1. The Book Thief: In Historical Context
ENG2D

2. Learning Goals To understand the historical context of The Book Thief
To understand the significance of Jessie Owens to the story

3. Minds On: The Book Thief

4. The Setting Molching, a small town outside Munich, Germany 1939-1943
Nuremburg Laws, Ghettos and Holocaust
Leisel and her “family” hide a Jew in their basement in a time when that could mean execution for all if they are caught
Neighbour against neighbour
Family members reported each other and were divided between pure Nazism and Jewish sympathizing

5. Historical Context (25 minutes)
Key Events in German History Leading to WWII
Life in Hitler’s Germany Part 1 and Part 2
(25 minutes)
Propaganda on all fronts

6. Enter The Book Thief Who is the narrator?
Why did Markus Zusak choose to write from that perspective?
What affect does this have on the story?
What tone is set from this choice?

7. Literary Devices What kind of devices are used to tell the story?
Journal, observation, omniscience?
Humour, sarcasm, metaphors, dramatic irony of sorts
Foreshadowing, foretelling
Opinionated interjections

8. Protagonist?
Narrator or Liesel?

9. Antagonist? Who is the antagonist? Are there more than one?
Grim Reaper?
Hitler and the Nazi Party?
Liesel?
Rosa Huberman?

10. Death What is death like? Witty Empathetic
Views what he does a job that must be done

11. Liesel Meminger 10 year-old girl
Adopted/taken in by Hans and Rosa Huberman
Common to send children to live with others who could care for them during this period
Her brother, Werner, dies on the train from cold, malnutrition, and illness
She steals books
Her first one was The Gravedigger’s Handbook
She could not read

12. Liesel Meminger What is she like, according to Death? Tenacious
A book thief
Naïve?

13. The Hubermans Hans Rosa Kind Musical Gentle
Immediate connection to Liesel
Patient
non-judgemental
Teaches Liesel to read and they read in the middle of the night – bonding time
Rosa
Harsh
Rude
Strong
Disciplinarian
Strict
Get the sense that taking Liesel (and her brother had he lived) in was not her idea

14. Rudy Steiner Befriends Liesel
Becomes her best friend and thieving partner
Develops a crush on Liesel (always wanting a kiss)
Attracted to danger – loves to run
Admirer of Jessie Owens, the 1936 Olympic Track champion who becomes world famous for his speed and athleticism
Jessie Owens and the 1936 Olympics (6:55 – 11:38)

15. Significance of Jessie Owens
Why is Jessie Owens so important to Rudy?
Why is Jessie Owens important to The Book Thief?
Why did Zusak put him in the story?
What does Jessie Owens symbolize/represent?
Non Aryan who was an übermensch
Not all Germans were prejudiced
Hope
Anything was possible

16. Point of View What point(s) of view is The Book Thief written in?
First person – told from the perspective of Death
Omniscient?

17. To Recap
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is a fictional tale about the experiences of a 10 year-old girl named Liesel Meminger, the book thief, set in WWII Germany and told from the perspective of Death
Issues of the Holocaust are addressed through the experiences of Death and Liesel and the Hubermans who hide a Jew in their basement
Death is a narrator who interjects frequently
Offers his opinion
Uses wit and sarcasm
Foreshadows
Comments on the events and characters

18. Literary Devices A journal style Ironic and morbid metaphors
Satirical tone
Two intertwined stories told –
the busy life of Death and how Liesel escapes him
The life experiences of Liesel Meminger growing up in World War II Germany

19. References
"GCSE History Revision Dates & Key Facts Germany " YouTube, Web. 18 Nov < "Life in Hitler's Germany Part 1." YouTube, Web. 18 Nov < L38371CA42C4F877C>. "Life in Hitler's Germany Part 2." YouTube, Web. 18 Nov < "The Book Thief Summary." Shmoop, Web. 18 Nov < Depository, The. "The Book Thief (Paperback)."The Book Depository, Web. 18 Nov < Zusak/ >.