The Contradictory Nature of Humanity
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is a novel narrated by Death. Death often speaks of humans and their habits, and he often questions the way humans treat others. He tells the story of a young girl that is raised in a place full of hate, but Death very often tells the reader of some beautiful things that happen. Death believes that humans are not compassionate and decent to each other, but there are certain moments that lead him to believe otherwise, and many of those moments are demonstrated in The Book Thief. Throughout the whole novel, the effect of characters compassion and brutality are evident. From the moment Liesel arrived on Himmel Street, she was shown love by Hans, and this changed her life. …show more content…
Millions of German citizens were brainwashed to believe that they were a superior race. The Nazi party beat, imprisoned, and killed millions of innocent people because they were different from Germans. The effect of the Nazi discrimination is evident in The Book Thief when Max Vandenburg needs a place to hide from the Gestapo. Max is a Jew, and would be arrested and imprisoned if he was to be found. In the novel, Viktor Chemmel throws Liesel’s book in the Amper River. Viktor proves to Death that there are bad people in the world, and that not all of humanity is like Hans …show more content…
Hans showed compassion to another person, and in return the Jew and Hans both are punished. When Death tells the story of this event, he says “The Jew was whipped six times. On his back, his head, and his legs. “You filth! You swine”(Zusak, pg. 394). Death is speaking about the Jewish prisoner being beaten by a Nazi guard. This event shows a part of humanity that shows hate and disdain towards other humans. Humans mistreating other humans gives Death reason to believe that humans are beings full of ugliness and
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is a novel narrated by Death. Death often speaks of humans and their habits, and he often questions the way humans treat others. He tells the story of a young girl that is raised in a place full of hate, but Death very often tells the reader of some beautiful things that happen. Death believes that humans are not compassionate and decent to each other, but there are certain moments that lead him to believe otherwise, and many of those moments are demonstrated in The Book Thief. Throughout the whole novel, the effect of characters compassion and brutality are evident. From the moment Liesel arrived on Himmel Street, she was shown love by Hans, and this changed her life. …show more content…
Millions of German citizens were brainwashed to believe that they were a superior race. The Nazi party beat, imprisoned, and killed millions of innocent people because they were different from Germans. The effect of the Nazi discrimination is evident in The Book Thief when Max Vandenburg needs a place to hide from the Gestapo. Max is a Jew, and would be arrested and imprisoned if he was to be found. In the novel, Viktor Chemmel throws Liesel’s book in the Amper River. Viktor proves to Death that there are bad people in the world, and that not all of humanity is like Hans …show more content…
Hans showed compassion to another person, and in return the Jew and Hans both are punished. When Death tells the story of this event, he says “The Jew was whipped six times. On his back, his head, and his legs. “You filth! You swine”(Zusak, pg. 394). Death is speaking about the Jewish prisoner being beaten by a Nazi guard. This event shows a part of humanity that shows hate and disdain towards other humans. Humans mistreating other humans gives Death reason to believe that humans are beings full of ugliness and