Symbols In The Book Thief

Improved Essays
Ms. Nolt
Grade 9 English Name: Mason Fredericks

Essay: The Book Thief

“She bent down and picked it up and held it firmly in her fingers.” -Markus Zusak 24. Within the Book Thief the main character, Liesel Meminger, is sent to a new family after her father and brother both die. She moves in with the Hubermanns; in her stay she learns a great sense of compassion, she learns how to read and write, and she also learns how to convey this fortitudinous attitude throughout this historical fiction by Markus Zusak. By using symbolism the author could convey emotions from characters to inanimate objects, and he is able to make memories be tied directly to these objects.
The Gravedigger’s Handbook could be a direct connection to Liesel due to the mere presence of the book reminding her of her brothers death; a sign for her to never forget. “There was something black and rectangular lodged in the snow. Only the girl saw it. She bent down and picked it up and held it firmly in her fingers. The book had silver writing on it.” -Markus Zusak 24. This event had taken place directly after her brother's
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“How do you give someone a piece of the sky?” -Markus Zusak 322. At first she is conflicted; she doesn’t understand how to convey the feeling, emotion, and desperation of a single cloud, something really alive to this little girl. But she uses her imaginations and is able to convey a story for the creature that she created in her head. When she goes to tell Max and tries to convey what she saw she speaks of a, “...great white beast, and it came from over the mountains.” -Markus Zusak 322. This shows that Liesel’s imagination is overwhelmingly responsive to just little things that she can see around her. She can perceive so many overpowering symbols around her that it’s sometimes hard to remember that she’s just a little

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