Quotes
Name one sub-theme in which this quote corresponds to:
"To live. Living was living. The price was guilt, and shame."
Guilt or Tragedy
Name the 3 sub themes of suffering
Redemptive, tragedy, guilt
Name one character who experiences suffering in the novel
- Liesel
- Max
- Hans
- Death
- etc.
Name one sub-theme in which this quote corresponds to:
“Often I wish this would all be over, Liesel, but then, somehow you do something like walk down the basement steps with a snowman in your hands.”
Redemptive or Tragedy
How can suffering be redemptive? (name at least 1 reason)
- Through suffering, meaningful relationships can be formed (connections based on shared experience)
(e.g. Max & Liesel)
- Suffering allows for beautiful stories to be told
(e.g. The Word Shaker & The Book Thief)
- The actions that result from suffering also show the redemptive side
(Liesel & Rudy giving bread to the Jews)
Explain one situation in which a character suffers because of the setting of WW2.
- Liesel: death of her brother, bombing of Himmel Street
- Max: hiding as a Jew in WW2, death marches
- Hans: the death of Erik Vandenburg (guilt of his life), being the one who caused Max's departure
- etc.
Name both sub-themes in which the following quote corresponds to:
“Did they deserve any better, these people? How many had actively persecuted others, high on the scent of Hitler’s gaze, repeating his sentences, his paragraphs, his opus? Was Rosa Hubermann responsible? The hider of a Jew? Or Hans? Did they all deserve to die?”
Guilt and Tragedy
Give one example of tragedy in 'The Book Thief'
- The devastation of Himmel Street by bombing raids serves as a stark reminder of the indiscriminate nature of war
- Max Vandenburg’s suffering, as a Jew hiding from the Nazis
- any way in which there is physical suffering, such as injury, hunger and death (e.g. death marches, bombings, Auschwitz)
- etc.
How does Death suffer in the book because of what he knows and/or sees?
Death has to experience the horrors of WW2 constantly because of his nature. For example he has to see the horrific ways people may die, or how the people around the deceased act in agony.
Name both sub-themes in which the following quote corresponds to:
“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 wary, poisoned cheeks. I listened to their last, gasping cries. Their French words. I watched their love-visions and freed them from their fear.”
Tragedy and Redemptive
Give an example of a character who experiences guilt by their actions and why they feel guilty.
- Max: leaving his family; guilt from wanting to live even though his family couldn't, being saved by others; not being able to repay them
- Hans: giving a Jewish man bread; Max's departure (endangering the very person he tried to protect), switching seats with a man on the LSE truck; man dying 'in his place'
- Liesel: stealing books from the mayor's wife's library; stealing is morally incorrect
- etc.
How do characters find comfort in the relationships they build? (give 1 example)
- Max & Liesel find comfort in their relationship as they have things in common (having nightmares), they feel that they can talk to each other because of this shared experience. Knowing they are not alone gives them a purpose to fight through.
- Liesel finds comfort in her familial relationship with Hans as he fills the paternal spot that she has never had, same goes for Rosa but instead with her hidden kindness and affection
- Liesel & Rudy find comfort as they are the same age, living in the same time (i.e. shared experience such as stealing) but also because of their friendship, knowing they can rely on each other
- etc.
Name a sub-theme that this quote corresponds to and how it links to this theme:
“Max was gone, and Hans Hubermann was to blame”
- Guilt: Hans carries guilt for directly being the person who caused Max to have to move away (especially as he was the one who originally brought Max to their house to start with)
- Tragedy: war has created a situation where kindness can be a weapon that can endanger lives instead of helping them
How do all the sub-themes link together when explaining suffering?
- redemption refers to the hope and positive moments that can arise from suffering
- tragedy refers to the inevitable moments in suffering
- guilt refers to a type of suffering which is especially explored in the novel
= tragedy is often the cause of suffering, guilt being the type of suffering itself and redemption being an effect that can result from suffering (though occasionally tragedy can also be the result)
How does suffering change/impact any of the characters in the novel? (1 example)
- Liesel: her suffering inspires her to make a difference through her words and actions
- Max: inspires him to write his story/stories, to stay hopeful in tough times and allows him to meet Liesel and the Hubermanns
- Hans: inspires him to be a better person, to stick to his beliefs even in tough times
- Death: causes him to need a distraction, creates a situation where he observes humans
- etc.