2.9 Reading Response 2

The Book Thief written by Markus Zusak is a novel based in Nazi Germany. The book is narrated from deaths perspective, which is different to anything I’ve read before as I become opened to the possibilities that death is not just black and white but instead is something much deeper. Throughout the book we follow a nine year girl named Liesel Meminger and her foster home. The acts that her new family show are out of the ordinary and if caught could get them killed. The bravery they show as a family is incredible. Thus kind of bravery lacks in todays world as people will do whatever it takes to blend in, even if its wrong.

I see the book as a representation of Nazi Germany coming from a child’s point of view. We travel through the experience of Liesel Meminger as she discovers who and what Hitler actually is doing. Liesel then decides she’s not on Hitlers side, but is told she has to keep it to herself if she wants to survive. I think people would benefit from reading this book because it shows how people should stand out and speak up if they dont think somethings right. It shows that just because everyone else is doing something, you dont have to follow.

The Book Thief shows us a look at one of Nazi Germanys few courages families as they chose to defy Hitler by taking in and hiding a boy as well as many other occasions including when Hans, who is Liesels foster dad paints an anti-semitic sign on a jewish mans door. Thinking about myself, I probably wouldn’t have the bravery to stand out like Liesel and her family did. They put their lives at risk every day, I personally simply wouldn’t have the guts. Examples of people fitting in and not questioning things that are wrong happen every day. I would say it’s almost like peer pressure, everyone just wants to fit in so they do what the other are doing.

I commend the actions or crimes at the time committed by the family because from my point of view and in most of the worlds eyes we now see that Hitler tricked people into believing in such things like a “superior race”.  Putting my self in Liesels shoes is a hard place to be and it’s hard for me to say that I would have found it very hard to do what she did. I, like many other people have been manipulated by someone and have later found out that I’ve been tricked onto the wrong side by which point it’s to late. So I personally know how easy it is to be swayed. Liesel was around the age of nine when she had to choose a side and most nine year olds would probably just follow their friends beliefs, but not Liesel. Liesel gathered information before she chose and when she decided to help the Jews/communist, you couldn’t sway her mind.

I think this text relates heavily to what is going on in America today with Donald Trump. I believe that some of the issues being approached in this text are happening in the USA, like an uprise of weapons and war talk with other countries. Hitler started off by slowly winning over a small group of people and over the years he insanely became the leader of a country, I watched this happen wit Donald Trump and although he’s not as smart as Hitler I see him as having some of the same views. For example Hitler wanted to rid the Jews and Donald Trump wants to rid the Mexicans. People in our generation need to be more like Liesel and stand up for themselves, before it’s to late.

One Reply to “2.9 Reading Response 2”

  1. Maddy, you have made valid points in this response. However, specific evidence (quotations and references to events, people, places etc.) would assist this discussion significantly.

    Also, when you include statements about what you feel, think, were challenged by etc., explain WHY?

    A few technical errors also here (punctuation, word, spelling): if these were fixed it would assist the clarity of your ideas.

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