Alternate Ending

I have a tie between two characters, so I thought since I can’t seem to pick one I might as well do both.

M y first choice would have to be Death. I thought Death was a very complex character, with that being said I think I could almost relate to his level of humanity and how he saw the world. I envied him for the chance to see both sides of human behavior; he saw the absolute best sides and the worst sides of people.

At the very end of the book, Death meets up with Liesel in her old age, at her small house in Sydney, Australia.  I was happy with Deaths’ ending. It made sense to me and because he gave Liesel’s book back to her soul. I could try to write an alternate ending, but I’m afraid that I would basically ruin Markus Zusak’s work.

“All I was able to do was turn to Liesel Meminger and tell her the only truth I truly know. I said it to the Book Thief and I say it now to you.

                *********************A LAST NOTE FROM YOUR NARRATOR*******************

                                                              I am haunted by humans.” (Zusak 550)

As for my second choice, that’s an easy one, Liesel Meminger. Liesel, to me, is a strong character. She had a way of pulling on my heartstrings, when something good happened to her I felt happy, when she was sad I would cry. I related to Liesel.

At the end of the book, everyone on Himmel Street had been crushed by rubble and bombs. Death had just finished picking up all the souls in Molching, Germany, all, but one. Liesel Meminger had fallen asleep in her basement, only a few weeks after finishing the book about her life up to this point (the story that Death is telling is actually the book that saved Liesel’s life that night.) Well, after the LSE pulled Liesel out of the rubble of her home, they pulled out the bodies. This part made me cry, a lot. Liesel kissed Rudy, told him she loved him, and said her final goodbye to her foster parents, the Hubbermans. Later, Rudy’s father came home from the war for the second burial ceremony, Liesel moved in to Frau Hermann and her husband asked Liesel to stay with them, American troops liberated Dachau; Max was free.

In my alternate ending for Liesel, I want her and Max to get married, I believe that they share a bond, he’s a little older than her, yes, but I still believe that they love each other.

Anyway, Dachau was liberated; when the Americans got the Jews healthy and they finally released them back to civilization. Alex Steiner and Liesel Meminger were some of the very few German’s waiting there for someone to come out. Finally, it happened. Max walked out of the Camp, walked up to Liesel, “They hugged and cried on the floor.” (Zusak 548) Max worked at Alex Steiner’s shop for a few years while Liesel grew for a young teenager to a beautiful woman. Max never realized how much he loved Liesel. The moved away to Australia and eloped. Alex Steiner and Isle Hermann signed the marriage certificate as witnesses. Max and Liesel had three girls and a boy to carry on the Vandenburg name. Max had lived to see his first grandson. Liesel had lived to see her family grow, to see them play, and to teach and pass down what she had witnessed; about humanities greatest downfalls and how even in the most dangerous times humanity can be a great thing. She greeted her old friend Death months later.

                                                                            The End.

Work Cited

Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. Print.

Compassion

In the book, The Book Thief, Death talks about this scene twice. The first time is when Death describes ‘The black signature’ on page 10. He describes the darkness as; it was the darkest moment before dawn (9). In this section, a German plane crashed outside Molching, but just before the crowd gathered to see the accident and the dying man, two young adults showed up just before Death came for his soul. It was Liesel and Rudy who came carrying around a toolbox. In that toolbox was a number of items such as; A rusty pocketknife, a small flashlight, two hammers (one medium, one small), one hand towel, three screwdrivers of various sizes, a ski mask, a pair of clean socks, and a single teddy bear. They were on their way to steal when they realized that they couldn’t bring themselves to take anything. A few weeks later they finally found use of the toolbox when the next air raid happened and Rudy put the Steiners’ valuables in it to keep them safe.

“It was Bettina Steiner who noticed the small fire and the sliver of smoke farther down, close to the Amper River. It trailed into the sky and the girl held up her finger. ‘Look’ she said” (Zusak 488).

Rudy took off to see. Liesel followed and had asked him to wait, but he was to in the moment to pause for anything.

