Symbolism In The Door Of 33 Himmel Street

In a book so full of motifs it 's easy to over look many of them, I had nearly missed this one myself. It wasn 't until near the end of the book that I had picked up on the symbolism hidden in the door of 33 Himmel Street. Had Markus Zusak not pointed out the importance of the door through Hans ' return home I would have thought nothing of it. " Four years earlier Liesel was coaxed through that doorway when she showed up for the fist time. Max Vandenburg had stood there with key biting into his hand. Now it was Hans Hubermann 's turn." (Zusak 492). I believe he wanted us to discover this motif, for what other reason would he have to remind us of Liesel and Max 's interaction with the door just as Hans was entering? I will be examining the interactions of Zusak 's characters with the door of 33 Himmel street, particularly those of Liesel, Max and Hans, while attempting to display their connection to this symbolism. …show more content…
. .doors are . . . symbolic entrances into new worlds. These entrances can be into a new life or they might represent communication between one world and another world, between the living and the dead." (Fraim 3). Doors are often used in stories as symbols, most commonly and in the case of The Book Thief that of a new beginning or a new life. Throughout the book we are continuously brought to the door, Zusak could have simply allowed each character to pass through. Instead the characters about to begin their new lives, as if they can feel the importance of their entrance are found hesitating, or in Liesel 's case