When Max arrives in the Hubermann's kitchen , I expected Rosa to be herself and to become angrier than usual. Instead, she is calm and grave, which made me curious. Why would Rosa be so calm when a Jew arrives at her house? She already has two responsibilities, and now she is given another one. Rosa will now have to make more money in order to take care of Max, and she is risking her life for some stranger, but she is not angry. I am guessing that Hans has told her about the arrival of Max but still why would she let him stay at their house? She's never met him, but she is still willing to risk her life for him.
Also, why does Hans burn all of Liesel's books? How does that have any connection to Max, and if it is so important to get rid of them, why is he doing this now when he could have done this much earlier?
Later in the book when Max makes his booklet for Liesel, his drawings interest me. He drew himself and his family as animals and he drew others as humans. Is Zusak making another connection here between the Jews and the Germans, or am I mistaken? Also, why does Liesel almost give in and tell the mayor's wife her secret. Why would she think about telling her instead of others to whom she is closer to, such as Rudy?
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When Max arrives at the Hubermanns, readers see a different side of Rosa. This is the more compassionate, motherly side I was waiting to see in her. Although we have only seen the edgier side to Rosa, there was no doubt in my mind that there were softer sides as well. And her reaction to Max Vandenburg is the perfect example. We see images of her standing over Max, worried, as he eats his pea soup...that's true caring: a woman watching over a man who isn't even family.
ReplyDeleteOf course, that leads me to wonder, why isn't she like this with her real family?
Anyways, in response to your last paragraph. He drew himself and Liesel as animals because of Liesel's earlier comment about how Max's hair was similar to feathers of a bird. He remembered this and used it in his booklet.
Also, I was thinking that birds would represent a sort of "freedom", as they did so prominently in Romeo and Juliet. Perhaps Zusak and Max had similar ideas about birds and their ability to just fly away if they were to encounter trouble.
I agree with you but Max also draws his father and his opponent (in a fight) as birds, so why would he draw others with "feathery hair". I also respectfully disagree with you on your last comment. I think that Max, being a Jew, is unable to fly away or gain freedom and I think he knows this. When he encounters trouble, the only thing he can do is to hope for the best.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Mork, and I think I can provide an explanation for his opponent's bird-like composure. Walter Kugler, his most common opponent, was a member of the Nazi party, and one symbol of the Party was a large bird holding a swastika in a circle.
ReplyDeletehttp://isurvived.org/Pictures_iSurvived-2/Germany-NaziSymbol.GIF
That link will get you a picture of said symbol. I think that he drew himself as a bird merely because of Liesel's comment about his hair, not symbolizing freedom.
Morkovine, I know that the reason Max drew himself and others as birds was because of Liesel's comment about his hair, but there is always the possibility that he is hoping for freedom.
ReplyDeleteIt is more probable however, that you and Gabe are right, and the birds were only meant to make Liesel smile, or something.
Morkovine, to answer your question in your second paragraph, Hans is trying to make Liesel recognize how important keeping this secret is (the fact that the Hubermanns are hiding a Jew in Nazi Germany). To teach Liesel to realize, Hans states all the possibilities that could occur if she told anyone the secret. One of those is burning her most precious objects, her books. Hans doesn't actually burn Liesel's books at this point in the novel, but is using it as a threat/precaution in order for Liesel to keep her mouth shut (about the secret).
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