The Book Thief: The Second Heist

The shoulder Shrug

The Shoulder Shrug was stolen from a book burning by one Miss Leisel Meminger.  Three books survived the first fire, before the men in charge noticed and burned it all again.  Leisel managed to snatch one before the second fire came.  Damp, but burning hot, she couldn't hide it for long.  "Quite a few things were most definitely wrong: Smoke was rising from her collar.  A necklace of sweat had formed around her neck.  Beneath her, the book was eating her up" (122).  Hans agreed to hide the existence of the book from his wife and read it with Leisel.  Another successful heist.

SHORT Article on Nazi Book Burnings

Ilsa Hermann
Ilsa is one of Rosa's laundry wash customers, and the only person to see Leisel steal her second book.  On one of Leisel's laundry pick-ups, Ilsa motioned her to come inside.  Leisel was sure she was in big trouble.  "She's going to torture me, Liesel decided.  She's going to take me inside, light the fireplace, and throw me in, books and all.  Or she'll tlock me in the basement without any food" (133).  But on the contrary, the woman brought Leisel into a library, to read to her heart's content.

 

Max Vandenburg *NEW CHARACTER ALERT*
Little Profile About Max

Max Vandenburg, the Jew.  Not much to say about him yet.  But he did show us that Hans Hubermann, Leisel's foster father, not only supports the rights of Jews, but was helping them to escape the wrath of the Nazis.  "As well as a few other important details, he knew the man's name.  Hans Hubermann.  Again, he spoke to him, the distant stranger.  He pleaded. "Please."" (141).

Badge that Jews were forced to wear during Holocaust

Figurative Language in The Book Thief

Figurative language is a way to explain things in a non-literal sense.  The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, is riddled with figurative language.  A challenging read but definitely worth it.

Examples of Figurative Language Explained Simplistically 

Double Epithet-
A double epithet is a type of figurative language used to make a sentence richer and more interesting.  The double epithet itself is when you use two words with identical or almost identical meaning used together for description. 
Example of a double epithet in The Book Thief- "Perhaps he was the last resort, the final solution"(27).

 

Figurative Language Rap

Oxymoron-
An oxymoron is a type of figurative language in which someone uses two words with seemingly contradictory meaning, used for a variety of reasons, including to create drama, or make the reader stop and consider what they're reading.

Example of oxymoron in The Book Thief- "School, as you might imagine, was a terrific failure"(39).

Personification-
Personification is giving animation to something inanimate or non-human.  Not literally, like Frankenstien, but figuratively, like the wind howling or the sun smiling. 

Example of personification in The Book Thief-"A bathrobe answered the door"(42). 

Apostrophe-

This is not the same kind of apostrophe as the kind in grammar ( ' ).  This is a type of figurative language in which you refer to someone or something inanimate or absent.  Like a little girl talking to her doll.
Example of apostrophe in The Book Thief-"Hello Stars"(45).

The Book Thief is all about figurative language.  The book is figurative language.  The symbolism of it amplifies the book to a new level.  The language in the book makes the book come to life, while making you stop and think about what you're truly reading.  The book is shaped by its figurative language, from the symbolism of the colors to the Nazis, the emotions of the characters, to the characters themselves.  It's all figurative, the book would be bland, flat, and depressing without the flair of the figurative language added.

Rudy, Reading, and Relationships

Liesel
Liesel is a small girl, and at the age of ten, is quite illiterate.  Her new foster father, Hans, takes her under his wing and begins to teacher her how to read and write.  She has difficulties, but doesn't let it discourage her for long.

Besides education, she begins to make friends with some of the neighborhood children, including Rudy Steiner, a blonde haired, blue eyed boy with an obsession with Jesse Owens.  But Rudy seems to have more on his mind lately.
Leisel- otherwise known as the book thief- has horrible nightmares over the death of her little brother, and questions about the one thing she has to remember him and her mother by, The Gravedigger's Handbook.  Her and her foster father attempt to read it together, despite the difficulty of the text.

Rudy
Rudy Steiner is a mischievous boy with a lot on his mind.  He's always found ways to get into trouble, including something known to the neighborhood as the Jesse Owens Incident, when he admired the Olympic champion so much that he covered himself in charcoal and acted out Jesse's victories.

Something other than the Olympics has caught his attention.  One young book thief by the name of Leisel.  Does he want more than a friendship?  "But Rudy had an idea.  It was the lover boy coming out of him.  "If I beat you, I get to kiss you."(53)"

The Kiss
This kiss didn't actually occur.  They challenged each other to a race, and if Rudy was victorious, he got a kiss.  The slippery winter conditions outside caused the race to be a draw, but it doesn't seem that Rudy has given up.  "One day Leisel," he said, "you'll be dying to kiss me."(55)