In a story of historical fiction that takes the fatality of 40 million people, uses it metaphorically and then goes on to say, “even death has a heart,” could its readers find empathy for its narrator who reflects on life apathetically?
After grasping the fact that death is the omnipresence in The Book Thief, reading it takes you on an emotional rollercoaster in the course of its wartime setting. In describing impending doom, Death said, “They would all smile at the beauty of destruction,” adding, “No one had served the Fuehrer better than I.”
Markus Zusak creates The Book Thief through characters who come to realize that death is inescapable while living in Nazi Germany.
The story is a invariable rummage through Liesel Meminger’s life — her stepmother, Rosa Uberman, a strict but loving mama; her stepfather, Hans, who kept hold of his values throughout the story, Rudy Stiner, her best friend, and Max Vandenberg, the one she plays “stand over man” to.
Zusak peers into the everyday life of the Ubermans, doing their best to portray the blissfulness of a close-knit family during the unimaginably worst of times.
As the plot of The Book Thief unfolds, one cannot avoid the stark contrast between the kindnesses of the Uberman family versus societal pressure to exact evil upon innocent neighbors and friends. This German family did not buy into the social norms emblematic of Germany during Jewish oppression.
Hans overlooked the advantages of joining the Nazi party, even though it would have protected his family from rebuke and criticism. Although Hans did eventually join the Nazi party, he simply could not buy into its racist ideology and hate Jews, as his government ordered all Germans to do. Max was his friend, and Liesel lovingly protected Max at all costs.
Even though the Ubermans’ lives had changed in the most significant way when they decided to hide Max, they had to pretend to live normally. Zusak wrote, “Imagine being slapped in the face and acting as if nothing had happened, then think of doing that day after day. That is what it is like hiding a Jew.”
However, Max could not avoid the inevitable. He lingers in the Ubermans’ basement. “The Jewish rat, back in his hole,” writes Zusak.
When Hans was sent to war, Max lamented to Hans the dilemma of being sent to Stalingrad. Hans came back with, “It could be worse. I could be you.” Nevertheless, each day Max lived a basement life, he sought to touch the sky. He kept his head up.
As an example, Max painted all of the pages of “Mien Kampf” white and wrote a story about the “stand-over man.”
Understanding what a “stand-over man” is in relation to a teenaged book thief who is complicit in hiding a Jew became an important plot element in The Book Thief. It allows readers to identify with individuals who would make heroic efforts in support of the powerless, and identify the importance of uplifting the most downtrodden in society, or appreciate the value of giving help to someone living a dismal life.
When the storyline delves into Liesel’s collection of books through thievery, it is unavoidable to notice Zusak’s sly interjection of social criticisms. A maturing plot through protagonist Liesel’s childlike voice opens the door in a belief that collective growth is inevitable and reconciliation between the forces of good and evil are to be expected.
Zusak inventories plight in a way that although disaster is anticipated, it is still poignant when read. Examples are found in the chapter The Long Walk to Dachau, as Hans “would perfect the art of forgetting” while the chapter The Bombing of Munich describes the night as “long with reading and bombing.” At one point Zusak even describes fear as “shiny.”
In The Book Thief, Death tells us there are many ways to dissect the living and scrutinize how we humans, as Death refers to people, treat each other.
