During the First World War, Hans met a man by the name of Erik Vandenburg. Without knowing it Erik ended up saving Hans’ life by volunteering him to write letters for the Captain. The day Hans got volunteered to write letters, nobody returned from the battle. After the battle Erik was found dead on a hill, and his personal belongings were sent back. His accordion was the only thing left behind, which Hans took and tracked down Erik’s family to return it. Hans meant his wife and she let him keep the accordion because it remind her of Erik the most since it was his favorite. “‘You never told me,’ he said to a dead Erik Vandenburg and the Stuttgart skyline. ‘You never told me you had a son.’” (Zusak 179). Hans had told Eriks wife that he was
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Hans knew she would not take him up on that offer, but in two decades Max showed up at 33 Himmel Street seeking Hans’ help. “There was a young man standing in the kitchen. The key in his hand felt like it was rusting into his palm. He didn’t speak anything like hello,or please help or any other such expected sentence. He asked two questions.”(Zusak 173). Max, Erik’s son, showed up at the Hubermann’s house seeking shelter because he was a Jew in Nazi Germany. Hans knew that by taking Max in he was putting his whole family in danger for harboring a Jew, but Max was Erik’s son and Erik indirectly saved his life during World War Ⅰ and this was his way of paying him back even though he would forever be indebted to Erik. “Jew once saved his life and he couldn’t forget that” (Zusak 180). Another lasting impact on Hans’ life was Hans refused to join the NSDAP because he believed Jews were not bad people. Hans also could never forget Erik, again he felt indebted to Erik for saving his life. Erik, a Jewish man, saved Hans’ life prior to when Jews were outcasted in Germany. Even when Hans finally applied to join the NSDAP, he still helped Jewish people because they were just people and they did nothing wrong, they only believed something different than everybody else. Hans would alway feel he duty-bound for Erik no matter what he
Hans knew she would not take him up on that offer, but in two decades Max showed up at 33 Himmel Street seeking Hans’ help. “There was a young man standing in the kitchen. The key in his hand felt like it was rusting into his palm. He didn’t speak anything like hello,or please help or any other such expected sentence. He asked two questions.”(Zusak 173). Max, Erik’s son, showed up at the Hubermann’s house seeking shelter because he was a Jew in Nazi Germany. Hans knew that by taking Max in he was putting his whole family in danger for harboring a Jew, but Max was Erik’s son and Erik indirectly saved his life during World War Ⅰ and this was his way of paying him back even though he would forever be indebted to Erik. “Jew once saved his life and he couldn’t forget that” (Zusak 180). Another lasting impact on Hans’ life was Hans refused to join the NSDAP because he believed Jews were not bad people. Hans also could never forget Erik, again he felt indebted to Erik for saving his life. Erik, a Jewish man, saved Hans’ life prior to when Jews were outcasted in Germany. Even when Hans finally applied to join the NSDAP, he still helped Jewish people because they were just people and they did nothing wrong, they only believed something different than everybody else. Hans would alway feel he duty-bound for Erik no matter what he