The book thief tells the story of liesel meminger, a young german girl coming of age in. Literary elements five identified literary elements irony. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of the book thief and what it means. The book thief literary devices literature quiz quizizz.
Many readers have agreed that the best quality of the book thief is the way the author weaves the theme of hope into the story. The table lists the technique, provides a definition, and then lists a variety of. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in the book thief, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. These literary elements symbolism, sensory language, and tone in the book thief contribute to the depth of characters and conflict in the novel, which makes the resolution complex and enjoyable. The first time he saw her was on a train where he had come to. The book thief study guide literature guide litcharts. Choose from 472 different sets of literary terms book thief flashcards on quizlet. The book thief is narrated by death yup, you heard that right who tells us the story of liesel meminger. Rise fx visual effects supervisor florian gellinger oversaw the films vfx work, hand in hand with rise inhouse supervisor jonathan weber and producer kerstin kensy. The book thief as a young adult text the question of why this is a young adult text is an interesting one in that markus zusak, the author, did not intend for the book thief to be for a specific audience.
Markus zusaks the book thief, set in germany during world war ii, follows young liesel meminger as she struggles with the loss of her mother and brother and must go to live with foster parents, hans and rosa hubermann. I wanted to tell the book thief many things about beauty and brutality. Plot diagram, character map, major themes, symbolism, conflict. The novel the book thief by markus zusak has many instances of irony, from calling himmel street which means heaven a place that actually. Literary devices were implemented by authors to create gripping stories that they wanted to share with their readers. Elements of a narrative the book thief by markus zusak. The title of the book the help is an example of metonymy.
This example of imagery, a literary device, in the book thief juxtaposed how death was haunted by the cruelty of human action, just as how humans were haunted by death. If you know the answer to this question, please register to join our limited beta program and start the conversation right now. Its january 1939, and ten year old liesel is traveling by train with her mother and her little brother werner. From nursery story to biblical narrative to contemporary novel, someone is always setting out from home. She was suddenly aware of how empty her feet felt inside her shoes. He describes his work and his preference for a chocolate brown sky when he collects peoples souls. Twila vernon irony is all around us, as if it is a humor that does not happen intentionally.
Diction the glittering anger was thick and unnerving, but she toiled through it. The help is a term for the black maids who perform work for white households. The book thief by markus zusak, is a holocaust novel set in nazigermany that focuses on germans who do not support the nazi party. Literary analysis of the book thief 873 words bartleby. The events in this book parallel many of the events and stories that happened in ancient mythology, as percy. Mar 15, 2009 literary elements the most significant literary element markus zusak uses in the book thief is the personification of the narrator death. This is a table of literary devices found within markus zusaks the book thief.
Through literary devices, stories can metamorphose into something greater and memorable. His mother is asleep when death comes onto the train. The story was written by a jew named max for a little german girl who helped the max named liesel to help inspire her with the power of words. The novel has shown the development of liesel as a citizen in germany who has a cloudy understanding of death and the power of words in the beginning to a much more matured. Death introduces himself as the narrator of the book.
Then, the book thief, whose name is liesel meminger, sees that her brother, werner, has died. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Literary analysis of the book thief 704 words 3 pages. Discussed in a separate imagery section of this study guide. Get an answer for what are some good lines with literary devices or figurative language from the first five parts of the book thief. Personification as the book quivered in her lap, the secret sat in her mouth.
The journey is the oldest, truest, most inescapable shape for a story. Usually an author picks to write in first, second, or third person, and might switch between the two, although it. Author biography pictures events conflictresolution literary devices personal connections activities definition. He remembers the book thief in colors, primarily in red, white, and black. The novel frequently alludes to different stories in greek mythology, such as the myth of perseus killing medusa, the myth of arachne, and athenas weaving competition. It seemed to surrender slowly, like a falling tree 369 a bathrobe answered the door 42 the building appeared to be glued together, mostly small houses and apartment blocks that look nervous 27. Adolf hitler, the leader of the nazi party, rose to national power in 1934 and began enforcing his policies of antisemitism and german aggression, which led to world war ii. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class. Young adult literature, coming of age, war drama, historical fiction. The book thief is brian percivals adaptation of the markus zusak brilliant novel, following the touching story of liesel meminger in germany during the break out of world war ii.
This book blends first and third person omniscient flawlessly, unlike most other books. A summary of part seven in markus zusaks the book thief. The book specifically rotates around liesel meminger whos story is narrated by the one person who was always around during the holocaust. While the book thief did not have what i would consider to be beautiful, literary prose in the best sense of the word it did have the other elements that i find missing in some contemporary literary work. Analysis essay the book thief in the book thief 2005, markus zusak, illustrates many different themes but there are two themes that are consistent throughout the book, death and the power of words. It is also used to keep the reader focused on the how the characters meet their ends. Zusaks the book thief as translated in the dutch prose translation, the. The book thief literary analysis 1198 words bartleby. Use specific passages from the text liesels arrival to himmel street, liesels visions of her dead brother, etc.