“Carefully, Rudy climbed to the dying man. He placed the smiling teddy bear cautiously onto the pilots shoulder. The tip of its ear touched his throat. The dying man breathed it in. He spoke. In English, he said, ‘Thank you.’ (Zusak 490-491)

The man died just as Rudy was asking what he meant. In the next paragraph Death tries to describe the human heart as a line, compared to what he says about his own as it is a circle. As Death he has seen the ups and downs of being human. I believe Death envies Humans because it is in our nature to be both beautiful and hideous at the same time.

Compassion is the ultimate and most meaningful embodiment of emotional maturity. It is through compassion that a person achieves the highest peak and deepest reach in his or her search for self-fulfillment. --Arthur Jersild.

This seemed like the best quote to me that fits my belief for compassion. I believe compassion is when you attempt to take someone’s suffering and bring it upon them to want to make the world a better place, to end someone’s suffering. To me it’s a part of being Human. I once heard and fully stand by it, that it doesn’t take a lot to change the world, that the best you can do is one random act of kindness, that alone will make this life worth living.

Works Cited

Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. Print.

Second Air Raid on September 19th

It was a time of air raids over Molching, Liesel, the Hubermanns, and the rest of Himmel Street (with the exception of Max, who remained in the Hubermanns' basement) were gathered in the Fiedlers' basement. Panic arose from every where. Children were crying, Frau Holtzapfel yelled at the parents telling them to quiet their children. The basement/shelter was chaotic with frightened people. Liesel at the time was in pain from Rosa Hubermanns hold on her hand. Rosa released her and for comfort Liesel sat down with one of her books and began to read.

"When she turned to page two, it was Rudy who noticed. He paid direct attention to what Liesel was reading, and he tapped his brother and sisters, telling them to all do the same. Hans Hubermann came closer and called out, and soon, a quietness started bleeding through the crowded basement. By page three everyone was silent, but Liesel." (Zusak, 381)

Frau Holtzapfel was very interested in the story Liesel was reading. Liesel managed to comfort all the children with her voice and entertain all the adults with the story. When the raid was over everyone was piling out of the Fiedlers' basement. Hans ran home to tell Max all about what had happened in the shelter. He imagined the girl reading in the shelter, calming everyone with her words.

Frau Holtzapfel's Offer

The next few weeks were air raid free, and life on Himmel Street almost returned to normal. That was, until Frau Holtzapfel came to talk to Liesels mama. She knocked on the door with fierce. Frau Holtzapfel came with an offer for Liesel, but she needed Rosa Hubermann's permission first. They came to an agreement that Liesel would come to Holtzapfel's house Mondays and Fridays at four o'clock to read from Liesels' book, in return Frau Holtzapfel will discontinue to spit on their door everyday, and she would give the Hubermanns her coffee rations.

"She read for fourty-five minutes, and when the chapter was finished, a bag of coffee was deposited on the table. 'Thank you," the woman said. 'It's a good story.' She turned back to the stove and started on some potatoes. Without looking back she said, 'so your still here are you?'" (Zusak, 388)

The only person I've ever had to really comfort in a crisis is my sister, Rachel. All I really do is tell her what a great mom she is, and how she tries really hard to do the best she can. Other than that I allow her to vent to me, and get out all her emotions. It has strengthen our relationship as sisters and now we're best friends.

Works Cited

Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. Print.

Death's Diary: The Parisians

“Summer came.

                For the Book Thief, everything was going nicely.

                For me, the sky was the color of Jews.” (Zusak, 349)

The passage, "the sky was the color of Jews" really stood out to me. The Nazis threw the Jews into a shower room, but they hardly ever let the Jews actually take a shower. Instead, the Nazis stripped the Jews of their clothing, and their dignity, put them in a big room together and gassed them. After the Jews were killed their bodies were thrown into the crematoriums. Death saw the colors of the Jews' spirits, finally being able to soar to heaven. He recalls what it was like seeing all of the dead souls in the section of the book called "Death's Diary."  He writes:

Please believe me when I tell you that I picked up each soul that day as if it were newly born. I even kissed a few weary, poisoned cheeks. I listened to their last, gasping cries, their vanishing words. I watched their love visions and freed them from their fear. I took them all away, and if ever there was a time I needed a distraction, this was it. In complete desolation, I looked at the world above. I watched the sky as it turned from silver to grey to the color of rain. Even the clouds were trying to get away. (Zusak, 350)

 

I never would have thought of Death being saddened by the loss of the people around him. It took me by surprise thinking that he was just as human as we are. I don’t think Death preferred life in the camps over anywhere else. If anything he wanted to get away from it as much as possible. I think Death envied the clouds because they could escape. He wanted a distraction. He wanted to get away from what he saw.

