Topic > Analysis of the Novel "The Book Thief"

In section II, Liesel goes to live with Hans and Rosa Hubermann, who are her adoptive parents. Rosa is annoying and violent, but Hans acts like a real father to her (the only one she knows). When she has nightmares in the middle of the night, he comes in and comforts her, eventually teaching her to read the undertaker's book. He also meets his best friend, Rudy, and starts attending school. She has difficulty reading at first, as she has never learned before, but Hans, though a poor reader himself, teaches her. He also steals his first and second books: the first book is the undertaker's book, and the second is the book he steals from the flames at the Hitler Youth bonfire. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay On page 58, the Jesse Owens accident – ​​when Rudy Steiner covers himself in black carbon and runs the 100-meter dash – is described in detail. When his father catches him and asks what he's doing, he matter-of-factly explains that he's acting like Jesse Owens. This reminded me of an incident from my little sister's childhood. One day, he was out playing in the yard and said to my stepmother, “I'm a dog. I pee on the grass. Surely, this is exactly what he was doing. The aspects of real life that children choose to imitate in their fiction are often bizarre: Rudy didn't think he could simply run 100 meters to be Jesse Owens; it also had to be black. My sister couldn't just crawl on all fours or bark to be a dog; he also had to mark his territory. What is the accordion-related incident that prevents Hans Hubermann from joining the Nazi Party? Death says that a man tied to the accordion will arrive later, bringing with him many stories. Was the man who taught Hans to play the accordion Jewish? Does Hans feel he owes the Jews something? Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay “'No, Rudy.' Mr. Steiner rode the bike with one hand and Rudy with the other. He had difficulty managing the conversation” (page 60). I really enjoyed Zusak's writing style in general in the first and second parts of the novel, with his unique diction and wide range of personifications (which complement the personification of Death as narrator quite well). However, my favorite literary usage so far has been the use of zeugmas, as illustrated in the quote above. Furthermore, this incompleteness in Mr. Steiner's control over his circumstances, especially those relating to his son, seems to foreshadow an inability to control Rudy in the future, as well as calling attention to the fact that Mr. Steiner is a tidy man, but not you can order everything.