Symbolism: The Word Shaker

[codytaylor]

In Max Vandenburg's book, he writes of how Hitler took over Germany with "great forests of words." Max explains that from his perspective the forest is symbolic of Hitler's ideas, as shown when Max states that he is "beckoning them with his finest, ugliest words." However, the forest is also symbolic of the German people's perception of their nation. When Hitler rises to power, they see a massive forest made of his ideas, and so believe that their country is vastly more powerful with him. Later in the story, when Liesel plants the tree of her and Max's friendship, Hitler and his soldiers arrive to cut it down. This symbolizes how the Germans see the Jews. When the tree grows, it is different from the rest of the forest, and while it is difficult at first, it is eventually cut down. When it falls, it destroys part of the forest around it, similarly to how some Germans felt the Jews damaged the surrounding area. Even with that part of the forest damaged, most of forest remained strong, just like how Germans felt that their country was still strong. What does the forest in The Word Shaker symbolize for you?

[cole]

I think The Word Shaker talks about how powerful just a little bit of kindness is in a work of hatred and fear. Though the Liesel's tree was not enough to make any tangible progress towards a better country, except for making one Jew's life a lot better, but it did do something very important. It didn't destroy the forest, but it knocked some trees down. In addition to that, it drew a crowd. It stirred things up. If nothing else, it made people question their values, and in just a few places, was successful in changing them.

[ethanashbrook]

I thought your interpretation of "The Word Shaker" was creative. I personally would like to bring up a point I haven't realized until recently. In the latter chapters of the book, the author puts a special emphasis on the dying and dead trees through the area. Its a rather obscure detail, so I was not able to find a direct citation for it, but I found it significant nonetheless. I think that this could represent the part of The Word Shaker when the part of the forest is destroyed, showing Liesel's impact.
"'It's going to fall!' a young woman screamed. 'The tree is going to fall!' She was right. The word shaker's tree, in all its miles and miles of height, slowly began to tip. It moaned as it was sucked to the ground. The world shook, and when everything finally settled, the tree was laid out among the rest of the forest. It could never destroy all of it, but id nothing else. a different colored path was carved through it." (Doerr 450).

[Sara S.]

To me, "The Word Shaker" symbolizes all the ideals projected by society about how women should look and act. Right now, we live in a spreading forest of words and images that cast shadows of stereotypes and expectations. Young women are born into the inescapable wrath of the jungle of social media, advertisements, movies, and TV shows that provide them with unrealistic and usually unachievable images of how they should appear and behave. Billboards show female models catering to male ones, TV shows sexualize young women, and social media provides teens with a never ending stream of skinny, bikini-clad celebrities with flawless features. In this "forest" of words and images, there are some who choose to do what Liesel did in "The Word Shaker"- plant seeds of friendship and hope. They build the self-esteem of others and empower young women to be themselves. In "The Word Shaker," people try to cut Liesel's tree down, but as long as Liesel stayed in her tree, the axe made no dent. Similarly, those who stand tall and stick up for others will also face criticism as others try to cut them down. But as long as they continue to fight, their words will still be heard. Eventually, however it happens, that tree of empowerment and inspiration will be felled, leaving nothing but a trunk and pile of branches on the forest floor. Zusak writes, "But as they walked on, they stopped several times, to listen. They thought they could hear voices and words behind them, on the word shaker's tree." Just like how the tree kept emitting words and voices after it was cut, those who empower women and believe in equal rights for all will still make an impact after they are gone from the scene. They may not have conquered the whole forest of society, but maybe they were the difference in one, ten, or even hundreds of lives. Maybe they saved one. Maybe they were the one person who inspired someone else to plant a tree that grew taller than the rest of the forest.

[Tuli Freeman]

Something interesting about "The Word Shaker" is the message it has. In the story, as long as Liesel stayed in the tree, it couldn't be cut down by Hitler and his men. But once she came down from it's branches, the wounds it sustained from all the axes showed, and the mighty tree fell. I think what this is saying is that as long as we don't give up, when we stay strong, we can endure and prevail. But once we quit, it's all over.

[sofiamq123]

My perception of the symbolism is similar to your's but a little different. I believe that the tree symbolizes the "Hitler way of thinking" in Lisle (mostly the prejudiced against Jews). As a German girl, Lisle gets tough by society a way of thinking that praised Hitler, and believed everything he said like saying that all Jews where bad. As many kids responded, they believe and think all of this knowledge that is fed to them. Based off of that knowledge Lisle starts thinking more and more that way, and the tree grows. When max first arrives she does not want to talk to him or be near him, and the tree grows. In "The Word Shaker" everyone tells the girl to get off the tree but she won't, this represents Lisle's Papa and Mama telling Lisle to not be afraid of Max and to go to talk to him, but she refuses. Later Max himself starts talking to Lisle, and as their friendship grows, Lisle stops thinking the "Hitler way". This part is symbolized in "The Word Shaker" when the man comes up the tree, talks to the girl for a little bit, and convinces her to come down the tree (to stop thinking "the Hitler way"). Shortly after the tree falls, just like Lisle's prejudice goes too.