The Book Thief By Art Spielgelman

The Power of Literature Hideous and atrocious acts have been committed throughout time; however, none of them are more despicable than the Holocaust. It was during this time that roughly six million Jews were systematically murdered by the Nazis. It is a piece of history that is taught in millions of classrooms across the world. There are various ways of telling this chilling tale and for the most part, it is presented in a factual, history book-type lesson. This can be interesting and beneficial; however it leaves human emotion out of the story and with so many emotions involved refusing to convey them would only be telling part of the story. For this reason, it is important to present it in different formats. In Art Spielgelman’s novel …show more content…
In his book, The Book Thief, he uses two unorthodox styles in his portrayal of Nazi Germany. The first unique style was making Death the narrator of the book. By having the Grim Reaper tell the story, he immerses his audience in the death and blood that surrounds Germany during this time. Reading the number of dead is awe inspiring, but reading an account of Death collecting souls from the battlefield is more chilling and paints a starker picture of the hell that was war. While the account may be factious, the bodies lying throughout the battlefields and in mass graves were not. Zusak offers us a perspective that few of us even begin to think of: the true carnage of the Holocaust. The Book Thief is also centered around the relationship between a small girl, Liesel, and a Jewish refugee, Max, who is hiding in her basement. They bond over reading and both recognize the power of books. As a gift, Max makes a book for Liesel. The book highlights his plight as a Jewish refugee. Markus Zusak’s other unique style is his decision to incorporate Max’s book in his. He dedicates several pages to the crudely drawn book. It is through those drawings we get a chance to see just how terrible it had been for Jews during this time. They were treated so terribly and when Liesel shows compassion towards Max it truly touches him. Zusak’s two method choices in The Book Thief does not detract from …show more content…
It did not detract from the severity or harshness of the Holocaust. Just reading a text does not do its subject manner justice. Sometimes authors will incorporate different styles or formats. This is important, because it can help to discover events on a deeper emotional level and allows authors to give their audiences a more authentic perspective. Another central theme in The Book Thief is the importance of literature. An entire chapter is dedicated to Liesel’s experience at a book burning. It was common for the Nazi’s to destroy literature pertaining to the Jewish faith or any other topic that did not suit their agenda. The fact they are destroyed as if books are weapons is a testament to their power. That is why the format does not matter as long as the message and the presentation are true to the topic. Other formats can help to covey the true emotions of a situation. In the case of Maus, Art Spiegelman decision to portray the Holocaust in the graphic novel format turned out to be a smart decision that helped to highlight some overlooked results of the Holocaust. It is because of these bold authors and the formats they choose that people are able gain different and unique perspectives on