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.