Works Cited

Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. Print.

3 Longest Minutes in Hubermann History

In this section of the book the NSDAP, the Nazi Party, was inspecting each and every house in order to see if its basement was a good enough candidate to become a bomb shelter. Liesel was playing soccer outside when she noticed The Party headed down Himmel Street. Panic generated in Liesel in an awful way. She came up with a plan to collide with another player on the street in order to scrape her leg. She managed to get inside her home inconspicuously to warn her papa about the incoming Nazis.

Rosa and Hans tried to come up with ideas to hide the Jew in the basement, but alas they were too late when seven knocks banged on their door.

“’Open up!’

Their heartbeats fought each others, a mess of rhythm. Liesel tried to eat hers down. The taste of heart was not cheerful.

Rosa whispered, ‘Jesus, Mary-’

On this day, it was Papa who rose to the occasion. He rushed to the basement door and threw a warning down the steps. When he returned, he spoke fast and fluent. ‘Look, there is no time for tricks. We could distract him a hundred different ways, but there is one solution.’ He eyed the door and summed up. ‘Nothing.” (Zusak, 342-343)

The Nazis came inside, and chatted with Liesel for a while asking about her recent knee injury. Then they headed to the basement door.

“********The Longest Three Minutes in Hubermann History*************

Papa sat at the table. Rosa prayed in the corner, mouthing the words. Liesel was cooked: her knee, her chest, and the muscles in her arms. I doubt any of them had the audacity to consider what they’d do if the basement was appointed as a shelter. They had to survive the inspection first.”
(Zusak, 344)

Hans Hubermann came up with a new plan. Make everyone look innocent, instead of sitting there with worried looks on their faces. It worked; the party men left and everything was almost right with the world. The Hubermanns and Liesel went down the steps to check on Max, he was curled up holding a pair of scissors like his life depended on them. Papa lit a cigarette. Rosa took the scissors. Everyone was relieved that their home was not chosen as a bomb shelter. Things returned to normal (as normal as things could be while hiding a Jew in Nazi Germany).

The scariest time of my life (lately) was when Tyson and I were watching a movie. A terrifying clown came on the screen when Tyson held me down to look at it. I pushed him off me and ran to my room to hide and cry. I went into a panic attack and everything. It was horrible, but not nearly as horrible as what the Hubermanns and Liesel went through that day.

Works Cited

Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. Print.

Max's Life

In this part of the book, Max uses the remaining pages of Mein Kampf to tell his own story.

"One afternoon, after his push-ups and sit-ups, he fell asleep against the basement wall. When Leisel came down, she found the book sitting next to him, slanted against his thigh, and curiosity got the better of her. She leaned over and picked it up, waiting for him to stir. He didn't. Max was sitting with his head and shoulder blades against the wall. She could barely make out the sound of his breath, coasting in and out of him, as she opened the book and glimpsed a few random pages..." (Zusak 278)

Liesel saw two sketches.

The first one was an illustration of Adolf Hitler standing on a podium, singing with crowd of people around him with arms in the air, saluting the Fuhrer. I believe this illustration scared Liesel because she realized that Hitler wasn't a man of action, he was more a man of words. She saw the way he sang to his people, and brainwashed them into doing his will.

The next illustration Liesel saw was Adolf Hitler and a young girl standing on a pile of dead Jews. In the picture, the sun shining with a Nazi symbol in the middle, a salute to the German race. The young girl is saying, “Isn’t it a lovely day..” This page frightened Liesel more than the first because it showed Max's perspective on the war. The words the girl spoke showed her people's disregard of the dead Jews. I don't believe Liesel saw anything that way, and that the pages opened her eyes more to the truth about the Holocaust.

