World Connection Questions:
What causes genocide? Why do people allow genocide – even today? How do WE react when we hear of such events?
Hatred and ignorance cause genocide. People allow genocide because they fear that they will be next. People act shocked and disgusted they forget that our ancestors allowed such things.
Were the Allied air raids ethical?
No, the air raids are not ethical. Is war ethical? No, but it's a necessary evil in life that will continue to happen. Air raids killed children and people who might not have even supported the ideas they were fighting, but the raids were part of the war.
Is killing ever ethical?
During the Holocaust, why did some people hide Jews despite the danger?
Those who hid Jews did so because they felt a moral obligation to do something against an unjust mass slaughtering. Those people who hid Jews were brave and hid Jewish people because they knew it was right.
Should Hans have put his Family's safety first?
Is theft ever right? What would the world be like if we all justified stealing the way Liesel does?
No, theft is never right. But, sometimes, it is understandable. The world would be in utter chaos if we all just took what we wanted. Liesel was in a difficult situation and tried to make the best of it, even if what she did wasn't necessarily "right" it wasn't completely wrong either.
Are there groups of people in contemporary society who are dehumanized as the Jews and other groups were during the Holocaust?
There is the continuing Rwandan Genocide where an estimated 800,000 people were killed. Though some groups are looked down upon none are dehumanized to the degree during the Holocaust.
What other groups suffered at the hands of the Nazis? Why?
Other groups the Nazis targeted were Gypsies, anyone with a disabilities, Slavic's, and homosexuals. They persecuted anyone with different political or religious beliefs. If your ideology differed from the Nazi's then they acted against you.
Is protecting a person ever not right?
No. Protecting a person may be dangerous or risky but protecting a person, as long as they are innocent and deserve protecting, is the right thing to do.
How are the current wars with Iraq/Afghanistan similar to and different from the war with Germany?
Both were in direct response to an attack on American soil, Pearl Harbor and New York City. They are different because neither were clearly defined enemies, nebulous.
Do you see any current societal trends that are dangerous? Is there a possibility of human rights violations in our own country? Are there such violations today?
Racial profiling is against human rights. Studies show that cops sometimes convict a person because of the way they look and not because they have evidence verifying it was that person who committed the crime.
Open-ended Questions:
Why doesn't the mayor's wife report Liesel for stealing a book from the bonfire?
Ilsa doesn't report Liesel for stealing the book because she seems to be indifferent to what is going on politically around her. Ilsa may have wanted to protect another child, since she couldn't protect her own when he died at war. She also seems to have a great respect for literature and might have thought the act of burning books as horrifying as Liesel did.
Why does she continue to allow Liesel to steal books?
Ilsa believes that Liesel deserves the opportunity to read and learn all that she can. Ilsa also project her loosing her son onto Liesel, and, in her own way, tries to mother her.
Does the relationship between Liesel and Max ever progress into love?
Yes, when Liesel thinks that Max may die she is devastated and keeps a vigil at his bedside. Mea develops an almost Father like adoration for Liesel. She brightens up his dark, cold days.
Does the fact that Liesel grows up without her biological parents affect the way she perceives others?
Yes. Liesel has such a hard time when Hans goes to war because she is scared he might not come back. Now this would be true with any parent but the anxiety would be worse because she has already lost parents because of this war before.
Why does reading help Liesel cope with the difficulties of living in WWII Germany? How does it also help her neighbors? Do you see reading as a means of coping? Explain.
Reading helps Liesel cope because she can escape to a world were she doesn't need to worry about Nazis finding Max or coming to reprimand her papa. Leisel's neighbors have the same experience of escaping during a stressful time when she reads to them during the air raid.
Is Hans's right in the way he deals with the Jews, even if it endangers his family?
Hans is right to help Max because Max could be saved. They could hide Max and he had a chance to survive. But throwing bread to Jews who are heavily guarded is pointless because it won't help them and only gets them in trouble. IT was a frivolous, dangerous move.
Discuss how Liesel matures over the course of the story.
Liesel matures in the aspect that she realizes how powerful words are. She sees that Hitler's entire foundation of hate is biased on his use of words.
Why does Rudy give the dying pilot a teddy bear?
Rudy gives the teddy bear to the pilot because he sees the bear as an item that gives you happiness and he wants the pilot to have that in his last moments. Rudy is very kind hearted and always does nice things, so his wanting to help a dying man is understandable.
How do words help the characters in the novel connect with each other?
Liesel and Hans originally connect with a lack of words, a mutual understanding that she doesn't want to talk about what happened before she arrived on Himmel Street. They connect further when he shows her the beauty of words, how powerful they are. They connect over their love for reading. Ilsa and Liesel connect with each other with others words, and not their own. Rosa talks horribly to Liesel but her love is understood.
How is beauty revealed in this story – in the midst of so much brutality?
