Each one an attempt – an immense leap of an attempt – to prove to me that you, and your human existence, are worth it. Unlock explanations and citation info for this and every other The Book Thief quote.
I wanted to tell the book thief many things, about beauty and brutality. But what could I tell her about those things that she didn't already know? I wanted to explain that I am constantly overestimating and underestimating the human race – that rarely do I ever simply estimate it.
As the workers lead Liesel away from the bodies. She leaves the book that she was writing, the story of her life, which is called “The Book Thief,” in the rubble. The book is collected along with the rest of the detritus and thrown in the garbage, but Death sees it and rescues it from the trash.
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“The only thing worse than a boy who hates you: a boy that loves you.” “I have hated words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right.”
I think the last sentence basically sums up the entire meaning of the book. Humans are capable of so much evil, the things we do to one another are horrifying. At the same time, there are humans who are incredible. They take enormous risks where they have a lot to lose and nothing to gain.
[First lines] Here is a small fact: You are going to die. I am in all truthfulness attempting to be cheerful about this whole topic, though most people find themselves hindered in believing me, no matter my protestations.
(Tough break, Death.) In the end, he's still the being that comes to separate our souls from our bodies, Death's final line, "I'm haunted by humans" (88.17), shows that he'll always be separate from us.
Sam Liesel did not marry Max, simply because a), Max was too old for her, and b) they had form a strong bond of friendship rather than romantic relationship... she had fallen in love with Rudy before his death, and she got married to another man (i don't know who) and had children but Max had stayed friends with Liesel ...
Death explains that he made a mistake and allowed himself to become interested in the girl. When the family leaves the train Death takes away the boy's soul, but then he hesitates and watches the book thief (the little girl), whose tears are frozen to her face.
Molching was bombed by the American Air Force in World War II. After analysis of basements made by the German government, the alarms rang for three nights of light bombing. In 1943, Himmel Street was bombed without alarm, leaving only one survivor, Liesel.
Alex Steiner, given leave because of the bombing, returns and visits Liesel. He regrets not letting Rudy go away to that school; he wishes he could have been on Himmel Street instead of his son. Liesel tells him that she kissed Rudy's lips after the bombing, which embarrasses her, but she wanted him to know.
Previously, words had saved her by giving her a powerful voice. Now, Death tells us that words will physically save Liesel by keeping her in the basement and out of harm's way when the bombs fall on Himmel Street.
When Liesel looks over the pages of the sketchbook that houses The Word Shaker, she sees many sketches, stories, and recollections - of her friend Rudy's track meets, a snowman, a list of presents, and details of the nights by the fire in the basement.
He adores Liesel, the foster daughter of the family who has agreed to care for him, and the first present he gives her is a homemade book called The Standover Man. Liesel loves books (she is the book thief after all!), but the best part is that the book demonstrates how much Max cares for her.
That night Liesel thinks of Max and dreams of the tree. A gift for Liesel, The Word Shaker is a story created by Max about their friendship and how they can overcome all, including Hitler and his plans for Germany. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
Shelley has taught at the middle school level for 10 years and has a master's degree in teaching English. What makes a great gift? For Max, it's gifts that honor the recipient and have a very special touch. 'The Word Shaker' is an incredibly thoughtful gift created for Liesel that is handed to her long after Max leaves.
The Word Shaker begins. It is a story about the rise of Hitler through his commitment to gaining power through words, and how a strong friendship can overcome all. Choosing the right words that people want to hear, Hitler is able to lure people toward his cause. The same speech is given and the people are 'hypnotized.'.
A tear made of 'friendship' fell on this man's face and from there it turned into a seed , that would later grow into a tree. The tree grew and grew until it came into contact with Hitler, and despite protests from the word shaker he orders it to be cut down.
By the time this gift comes to light, Max has left the Hubermanns' house, and Liesel is absolutely missing him. Passed on to Rosa Hubermann for safekeeping, this book, The Word Shaker, was hidden in a mattress until Liesel 'was ready.'. Rosa waited until Christmas.
The Book Thief. “You could argue that Liesel Meminger had it easy. She did have it easy compared to Max Vandenburg. Certainly, her brother had practically died in her arms.
The quote acts to place the plot and the concerns of the main characters in a broader context, and to serve as reminder that no matter how hard things got for characters like Liesel and Hans, their lives were much safer and easier than those of many others during this period .