“Frightened by what she saw, Leisel placed the book back down, exactly how she found it, against Max’s leg.

A voice startled her.

‘Danke Schön’ it said, and when she looked across, following the trail of sound to its owner, a small sign if satisfaction was presented on his Jewish lips.

‘Holy Christ,’ Leisel gasped. ‘You scared me, Max.’

He returned to his sleep, and behind her, the girl dragged the same thought up the stairs.

You scared me, Max.” (Zusak 281)

My own life.

Once upon a time there was a girl who was very confused and silly. She made many mistakes and was always a wreck. However, one day she met a boy and her life was slowly making more sense. She loved that boy, which scared her. She had never loved anyone as much as him, and was worried that one day he wouldn’t return her love. Everyday seemed to be a struggle for them, which only seemed to strengthen their love. He protected her, sheltered her, and gave her a life of purpose. She was thankful to the boy.

The End.

Works Cited

Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. Print.

Compare/Contrast Liesel Meminger and Max Vandenburg

Max Vandenburg was a Jew in hiding in the 1940's. He was staying place to place (or more, storage unit to basements) without a family, without any hope really. It was a stuggle to Max wondering when he was to be discovered and who would be the next person to walk through the door.

Liesel Meminger was an orphaned German, whose father was a communist, a mother who gave her to another family (the Hubermann's) to try to give her children a better life during the war, and a brother who died on the train to Molching. Leisel was alone.

Max and Liesel had many things in common. They had both lost their families during the war, and dreamt about them nightly. They were both survivors. If they were to pack up everything they had it would had certanly all fit in to a single bookbag. They both had faught to strangthen relationships. Liesel and Max's relationship was defined by many things, books being one of them. Without Mien Kemp, Max would have never made it to Molching alive, and Leisel would have never had the courage to talk to him. Another book that defined they're relationship was 'The Standover Man'. A book that Max had wrote for Leisel twelfth birthday, ripped, painted, and brought alive from the pages of Mien Kemp, Leisel realised what her and Max's relationship had changed, for the both of them. They both came to the little house on Himmel Street to save their lives.

In contrast, they were very different. Max was literally fighting for his life everday. And everyday he put everyone elses' lives in danger too, different from Liesel, she came to the Hubermanns looking for a better life in hard times.

"**** A SMALL EXCERPT FROM THE WHISTLER****

She lay there, frightened, in a pool of blood, a strange tune singing from inside her ear. She recalled the knife, in and out, and a smile. As always, the whistler had smiled as he ran away, into a dark and murderous night..." (Zusak, 213)

A big defining moment between Max and Liesel.

"With trepidation, the sheets and cans moved and the light was passed out, exchanging hands. Lookign at the flame, Hans shook his head and followed it with some words. 'Es ist ja Wahnsinn, net? This is crazy, no?' Before the hand from within could reposition the sheets he caught it. 'Bring yourself, too. Please, Max.'

Slowly then, the drop sheets were dragged aside and the emancipated body and face of Max Vandenburg appreared. In the moist light, he stood with a magic discomfort. He shivered.

Hans touched his arm, to bring him closer.

'Jesus, Mary and Joseph. You cannot stay down here. You'll freeze to death.' He turned. 'Liesel, fill up the tub. Not to hot. Make it just like it is when it starts to cool down.'

Liesel ran up.

'Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.'

She heard it again when she reached the hallway."

(Zusak, 214)

Works Cited

Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. Print.

NSDAP

NSDAP stands for Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeitertartei, or more commonly known as, the Nazi Party. It was a political party in Germany from 1933 to 1945. There was many people who didn't join, most of them we're ridiculed.  Others we're killed or thrown in the concentration camps.

