As I continue to read The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, I find the recurring presence of Hitler's autobiography and exposition on his political ideologies to be conspicuous in the novel. In the video below, the creation of a special edition of Hitler's book in the 1940's is documented. The people in this video take extraordinary measures to ensure no flaws, and are entirely devoted to their work.
In TBT, Max embarks on a plan to give Leisel a birthday gift; a memoir-like book, 13 pages long, complete with pictures. The canvas for the book is painted over pages of Hitler's book, Mein Kampf. While it is especially symbolic that a "Jewish rat" could cover up the pages of the hailed book and its writer, the most marking part is the words of Max that replace the words of Adolf Hitler. In Max's book, he remarks on his fear of men standing over him. Hitler, in his book, talks of his hopes to stand over others, and the need to eradicate the inferior. The stark contrast between the two books is palpable in the pictures drawn out by Max. Perfection, as exemplified by the book exhibited in the video above, is disregarded in the sketchy drawings of Max's booklet. However, Max does try his best and cares deeply. Quite simply, he is unable to form such proficiency as Hitler. The accomplishments of Max lie in his ability to tell his story on the masked pages of Hitler's. As we look forward to what lies ahead in the novel, it is evident that Max will continue to dissolve Adolf Hitler's tyrannical stance by simply forming his own book over the Führer's.
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