Death narrates this novel about liesel meminger, a nineyearold girl living in molching, germany. This simile was used in the book to show exactly how the snow looked. Taylor baker there is murky snow spread out like carpet. An oxymoron is a literary device which allows the author to use contradictory, contrasting concepts placed together in a manner that actually ends up making sense in a strange, and slightly complex. These may include sensations, emotions, desires, gestures, expressions and powers of speech. Your question combines two important literary elements. These literary elements symbolism, sensory language, and tone in the book thief contribute to the depth of characters and conflict in the novel, which makes the. Their mother is taking them to a town near munich to foster parents. It gets thrown into a garbage truck, and death takes it. Literary elements the most significant literary element markus zusak uses in the book thief is the personification of the narrator death. The literary devices in the book thief chapter of this the book thief study guide course is the most efficient way to study the literary devices used in this novel. The novel has shown the development of liesel as a citizen in germany who has a cloudy understanding of death and the power of words in the beginning to a much more matured, knowledgeable view. Apr 26, 2011 while the book thief did not have what i would consider to be beautiful, literary prose in the best sense of the word it did have the other elements that i find missing in some contemporary literary work. While death has been around for many years and has learned many things about beauty and brutality, the one truth he knows is that he is.
Markus zusaks the book thief 2005, a novel that has acquired a wide readership. The book thief is set in germany during world war ii and the holocaust, where six million jews were killed by the nazis. The book thief tells the story of liesel meminger, a young german girl coming of age in nazi germany. The book thief study guide from litcharts the creators of. I was provided with the page numbers but i dont know which ones they are. Created by the original team behind sparknotes, litcharts are the worlds best literature. The book thief literary devices and language techniques by. This is the definitive guide to the book thief, concise, easy to read, and guaranteed to add to your enjoyment of this classic story. He lists the main elements of the story to come, and reveals that he has seen the main character, the book thief, three times. During the bombing of a german town, he sees the girl kneeling in the street amid the devastation, holding a book to her chest. Mar, 2014 elements of a narrative the book thief by markus zusak 1. Dec 12, 20 the book thief is brian percivals adaptation of the markus zusak brilliant novel, following the touching story of liesel meminger in germany during the break out of world war ii. Gives animals and objects human traits and qualities.
Elements of a narrative the book thief by markus zusak 1. In the book thief, death, the narrator of the story, uses foreshadowing in many different situations to give the reader a sense of what is coming up. Welcome to the litcharts study guide on markus zusaks the book thief. The book thief is a comingofage novel, so tracing the character development of liesel is practically a requirement. A simile is when unlike things are being compared using the words like or as. Get free homework help on markus zusaks the book thief. In the book thief 2005, markus zusak, illustrates many different themes but there are two themes that are consistent throughout the book, death and the power of words. Discussion 3 figurative language and literary elements figurative language plays a key part in the book thief because it adds to the style of the story, especially when it is narrated by death. The book thief is a great book to teach students a wide range of literary elements as well as to give them another perspective on a widelytaught historical subject.
The narrator in the book thief is death, which is already pretty significant and unique in just that sense. An oxymoron is a literary device which allows the author to use contradictory, contrasting concepts placed together in a manner that actually ends up making sense in a strange. The book thief saw only the mechanics of the wordstheir bodies stranded on the paper, beaten down for her to walk on 258. While its set during a historical time period, the book thief doesnt give us a dry, factbased history lesson. Also explains the historical and literary context that influenced the book thief. The literary devices in the book thief chapter of this the book thief study guide course is the most efficient way to study the literary. The book thief literary analysis 1198 words 5 pages. First, foreshadowing is a large part of zusaks writing style.
What are some good lines with literary devices or figurative. In the book thief by markus zusak, to an athlete dying young by. This is personification because death is something that doesnt really have any human traits but can talk and describe things in this novel. English language arts literary elements narrative structure novels reading reinforcement.
Identify them when reading connect them to theme and meaning use these words in speech and writing note. As the book quivered in her lap, the secret sat in her mouth. An example of this in the book thief is on page 99, before she could answer, the wooden spoon came down on liesel memingers body like the gait of god. This is absolutely the best teacher resource i have ever purchased. This particular attribute references the services they render to white households, which demonstrates the subordinate role of the black maids. Figurative language plays a key part in the book thief because it adds to the style of the story, especially when it is narrated by death.
A short markus zusak biography describes markus zusaks life, times, and work. The literary element, onomatopoeia, is the the formation of a word by imitation of a sound made by or associated with its referent. Usually an author picks to write in first, second, or third person, and might switch between the two, although it is not as common to do so. She envisioned the sight of her thieving hand reaching up, making the window rise until the book was felled. Learn literary terms book thief with free interactive flashcards. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. This collection includes prereading, during reading, and postreading activities for the book thief. The novel focuses on the joys and sorrows of liesel, her foster family, and the jewish man they hide from the nazis.