1. "For two days, I went about my business. I traveled the globe as always, handing souls to the conveyor belt of eternity." -- Death, Prologue (23)
1. "Look at the colors," Papa said. It's hard not to like a man who not only notices the colors, but speak them. --Death, Part 2 (87)
1. "Listen, Liesel." Papa placed his arm around her and walked her on. "This is our secret, this book. We'll read it at night or in the basement, just like the others—but you have to promise me something."
1. "It took longer than she expected for her eyes to adjust, and when they did, there was no denying the fact that Rosa Hubermann was sitting on the edge of the bed with her husband's accordion tied to her chest." -- Death, Part 8 (428-29)
1. "Either way, I must inform you that it was raining on Himmel Street when the world ended for Liesel Meminger." -- Death, Part 10 (497)
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Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Alfred A. Knopf edition of The Book Thief published in 2007.
Part 5: The Whistler and the Shoes Quotes. He laughed. "Good night, book thief.". It was the first time Liesel had been branded with her title, and she couldn't hide the fact that she liked it very much. As we're both aware, she'd stolen books previously, but in late October 1941, it became official.
Please believe me when I tell you that I picked up each soul that day as if it were newly born. I even kissed a few weary, poisoned cheeks. I listened to their last, gasping cries. Their vanishing words… I watched the sky as it turned from silver to gray to the color of rain. Even the clouds were trying to get away .#N#Sometimes I imagined how everything looked above those clouds, knowing without question that the sun was blond, and the endless atmosphere was a giant blue eye .#N#They were French, they were Jews, and they were you .
Part 1: Growing Up a Saumensch Quotes. All told, she owned fourteen books, but she saw her story as being made up predominantly of ten of them. Of those ten, six were stolen, one showed up at the kitchen table, two were made for her by a hidden Jew, and one was delivered by a soft, yellow-dressed afternoon.
The brother shivers.#N#The woman weeps.#N#And the girl goes on reading, for that's why she's there, and it feels good to be good for something in the aftermath of the snows of Stalingrad.
Yes, the Führer decided that he would rule the world with words. "I will never fire a gun," he devised. "I will not have to."
In truth, I think he was afraid. Rudy Steiner was scared of the book thief's kiss. He must have longed for it so much. He must have loved her so incredibly hard. So hard that he would never ask for her lips again and would go to his grave without them.
Three days later, Frau Hermann comes to Liesel’s house and gives her a blank book, so. she can write her own story. She tells Liesel not to punish herself, and they have coffee together. Liesel begins writing her life story, starting with the death of her brother and the theft of the first book from the gravedigger.
After Liesel has finished the book and is beginning to revise it, the night comes when the planes drop the bombs that flatten Himmel Street. Because the air raid sirens come too late, most of the residents are asleep in their beds when the bombs drop, and are killed instantly.
After this, Liesel stays in bed for several days, then finds Rudy and explains to him who Max is. She shows him “The Word Shaker,” and he sees where he was described as a boy with “hair the color of lemons.”. Liesel and Rudy come close to kissing, but again they don’t. Death interjects that Rudy will die in a month.
She places the instrument next to Hans’s body and promises him she’ll never drink Champagne again. As the workers lead Liesel away from the bodies. She leaves the book that she was writing, the story of her life, which is called “The Book Thief,” in the rubble.
Max, for example, was overwhelmed with guilt when he first arrived at the Hubermanns’ house for leaving his family behind. Hans felt guilty because he believed that Erik Vandenburg saved his life and so he owed it to Erik to somehow make it up to him. In this instance, Michael feels guilty simply for remaining alive when his brother didn’t and his own survival was entirely a matter of chance. As a result he feels he doesn’t really deserve to be alive. That feeling appears to have been eating at him since he returned home, and in his note he says he “can’t take it anymore,” indicating that his fight against his guilt has been an ongoing struggle.
Then, one morning Michael Holtzapfel is discovered to have hanged himself in a laundry. In his note, he asks his mother for forgiveness and says he is going to meet his dead brother in heaven. After the funeral, Liesel reads to Michael’s mother, Frau Holtzapfel, as usual.
Summary. Death relates that Himmel Street will soon be bombed and he will pay a visit to collect the souls of the victims, which will include Rudy, Rosa, Hans, and many other characters, but not Liesel. Liesel will be saved, Death reveals, because she will be in the basement of her house, reading over a book she’s written about her life.