Explanation:
The country of Germany possesses a stigma that, with the passing of time, may have lessened its acuteness but has never faded permanently. When one considers the social atmosphere of Germany past and present, he cannot help but recollect the destruction caused by anti-semitism and the anger and hatred that fueled this. On the surface, images and anecodes of Nazi-era Germany still evoke fear and loathing in those who are exposed to them. Because of this, it is unsurprising that, presently, the swastika and all mediums of Nazi propaganda are banned in Germany. Author Markus Zusak, however, emphasizes the motif of anger, cruelty, and physical abuse in The Book Thief to force his readers to emphathize and perhaps understand the fear-driven motives behind the often cruel words and actions of the characters who struggle to survive in a totalitarian society, the Third Reich, a past Germany only wishes to expunge rather than examine. While Death, the narrator, has no interest in debunking the theory behind Adolf Hitler's unforgiving brutatlity, Death tells the story of Liesel Meminger and pleads with us to understand how the physical and verbal punishment of a poverty-stricken Rosa Hubermann represents the love she possesses for her foster daughter. Likewise, Death explains how a slap from a trusted hand is only meant to protect. Through his narration, Death even manages to extract sympathy from his readers toward a crass, tactless Frau Holtzapfel whose sons have been destroyed by the war, both directly and indirectly. Superficially, many of these acts of cruelty represent Nazi Germany, a seemingly heartless society. But even though Death is continuously "haunted" by survivors, even he understands that war, poverty, and fear would transform even the kindest human. This project will prove that physical punishment and cruelty was often employed as protection, that cruel and crass words were used to mask one's internal suffering, and that acts of cruelty were often fueled by fear. |
