1. THEMES AND QUOTES
THE BOOK THIEF

2. IDENTITY AND BELONGING
THEMES AND IDEAS
DEATH
HUMANITY
RELATIONSHIPS
WORDS AND BOOKS
GUILT
COURAGE
IDENTITY AND BELONGING

3. DEATH and loss
The story is narrated by ‘Death’ – what impact does this have?
‘Death’ as the narrator is reluctant to do his ‘job’. He is sentimental and cares for souls:
- “ your soul will be in my arms..I will carry you gently away” p4

4. DEATH and loss Max and Liesel have been touched by death and loss
Death is all around:
Devastation of war
Hatred of the Jews- loss of freedom and identity
Frau Hermann’s grief following the loss of her son is evident.
Michael Holtzapfel hangs himself after his brother dies in war

5. THE BEAUTY AND BRUTALITY OF HUMANITY
‘The consequence of this is that I’m always finding humans at their best and worst. I see their ugly and their beauty, and I wonder how the same thing can be both . . .’ (p522)
The novel describes Rudy Steiner:
‘In years to come he would be a giver of bread, not a stealer – proof again of the contradictory human being. So much good, so much evil. Just add water.'(p 178)
Even ‘Death’ cannot comprehend how humans can be so cruel and yet so good at the same time.
- He is “haunted by humans” p584
Brutality of humanity
Suffering endured by Max, Liesel and many other characters in the novel
The atrocities committed in the war, the persecution and deaths of millions of Jews
The horrors of war, e.g. The dying pilot scene

6. THE BEAUTY OF HUMANITY Erik Vandenburg (Max’ father) saves Hans’ life
Walter helps Max to initially escape the concentration camps
Hans gives one of the starving Jewish camp prisoners a piece of bread- a risky decision
Max and Liesel’s friendship, developed amidst war and suffering
Rudy leaves a teddy bear on the chest of the American pilot who crashes his plane (Part Nine)
Hans and Rosa accepting Liesel into their home, despite their own lack of wealth and food
Hans’ patience in teaching Liesel and his selflessness through buying her the books for Christmas
Hans helps Max by allowing him to stay with the family, despite the obvious risks
Frau Hermann sharing her books with Liesel

7. courage
It amazes me what humans can do, even when streams are flowing down their faces and they stagger on, coughing and searching and finding” (p570)
Hans shows compassion and courage, and rebels against Hitler and the Nazis by hiding Max in his basement
Liesel stealing books and sticking up for herself at school
He is trying to uphold his beliefs and morals in a society where they are not tolerated and accepted.
“Since 1933, 90% of Germans showed unflinching support for Adolf Hitler. That leaves 10% who didn’t. Hans Hubermann belonged to the 10%” p65
Who else shows courage in the novel?

8. Words and books
Liesel finds solace and sanity in books she has stolen or salvaged from the Nazi bonfires of banned books.
The Shoulder Shrug- stolen at the bonfire
Liesel develops a bond with the Mayor’s wife after she is allowed into the library.
She is striving for knowledge at a time when ideas are being squashed
She is comforted by reading after her nightmares
She is able to tell her own story through her book
Max’ books “ The Word Shaker” and “The Standover Man”
“she knew how powerless a person could be without words” – (Max, The Word Shaker p476)

9. Words and book continued
“The words. Why did they have to exist? Without them, there wouldn't be any of this. Without words, the Führer was nothing.” – Liesel p553
She “wanted to kill the words” p554
‘It was a nation of farmed thoughts…our Führer also planted seeds to create symbols.'(p 475) - Max's story suggests that Hitler's power lay in the words he planted
She said it audibly now, to the orange-lit room. "What good are the words?"(p.553)
I have hated the words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right. (p.562)
Liesel grows to understand how words are used to invoke and spread feelings of hatred during the war, and how powerful they can be (i.e. To the Nazi Party)
 Gravediggers Handbook is a link to Liesel’s past. Why?

10. Words and books Continued
Storytelling – The Book Thief, ultimately saves Liesel. How?
“The words were on their way, and when they arrived, Liesel would hold them out like the clouds and she would wring them out like the rain” p85
“She was holding desperately on to the words that had saved her life” (p499)
Liesel reads aloud to calm everyone as they await the bomb raids- [find a quote and highlight.]
Frau Hermann gives Liesel a blank book to record her story.
Liesel reads aloud to Frau Holtzapfel as a favour. Why does Frau Holtzapfel enjoy this? What does she get out of this?
Max and Mein Kampf
He carries it with him on his journey to Munich. How does the book ‘save’ him? How is this ironic?
He uses it to make The Standover Man (he paints over the words)

11. RELATIONSHIPS Liesel and Rosa Liesel and Hans
“a woman with an iron fist”
Made to clean Frau Holtzapfel’s spit off the doorstep, made to help with the housework and ironing
“She did love Liesel Meminger..her way of showing it just happened to be strange. It involved bashing her with wooden spoon and words..” p35
Liesel watching Mama wearing Hans’ accordion when he is taken off to war
“I came and watched you and you were beautiful. God damn it, you were so beautiful, Mama” p571
Liesel and Hans
The accordion
Education in the basement, and night-time reading
He buys her two books for Christmas after selling his cigarettes
Hans gains Liesel’s trust early on when she is suffering from nightmares every night “a stranger to kill the aloneness” . He convinces Liesel to take a bath when she arrives in Molching.
His eyes were made of “kindness, and silver” p34

12. Relationship continued
Liesel and Max
Max makes a book for Liesel as a birthday present (The Standover Man)
Max and Liesel have many things in common
Max asks Liesel to cut his hair
The Word Shaker is a symbol of their strong friendship which has developed throughout Max’ stay with the Hubermanns.
Liesel diligently watched the Jewish marches looking out for Max, signifying her affection and hope for Max.
“Often I wish this would all be over, Liesel but then you go and do something like walk down the stairs with a snowman in your hands” p335
Rudy and Liesel
A strong friendship from the start
“He was there for her at the beginning and he would be there later on... But he wouldn’t do it for free” p53
Liesel finally gives Rudy the kiss he always wanted after he dies from the bombs in Himmel Street.

13. GUILT Max’ guilt for leaving his family behind to be arrested
Feels guilty for sleeping in Liesel’s room like a guest and moves into the basement
Liesel’s guilt at calling Frau Hermann “a pathetic woman”
Rudy feels guilty for his father being drafted into the Nazi Party to fight in the war
Frau Holtzapfel’s son’s guilt at wanting to live while his brother is dead.

14. Identity and belonging
Liesel is unsure of her identity as she is taken away from her family to be raised with an unknown foster family
She suffers ridicule at school because she cannot read well
Through her education at home with Hans, Liesel creates her own identity as she becomes independent in her reading.
She becomes the ‘Book Thief’