While I was reading The Book Thief, the quote "The words clobbered [Liesel] in the back" (53) caught my attention. Rudy and Liesel imitate Pfiffikus's whistling and Pfiffikus verbally abuses both children. I was interested in this quote because Markus Zusak uses personification to give power to words.
As the story progresses, I found more clues about the importance of words. Liesel finds power in words when she reads at night with Hans and is able to forget about her nightmare. By being able to read "The Gravedigger's Guide", Liesel feels more connected to the last time she saw her brother and mother. Another example is when the words of Hilter, "Mein Kampf" save Max from being caught by the Germans.
I was wondering why Zusak emphasizes the power and importance of words continuously as the story continues. Does is really play as big of a part in the story as Zusak believes, or does it contribute to another larger part of the story?
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
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ReplyDeleteThe Book Thief, like all novels, is open to different interpretations. For me, so far TBT is a story of knowledge overcoming great struggles, in this case war. This is also a story about Liesel, a girl already in an unstable situation whose country is also going through a time of instability. Reading, education in its different forms (school, reading at midnight, etc.), and overall knowledge becomes the only constant. It is the recurring, stable theme in both the lives of the characters and through the reader's perspective as they go through the novel. To answer your question, I think the power and importance of words is an immensely significant part of the story.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that language/words/reading have been crucial ever since someone first scratched symbols in the dirt in some far country somewhere. Print and speech are the media though which we can be free -- or because of which we must be silenced. Censorship is almost always part of a repressive regime (Hitler, Stalin) and is often a way that adults try to decide what children/students should or should not read. Have you seen Mrs. Hunt's bumper sticker? Check out the teal colored Volvo parked to the right side of the mansion.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to the historical context of TBT, the Holocaust was a time where propaganda adversely affected the beliefs of the general public. The Nazis and their followers actively portrayed non-Aryans as horrific monsters on posters, radios, etc. Words were cleverly crafted together on propaganda to be persuasive.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, below is a link to an article about a recent Holocaust discovery. Just like Leisel finding comfort in and an escape through reading, the people of the Holocaust sought refuge in words.
http://www.energypublisher.com/article.asp?id=19088