thief as well; as the setting is Nazi Germany we expect a violent and chaotic situation through a viewpoint of perhaps a soldier, but instead we receive a story from the eyes of an unexpected character, whose innocence and isolation gives a completely different perspective is what could be predicted. In the case of Birthday Letters, this viewpoint is given from Hughes’ personal justification; he uses many techniques to establish his own suffering, such as metaphors, connotations of death, and juxtaposition to encourage the audience to accept his argument that he was not the one to blame for the tragedy, and The Book Thief (despite its non-linear form) similarly uses these to represent the horror and tragedy of what death can do to an individual. Death is possibly presented here as – of course – being hard for both Liesel and Hughes respectively; ultimately an individual can affected greatly by one’s passing, and in some instances can be desperate to rid of that pain.

In contrast, the feeling of isolation can be collectively shared after someone’s passing. A major instance of this in The Book Thief is with the character of Hans Hubermann. Hans, Liesel’s foster father, is isolated from the majority of the German society because of his beliefs. He disagrees with the Nazi’s principles – and by extension the general social order. This belief causes him to be jobless and lose the people close to him [his son]. In this instance, isolation is not physical, like with Liesel or Max, but psychological. He is not separated from society in a material way, but instead mentally, through his beliefs. This represents the main frame of isolation within The Book Thief, in which each character is faced with an individual experience exclusive only to them. This framework is also present in the narrative of Hughes’ The Minotaur; the darker side of Plath -and hence the corresponding feelings of grief and despair – was only available to him Similarly, all three of these characters face struggles with isolation, and it impacts them severely: all three of them attempt to flee from it, often with failure. When faced with these moments of isolation, Max, Liesel, and Hans attempt to escape it, in order to gain peace from horror and grief that was consuming the world. In Liesel’s case, one of these attempts was to start stealing books. Liesel stole books as a comfort, reading for her was She stole and read these books to escape her isolation and enter different worlds. Birthday Letters is a perfect example of Hughes entering a different reality, also, one where the blame is not on himself, but on others. These desperate moments represent how isolation, particularly from death, can make a collective impact on more than one person. Furthermore, the character of Death Himself cannot stand to look at the heartbroken survivors in the story. Ilsa Hermann, [Liesel’s foster mother] is a main representation of one of Death’s “heartbroken survivors”. She becomes a quiet and sullen woman after her only son is killed in 1918, yet Liesel brings her happiness, indicating that while death can traumatise a person for the rest of their life, it can also bring fleeting moments of remembrance and joy. Indeed, the price of living is guilt and shame, and both Liesel and Hughes suffer a similar fate. Death describes Liesel as the perpetual survivor, demonstrating a sense of isolation which is unique only to her. In Birthday Letters the brief moment of being a survivor could be argued to be Hughes’ poems themselves; they could be considered a memoir of sorts for him to remember her by. All of these experiences represent death as bringing nothing but horror and grief, but in some cases – such as Ilsa’s – bring unexpected moments of happiness through sheer coincidence.

In Birthday Letters this isolation is rather attributed to the abandonment of his happiness, despite how guilt has affected him. For example, the quote ‘You were undeflected. You were gold-jacketed, solid silver, Nickel-tipped. Trajectory perfect, as through ether’ from The Shot denotes how his love for Plath was great, using precious metals to describe her, and a strange semantic field that could resemble a bullet, ‘trajectory’ and ‘jacketed’. This not only describes Plath as ambitious, but also seemingly headstrong and it becomes clear that he thinks Plath’s ambitions were a factor behind the failure of their marriage, and by extension, the cause of his grief and despair. These constant acts of blame on Plath and not himself truly represent his isolation: now that she is gone, he refuses to blame himself, and thus his grief lashes out on others; this links to the Hubermann’s initial dislike of Liesel due to the horrors of what they have already experienced. In essence, what others have experienced beforehand – that have caused isolation and suffering – can ultimately result in mistrust for those left behind. As the series of poems moves towards Plath’s death, Hughes becomes more obsessed with the differences between himself and her, possibly representing Hughes’ methods to escape blame and distrust, but also personifying his extreme loneliness and the following attempts to escape from it. He is particularly motivated by her father, who is a shadowy presence hanging in the background, and seems to always be a source of overlying grief and misunderstanding. In her poem Daddy, Plath confronts her feelings towards her father, who was a German immigrant who died when she was a child. Immediately, this haunting and personal layer of discomfort and grief links with Liesel’s initial entrance in the story: her being placed in a foster family due to the war. In a series of short statements, Hughes attempts to place his opinion on her father, and seems desperate for her to not be like him, ‘you did not / Want to be Christ like’. The direct address contributes to a sense that Hughes is creating his own Plath: his opinion of her. In many ways, Hughes’ obsession with Otto Plath [Plath’s father] is his explanation of everything that went wrong in the relationship and caused Plath’s suicide. He is the only figure to appear in the final poem, ‘Red’, as Plath’s fixation with the colour red is blamed on ‘Salvias, that your father named you after’. This one event in Plath’s childhood caused the red-fixation which, Hughes suggests in the poem, caused her suicide. Red can be seen as a signifier for blood, anger, and death the poem, with Plath’s red ‘throbbing cell’ being a place where no good can happen. Blood is also subconsciously present in The Book Thief, functioning as a source of grief and despair; Death describes that ‘the last time I saw her [Liesel] was red’ , emphasising that even after long periods of suffering and despair, death can still impact a life forever. Similarly, for Birthday Letters the message is clear: Hughes has been haunted by Plath for thirty years, and the isolation that has followed her death is like a ghost, surrounding and consuming him. In the poems, he seems to have accepted this grief, however, and tried to capture things as they were, hoping perhaps to move on. Overall, Grief and isolation are shown to be severely damaging here.

In conclusion, ultimately, death is harder for not just the individual left behind, but in fact can have a universal effect, such as Plath’s wave of sympathy gathered from the world at the news of her death. For The Book Thief, loss and grief are represented as the main feelings of ‘those left behind’ and are seen by Liesel as a coping mechanism at the end of the novel. Although, the aftereffects of loss are also shown to sometimes generate positivity, such as Liesel bringing happiness to the Hubermann family after their loss, and Hughes’ ability to write collections such as Birthday Letters as a way to remember Plath.