This story in beautiful because of how the character react to the brutality. The beautiful moments in the story wouldn't be nearly as touching if the horrible events and heart breaking tragedies hadn't occurred. Rudy's kiss wouldn't have been nearly so epic if he hadn't been dead.
Is Rosa a good mother? Which of the Hubermans is a better parent? Why?
Rosa is a good mother, but in her own way. She makes sure Leisel's physical needs are met, such as eating and clothes. She keeps Liesel in line, which is good because Hans isn't very good at discipline. Neither parent is better than the other, only important to Liesel in different ways.
Was Papa slapping Liesel out of character? Why or why not?
It wasn't out of character because he had been very touchy about Nazis from the beginning and I expected him to have a strong reaction about Leisel's feelings toward them.
Do you think that Hans was "too good"? Was he a realistic character? What about Rosa? Other characters? What makes them "real" – or not so real?
All of the characters were very realistic because they all had flaws and did things you wouldn't expect them to. Hans wasn't "too good" because he made bad decisions as mush as the next person. Each character was real because they were flawed, and they had pasts.
Discuss Max's stories for Liesel: The Word Shaker and The Standover Man. What were these stories about? Why did he write them – what was his message for her?
Max wrote his stories to Liesel because he knew how much words meant to her. Each story was intensely personal and was related to her. Max's message to Liesel was to use the power of words. He wanted to realize how a few words could change everything.
Is Liesel a substitute for Hans's own children who have left him? \
No, Liesel is just another child to Hans, not a replacement because his own are no longer with him.
Universal Theme Questions:
How does literature – or WORDS - affect the way people in a society think, feel, and act?
Literature affects every aspect of our lives. The bible, for example, inspires love, faith and controversies. Everyone perceives literature differently, which inspires a lot of debate. A song about love can make someone fell elated why a song about the loss of a loved one with the same melody can make you feel somber and reflective. Our entire society is influenced by words.
Do you think that literature can create racism? Can it combat it?
I think that literature can accomplish anything its author intends it to.
Do you think words are as powerful today as they were in the past?
Words will always be incredibly powerful; it's just the form in which they're implemented that changes. Love notes are no longer written on scented paper and mailed; they're texted from shiny cell phones. The message is still clear, if not read from the same material.
Is DEATH as evil as we tend to believe it to be? Why or why not? What makes us have a particular perspective? Has your perspective changed after reading this book?
Death isn't evil at all; it's a part of life. People deal with death in different ways, some turn to God why others why others try to pull every last experience out of the time they have left they can. I've always thought death was inevitable, so why worry over something you can't change.
How do words help us connect with each other?
Words allow us to connect with others in almost everyway. Try pitting a group of people in the order they were born without words. It's hard, and I cheated anyway. It's very hard to understand someone without them explaining, using words, to tell you about there past, present, and hopes for the future.
People who survive often suffer from "survivor's guilt." Do you think such guilt is justified? Why or why not? What characters in the novel deal with this problem? Do you think Liesel experienced guilt? Why or why not?
I don't think you can justify a feeling. If someone feels something, whether the reason they feel that way has a good reason of not, they still feel that way. I can understand why someone might feel they should have died. If you're the last one standing it makes sense to wonder why. It's also a way to deal with the grief of loosing comrades, like Hans does. Liesel doesn't feel guilty that her brother died, only angry at the people that cause his death and sadness over the loss of her brother.
How does one's attitude toward death affect the way one lives life?
Someone afraid of death doesn't live life to the fullest, they only worry about when the time will come that they do die. If you accept death you can live without that fear.
How does this novel communicate the theme of courage?
This novel is centered on courage. Most of the story would be impossible without Hans' courage to hide a Jew, of Leisel's courage to go on after loosing her brother.
Why does evil exist? Why do people choose to do evil?
Evil exists because good would cease to mean anything without it. People who do something evil often believe that what they are doing is GOOD. Their perception is backwards, they truly think that what they are doing is the right thing, like in Hitler's case.
Are people inherently good… or bad?
Everyone has both good and evil inside them; it is the trait that is most commonly acted upon that makes the good or bad.
In many ways this is a novel about pain and how one deal with pain. What sorts of pain are addressed in this novel? How are they addressed? How are these types of pain made real? Is it a painful novel to read?
The pain addressed in this novel is the pain of loss. Loss of the familiar home Liesel had been used to. The loss of family and loved ones during war are addressed in a manor to show how one death can impact so many people. The pain is real because the author's writing is so vivid that you feel the character's pain yourself. The novel is painful to read because it makes you question a lot about what you thought you knew.
Literary Analysis Questions:
What IS the point of view from which the story is told?
The story is told from the limited omniscient point of view, Death.
