Repaired Harm

Post #5: How is some of the harm the characters experience repaired in your novel?

Overall, the damage experienced has not been repaired. Liesel’s whole world comes crashing down on her. While Liesel is in the basement, writing her story, Himmel Street is bombed killing everyone but her. Liesel was just beginning to have a normal life with her family and Rudy but it was all taken away from her. Max had already left the house but had been captured and taken to Dachau. Max thought he was getting away and helping the Hubermann’s but he was found and captured. Hans was finally accepted by the Nazi Party but with terrible circumstances, Hans was drafted into the army. Upon Hans’ return to Molching after months of military duty, he was really looking forward to getting back to a normal life but things did not end the way he wanted. That same night Liesel was in the basement and Himmel Street was bombed, Hans perished in the bombing. Rudy also perished in the bombing. All Rudy was looking forward to was his father’s return from war but because of the bombing his life was taken away, his chance to reunite with his father was taken away and Rudy was never able to get the kiss from Liesel that he always longed for. In the end, none of the harm is repaired. Max returns and is reunited with Liesel but they have already lost too much.

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Coping with your Problems

Post #3: Do you think your characters are coping well with their problems?

I think that the character coping best with his problems is Hans. He is facing incredibly hard times due to the german economy and lack of work. Hans is coping with his problem by not getting worked up and just being himself. Hans continues to spend his time teaching Liesel to read and write, getting by on what little work there is and keeping Max company down in the basement. Hans has always been extremely calm which I feel is the main reason why he has been able to keep his wits about him. I feel that Hans was best at coping with everything because he was able to stay calm. As for Max, his way of coping was to workout. Max would start with a few sets push-ups and then some sets of sit-ups. His most unorthidox way of coping was to imagine himself boxing Hitler. Even though it was a little strange, I think it really helped him to feel like even during the second world war, a jew had power over Hitler. Although Max was not able to cope as quickly or as easily as Hans but I think he did a great job. So overall, I feel like my characters are doing a great job coping with their problems.

Trevor

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Character Reactions to Social Injustice

Hans Hubermann has always been a very cool, calm and collected person. Even in the face of prejudice for not being a Nazi, Hans continues to be his calm self. Hans provides for his family by trading cigarettes and he helps Liesel learn to read and write. Even though Hans does not have any work and the economy is weakening, he shows no signs of being scared or nervous about cash flow. As for not being a Nazi, Hans’ son, Hans Junior, has showed nothing but distgust for his father but even hate can not bring down Hans Sr. He continues with his life just as he always has. As for antisemitism, Max is in constant fear of being discovered. All he can imagine is running from 33 Himmel Street because he feels that the Hubermanns are in danger because of him. Everyday Max reads Mein Kampf, the book written by Hitler and he hates it. Reading the words of hate written by Hitler makes Max wonder why anyone would listen to a crazy man.

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Social Injustice in The Book Thief

In The Book Thief, set in Nazi Germany, two issues of injustice are antisemitism and discrimination due to political beliefs. To start with antisemitism, during the second world war, Hitler wanted to make the Germans a superior race and he felt the jews should be killed because of their religious views. Max Vandenburg, a jew, has been hiding almost all of his adult life from the Nazis. Max makes his way across Germany to Molching where Hans and Rosa Hubermann take him into hiding. If Max were to be discovered by anyone outside of the household, the Hubermanns and Max would most likely be killed because Hitler had 90% of the german population convinced jews were the enemy. As for political discrimination, if a german was not part of the Nazi party, they were treated poorly compared to those who were in the Nazi party. Hans Hubermann was saved by a jew, Max’s father Eric and Hans could not hate the jews. Hans is a painter but he does not find much work because most of his customers were jewish people, driven out and killed by the Nazis. In addition to the lost business, not being a member of the Nazi party did not help. Without the Nazi status, Hans was discrimnated against. He could not find work and even his own son despised him. These issues of injustice had massive impact on Max, the Hubermanns and Liesel.

Trevor

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