“***The Thought Process Of Hans Hubermann***

He was not well-educated or political, but if nothing else, he was a man who appreciated fairness. A Jew had once saved his life and he couldn't forget that. He couldn't join a party that antagonize people in such a way Also, much like Alex Steiner, much of his most loyal customers were Jewish. Like many of the Jews believed he did not think the hatred could last, and it was a conscious decision not to follow Hitler. On many levels, it was a disastrous one." (Zusak, 180)

Herbert Bollinger was a faithful customer of Hans Hubermann. When business was slowing down for Hans, he ran into Herbert Bollinger. They exchanged pleasentries for a few minutes, Hans then asked, “What’s going on, Herbert? I’m losing customers quicker than I can count.“

“Well, Hans. Are you a member?“ He replied.

“Of what?“ Hans already knew the answer.

“Come one, Hansi,“ Herbert persisted. “Don’t make me spell it out.“

The tall painter waved him away and walked on. (Zusak, 181)

In 1937, since so many Jews throughout his country were being terrorized, Hans Hubermann applied to the Nazi Party. Walking back home, he witnessed four men throwing several bricks into a clothing store owned by a Jew. Walking by, Hans noticed someone had written ‘Jewish Filth‘ on the doorway. Hans offered to help the small man inside, the man pleaded with him to go. Hans came back the next day and repainted his door.

The end of 1938, all the Jews were cleared out after Kristallnacht, the Gestapo came to check and search through houses. After they found nothing in the Hubermans house, Hans was allowed to stay. He was one of the lucky few.

Kristallnacht means the Night of Broken Glass.  The Kristallnacht was triggered by the assassination of German diplomat Ernst vom Rath by Herschel Grynszpan, a German-born Polish Jew. In a coordinated attack on Jewish people and their property, 91 Jews were killed and 25,000 to 30,000 were arrested and placed in concentration camps. 267 synagogues were destroyed, and thousands of homes and businesses were ransacked. This was done by the Hitler Youth, the Gestapo and the SS. The Kristallnacht also served as a pretext and a means for the wholesale confiscation of firearms from German Jews. (Wikipedia) in

I’ve never stood up for anything as big as what Hans did. The farthest I’ve done would be to stop a kid from getting bullied. I’ve never risked my life for someone else, although I would if the opportunity arised.

Works Cited

Zusak, Markus. The Book Theif. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. Print.

“Kristallnacht.“ Wikipedia. 2001. Web. 21 Sept. 2010.

Liesels and Papa's Conversation at the Church

"Against all hopelessness, Liesel still checked the mailbox each afternoon, throughout March and well into April. This was despite the a Hans-requested visit from Frau Heinrich, who explained to the Hubermanns that the foster care office had lost contact completely with Paula Meminger. Still, the girl persisted, and as you might expect, each day, when she searched the mail, there was nothing." (Zusak, 101)

For the Fuhrer's birthday in 1940, many things would had happened not only Liesel Meminger, but for Hans Hubbermann as well. When Hans Junior came home to celebrate Hitler's birthday a fight broke out between father and son. Hans Junior had the last words, "You coward," that was the last time they saw young Hans Junior. (Zusak, 105)

As for Liesel Meminger, she would get ready in her Hitler Youth uniform and Papa would walk her down to the BDM headquarters. "Speeches would be made. A fire would be lit. A book would be stolen." (Zusak, 107)

During the speeches, Liesels anxieties went up with one word. Communist. Memories of her family came back so clearly. She struggled to get to the edge of the crowd to vomit, but as the fire was lit, her attention flew somewhere else. She continued to fight her way out when a voice called her name. Ludwig Schmeikl was injured in the crowd, she brought him to the back of the crowd and sat him on the church steps. As the crowds depleted, Liesel sat and watched the clean up begin. That was until Hans Hubermann showed up. They sat and talked about what had happen and what was bothering Liesel. After finding out that it might have been Hitler who took her mother away, she spoke out of anger, "I knew it. I hate the Fuhrer. I hate him." (Zusak, 115)  What could Hans do? He slapped his daughter squarely in the face. Those were dangerous words. He knew that if anyone had heard her say that she would be taken away as well. They 'Heil Hitler.' And walked home. That was until The Book Thief strikes again.  

