Skyler Smith                                                12/12/13

Topic: Red in Markus Zusak's The Book Thief

Work Cited:  

Zusak, Mark. The Book Thief. New York: Alfred Knopf, 2005. Wordpress, 2012. Web. 12 Dec. 2013. <http://mrsehimmy.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/the-book-thief-markus-zusak.pdf>.

Explanation: 

    I found red to be symbolic in a lot of ways in Markus Zusak's The Book Thief. The first thing I found it to symbolize was Nazi control. When the fire in the town to burn things like books or anything Jewish related is mentioned it showed how the Nazi's controlled the people to do anything they wanted them to; even burn books. The fire also showed how when a few people start something it's easy for people to just go along with it which is symbolized in other areas of the book where red is mentioned. The Nazi flag symbolized Nazi control because it was around everywhere, it showed how they took over almost every aspect of their lives. When Rudy and Liesel eat their piece of red candy it is symbolic because they were so happy at such a horrible time, which represents that sometimes people would try to not pay attention to the things happening around them because they felt it was a helpless situation. Ilsa Hermann's dress was yellow with red trim which I thought was symbolic because it showed that even though people would conform to the Nazi ways they could still have their own personalities and values which the yellow symbolized. The next thing I found red to symbolize was foreshadowing suffering. After they build the snowman in the basement it is mentioned that the last thing Liesel thought of were Max's last words before she left him by the fire. The night after they built the snowman Max became very ill, so the red foreshadowing that something bad was going to happen. Frau Hotzapfel's son's hand foreshadowed that he would commit suicide because from the first time he was introduced in the story his bloody hand was mentioned. Red also symbolized suffering because when people were in pain there was often blood. Strength is one of the last things that red symbolized. Often times red was mentioned when war was being talked about and the soldiers had a lot of strength to fight and take care of eachother. Also, when Max and Liesel were being beaten towards the end they kept looking for eachother which showed strength. The color red was seen during many parts of the book and represented a variety of things. 

Red symbolizing Nazi Control

"Books and paper and other material would slide or tumble down, only to be thrown back onto the pile. From further away, it looked like something volcanic. Or something grotesque and alien that had somehow landed miraculously in the middle of town and needed to be snuffed out, and fast." pg. 73

"Although something inside told her that this was a crime—after all, her three books were the most precious items she owned—she was compelled to see the thing lit. She couldn’t help it. I guess humans like to watch a little destruction. Sand castles, houses of cards, that’s where they begin." pg. 73

"A horizon of Nazi flags and uniforms rose upward, crippling her view every time she attempted to see over a smaller child’s head." pg. 74

"To their left, flames and burning books were cheered like heroes." pg. 76

"Orange and red embers looked like rejected candy, and most of the crowd had vanished." pg. 77

"The word communist + a large bonfire + a collection of dead letters + the suffering of her mother + the death of her brother = the Führer" pg.77

"In the clearing on the other side, a fire was lit and what was left of the eggs was salvaged and fried. The bread and Speck were cut. With hands and knives, every last piece of Otto Sturm’s delivery was eaten. No priest in sight." pg. 111

“And in the red corner, we have the Jewish, rat-faced challenger—Max Vandenburg.” pg. 173

“Jewish blood.” The crowd oohed, like human ghouls. “Weighing in at . . .”  pg.173

"She tried to concentrate on her bleeding leg." pg. 234

"The Jew was whipped six times. On his back, his head, and his legs. “You filth! You swine!” Blood dripped now from his ear." pg. 266

"The summer dress was yellow with red trim." pg. 351

Red symbolizing foreshadowing suffering

"Red letters were pressed into those fibers." pg. 81

"Still, with red tongues and teeth, they walked down Himmel Street, happily searching the ground as they went." pg. 106

"When the job was done, a little severe in places, a little crooked in others, she walked upstairs with the hair in her hands and fed it into the stove. She lit a match and watched as the clump shriveled and sank, orange and red." pg. 169

"There was an accordion in their ears, a snowman in their eyes, and for Liesel, there was the thought of Max’s last words before she left him by the fire." pg. 214

"Rosa was still in shock, but she composed herself. “Would you like to come in? I see you met my foster daughter. . . .” Her voice trailed off as she noticed the bloodied hand." pg. 318

Red symbolizing suffering 

“For starters,” he said, “I will take each and every one of your books— and I will burn them.” It was callous. “I’ll throw them in the stove or the fireplace.” pg. 137

"Jewish blood was everywhere. Like red rain clouds on the white-sky canvas at their feet."  pg. 174

"Blood leaked from her nose and licked at her lips. Her eyes had blackened. Cuts had opened up and a series of wounds were rising to the surface of her skin. All from the words. From Liesel’s words." pg. 181

“He’s not hurting me.” Rudy’s words were rushed together and his face was red with strain. His nose began to bleed." pg. 189

"As close to the fire as he sat, he could not raise himself to any degree of approximate health." pg. 214

"His hands were caked in blood and he was heaping snow onto the area just above his shins, where his legs had been chopped off by the last explosion. There were hot hands and a red scream." pg. 319

"Four cigarettes sit disfigured in her ashtray, and the roofless ceiling is hot plate red. Himmel Street is burning." pg. 355

"She did not know where she was running, for Himmel Street no longer existed. Everything was new and apocalyptic. Why was the sky red? How could it be snowing? And why did the snowflakes burn her arms?" pg. 357

"The LSE man lifted her and started to lead her away. A wooden spoon was on fire."    pg. 357

Red symbolizing strength

"A trickle of blood was dripping from Max’s mouth.
He tasted it, and it tasted good." pg. 126

"There was new blood in him—the blood of victory—and it had the capability to both frighten and excite." pg. 127

"The book was red, with black writing on the spine. Der Traumträger. The Dream Carrier. She thought of Max Vandenburg and his dreams. Of guilt. Surviving. Leaving his family. Fighting the Führer. " pg. 223

"The dying man breathed it in. He spoke. In English, he said, “Thank you.” His straight-line cuts opened as he spoke, and a small drop of blood rolled crookedly down his throat." pg. 332

"His legs staggered and his hands wiped at the marks of the whip, to soothe the stinging. When he tried to look again for Liesel, the soldier’s hands were placed upon his bloodied shoulders and pushed." pg. 345