Many of you wrote about being frustrated with the foreshadowing in the novel – about things being "given away" before they actually occur. Why do you think the novel does this? What effect (other than frustration) dose it have on us as readers? Does it enhance or detract from the story?
I think the author does this because he doesn't want to create a feeling of suspense, only an understanding of events to portray his story. I liked that I knew what was going to happen because rather than feeling like I was reading a story I felt like I was listening to someone telling be event that had transpired. It felt more "real." I think it made the story better.
38. How does Zusak establish the rise and fall of tension despite the narrative giving away future events?
There is still a rise and fall because the events are so explosive that you're not ready for them, even if you've had warning.
Discuss the effect of having Death as a narrator. Does the fact that Death is telling the story affect the way we react as readers to his/her observations? (Is Death male or female?)
Death narrating the story really enhances the fact that death is so prominent in the story. Most characters in the story die. Death is neither male nor female, rather a being who is in each on of us. The choice of narrator helped me see how death is such a huge part of life.
Why does Death make the final comment, "I am haunted by humans"? What does s/he mean? How is this ironic?
Death means that he thinks about humans the same way humans think about death, without true understanding and a sense of fear. The final statement is ironic because usually humans are haunted by death.
Provide examples of and comment on the use of irony in the book. How does it enhance the story? How does it create mood?
It's ironic that the only thing Rudy ever asks of Liesel he doesn't get until he's already dead. It was sad, like the rest of the book, but still funny in a twisted kind of way. And that she lives on Himmel Street, or heaven. Ha, that street is a twisted version of Hell.
The story includes many references to color. Why is this so? What effect does it create? Does it enhance the story/mood? How so? Find several examples and be prepared to discuss them and their meaning
The reference to white in the beginning of chapter one made the chapter seem cold and unwelcoming. Like you were intruding on someone's life.
This story is FULL of figurative language and imagery. It is a LIVING story, though it is told by Death. (Isn't that ironic?) Please find what you believe are the three most powerful and moving examples of imagery, and be prepared to discuss them and their effect.
On page 21 when Leisel's brother's soul is described as cold and soft, like ice cream, then warming I felt like I was really there, holding this poor child's soul as it healed in my arms. Maybe it impacted me so much because there have been times when I feel like my soul is freezing but soft, vulnerable. I felt that way when a friend of mine passed away. Then, on page 535 when Rudy's lips are described I started crying at the horrible beauty of the whole situation. The taste of dust and regret during their last kiss, it makes you realize how much you wanted then to kiss throughout the whole story. And lastly on page 538 when papa's eyes are described as rusting I finally got the full impact of her loss; everything.
How is the setting appropriate for this tale? If it were set in a different conflict, would the story have been different? How so?
The setting was the story. The time and place affected every aspect, this story couldn't have happened without Nazi Germany.
Comment on the way the characters are depicted. Are they likeable? Which ones – and why or why not? What is it about the way they are characterized that makes them appealing – or not? How does the text make them "come to life"? Why is this important?
All of the characters are likable in their own way, except Hitler and His devoted Nazis whom I wanted to punch in the face. The characters seem real because they each have a past that is evident in the present; they're not simply there for conversation.
Why does Liesel NOT kiss Rudy until he is dead? What is the effect of this on the story?
It adds to the irony of the story. I believe Liesel refuses to kiss Rudy because she feels like it would be giving in after all the fighting over it, and their relationship is to competitive for her to loose so easily.
Which are more powerful – which have the greater effect on the characters: internal or external conflicts? Support your answer.
The internal conflicts influence the character the most, but the internal conflicts would not be there without the external conflicts. The confusion and fear that's laced with most of the internal conflicts in the story is agonizing for the characters.
Why does Death bold certain items s/he includes in the narrative?
Those items he bolds are facts and observations and he bolds them because they are important.
What are some of the distinctive stylistic elements that you found noteworthy or provocative? What did you find intriguing about them? How did they affect your reading and appreciation of the novel?
The author tells you what will happen before it occurs, which is very different from most Authors, and he describes everything in colors. The description of colors brought the story to life and made all the imagery that much more vivid.
1) Do you think Leisel's parting words to Max helped him survive?
I think Max needed to be remined of how powerful words are, including his own. Liesel gave him much needed strength.
2)Why did Ilsa choose to adopt Liesel?
Ilsa already felt like a mother to Liesel. She loved her and wanted to help.
3)Why did Rosa hold the accordion why praying for Hans? Was it significant?
Rose held the Accordian why praying for Hans because, although she complained about it, she loved hearing him play. It was a way for her to get close to him.
4)Was it luck that Hans didn't go into battle the day that his entire group died?
It could have been luck, of fate. I believe in fate so maybe Hans was supposed to go on, to help Liesel.
5) Why were Hans' letters back home so brief?
Hans was to shell shocked and upset over what he was seeing to talk about it, and he missed them so much it was hard to talk to them.