Big Takeaway

[cole]

What did you take away from this book?  I saw it as an interesting way to look at humanity: through the eyes of death, who was absolutely dumbfounded by our resilience and capabilities.  The Book Thief showed what humans are capable of.  Like Ilsa Hermann, were are capable of loving misery.  Like Frau Diller we are easily seduced by false promises from powerful people.  Like Rosa, we can keep going when there is nothing to hop for.  Like Hans, we can be thoughtful and loving.  Like Liesel, we are capable of language.  Partly if not solely because of language, we have so much power.  In short, we are so awful.  And we are so wonderful.

[Annie Potter]

Humanity was a very big topic throughout the book. Like you stated, humanity was shown through people's actions and beliefs. In the very end of the book, Death tells Liesel "I am haunted by humans" (Zusak 550). However I also believe that this book was not only about humanity itself but how humanity impacted every single character. You could say that because of the wars that were started by humans, then it is all of their fault for the bombing of Himmel Street, and for the deaths of everyone Liesel had ever cared for. Like you said, this book really does go in depth of what humans are capable of. "I wanted to ask her how the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious, and it's words and stories so damning and brilliant" (Zusak 550).

[ninaseidel]

There are obviously many different messages that we can take away from the book but my main takeaway was how much the story emphasized the power and importance of reading and writing especially in a place like Germany during WWII. As Leisel learned to read and write with Hans in the beginning of the book she gained confidence and found a way to connect with people like Hans, Max, and Ilsa Hermann. Leisel's passion for reading was also what caused her to question the Nazi party's decision to burn a huge number of Jewish books which led her to steal her second book. Max Vandenburg also used writing as a way to rebel against his Nazi oppressors by writing stories for Leisel that help the two of them connect as well as tell his story of living as a Jew under Hitler's rule.

[sofiamq123]

I agree that both words and humanity are a big part of the take away from the book. One of the many takeaways was that words are powerful.Words gives humanity to people, it can give strength, but it can also make people weak and make others powerful. Lisle and Max are able to build a friendship through words, Max is able to show Lisle that Jews aren't bad through words, through reading words, it gives the characters humanity. Max is also able to show Lisle the power of words through "The Word Shaker" "He invited his people toward his own glorious heart, beckoning them with his finest, ugliest words, handpicked from his forest. And the people came." (Zusak 445) Max explains how Hitler used words to start a war against people who were different than him just by arranging words in a way that people supported his ideas. As Lisle reads this she realizes how much pain and damage words cause, like the many deaths of her close ones. As Lisle realizes this the author indicates readers to take this away, words are what make us human, they can cause splendid moments, but they can also cause loads of damage.