If you compare this moment to Christmas, when Hans Hubbermann traded his tobacco for two books.  Since he is so addicted to smoking, I think it's a great sacrifice to make his daughter happy. As for leadership, he makes sure that he takes care of Liesel, and that nothing bad will happen to her. That's why he slapped her outside the church. It wasn't to hurt her, but to protect her. Sacrifice and leadership apply in our own lives as something we do almost everyday. I, personally, sacrifice my spare time to watch my nephew, I sacrifice any extra time for school and studying. I use leadership to make good use of my time.

Works Cited

Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. Print.

Abandonment

Liesel Meminger was almost 10 when she first felt abandoned by her mother. Her mother took her to live with a foster family for the sake of a better life in the midst of WWII. Her brother, who was six at the time, died on the way to their new foster home. He was buried in an unknown town, next to the graves of unknown people. The only people there to say goodbye were Liesel, her mother and two gravediggers. After the burial, Liesel and her mother continued their journey onward. She said a tearful goodbye to her mother on the platform of the train station and after a lot of dragging and crying, Liesel found herself in her new home in Molching, Germany. (Zusak 23-24)

In a way, I envy Liesel at this point in the book. She got to start over with a new home, new family, and new hope. I relate to Liesel's feeling of abandonment because 5 months ago, my step-father, the man who I considered my real father just took off. Ever since then, he has called my Mother and the rest of my family, myself included, horrible things. He says things that no father figure should ever say to the children he raised. That's when I first understood abandonment. It didn't happen when my biological father left me when I was 2 weeks old, and it wasn't when I moved away from my family either. It was then. :-( I'm sad to have a person who was a big part of my childhood out of my life. I'm now too old to start my childhood over. The only hope I have is for my future and what I make of it.

What It Means To Be a Survivor -- Sophie Weisz

Sophie Weisz was born on the 23rd of February, 1927 in a small village called, Valea-lui-Mihai in Romania. She attended middle school in a nearby Oradea, since her hometown only had a elementary school. Sophie loved to dance in the large living room of their home as her older sister, Agnes, played the piano. In 1939, when Germany invaded Poland, the Jews felt safe in Romania, that was until Hungary annexed the region in 1940, not two years later they joined the German forces. 

In 1944, Sophie and her family were forced to go to the ghetto in Oradea. They were later deported to the concentration camp in Auschwitz. Sophie, her mother, and her elder sister were moved hundred miles north for forced labor. The prisoners were asked to entertain the German soldiers at Christmas; Sophie danced to the music of the ballet Coppelia in a costume fashioned from gauze and paper. The Germans gave her extra bread and soup, that she shared with her sister, Agnes.
Sophie and her sister escaped while on a forced march in February 1945. Her Mother and Father died in the camps. She emigrated to the United States in her later years. 

I'm not sure how I would feel to lose almost everyone I knew in a mass genocide. I don't think I could ever live with myself knowing that I survived while others who probably deserve it more didn't. Maybe it would be the fact that I wouldn't be able to be myself ever again knowing that someone almost made my family, my religion extinct. I'm sure it was hard for Sophie to live with herself. It must have been. Knowing that innocent people were killed just for what they believe is really heartbreaking for me. I'm happy she at least had her sister, Agnes, and that they escaped together. If everyone I knew was gone and all I would have left is my sister, I'd be completely grateful and would probably never leave her.

Effects of WWII on the German People

The effects of WWII on the German people in many different ways; Social, as well as Military differences. One of the social effect were women in the workforce, while, most men went off to war. When the men came home (those who survived or weren't imprisoned) in the decades that proceeded the women went back to the home to take care of the family and housework. Another social effect was the trail of rape that Red Army left behind them, women of all ages were wounded and left distraught during this time. Experts say, between several tens of thousands to more than 2,000,000 were victims of rape, often repeatedly, leaving the women of Eastern Germany's attitudes effected towards sex and leaving a gap between men and women for a long time. Some still feel this effect today. 

The military effect are more positive, World War II was the mark of advancing aircraft and guided missiles making the battleship, along with the coastal firearms, obsolete. Hiroshima was hit with some of the first atomic bombs, making World War II the start of the Nuclear era.