Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “The hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in times of great moral conflict.” This couldn't be more true in that someone who stands by and watches is no better than the person/group committing the immoral acts. In The Book Thief by Markus Zusak there is an ever present question of right and wrong as characters often face issues of morality. Two characters that face morality head on throughout the book are Death who narrates, and Liesel.
This book takes place during WWII and focuses more particularly on Nazi Germany and it's effect on people. Because of this setting there are questions of what is right and wrong laden all throughout the book. This book is a narrative and is portrayed through the eyes of Death. Even Death himself faces many issues of morality. These questions and obstacles that Death faces puts him in perspective and gives him an almost humanistic side. He looks at the war and all the death and blood spilt and just doesn't understand why it has to be this way. Seen on page 550 Death states, "I am haunted by humans." (Zusak 550). This short but powerful statement says a lot about Death and his morals. When people think of "death" as a person they picture a grim reaper type character but this forces readers to think deeper. This book is surrounded around Death's contemplation of the worth of humanity, and Death's inability to understand the cruelty and compassion of which humans are simultaneously capable.
Another character who is faced with the question of morality is Liesel. Liesel is a main focus of the narrator and is dubbed the "book thief" sequentially by him. Loosing her parents at the hands of the Nazis, Liezel is haunted by her past. This I believe, however, makes her stronger and develops her as a character. Liezel is a focus when discussing morality because she herself faces right and wrong all throughout the book. For example she steals books and commits a crime but at the same time is it okay for her to do this considering the Nazis outlawing of books seems to us as readers as unnecessary and cruel. Zusak writes, "I have hated the words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right." (Zusak 558). This is taken from the last line Liesel writes in her novel. In saying this Liesel is saying that she has hated whats happened and how there has been so much death but at the same time she has loved writing them because they need to be heard and need to be told.
Morality is something that cannot easily be defined in words. On the contrary it's something situational that changes from person to person. In The Book Thief we see the question of morality presented to many different characters under many different situations. More particularly we see these questioned faced even more so by the Death and by Liesel, two important figures in this book. On one side Death holds many of the same morals that we as humans do, and on the other side we find Liesel who faces questions of right and wrong almost daily but always pulls through with the right decision.
Aydan-
ReplyDeleteYour take on Death's morals is very similar to mine and agree with your points. I love that you opened with that quote from MLK. It made for a perfect introduction. I would give you some constructive critisism but I honestly did not find anything wrong with this post other than a few minor spelling errors. Nice job.
First, I'd like to say I admire how you started the blog with a quote that wasn't even in the book but relates. It shows you did research and took your time. Also the fact that death is haunted by humans gives me a weird feeling in my stomach. It makes you think about if that could be real, like death being the way he is portrayed in this book. Do you think that you go anywhere when you die like Markus Zusak interprets?
ReplyDeleteAydan, I liked your post and the way you portrayed Liesel of facing right or wrong when she steals books. It was a great point to say how books are meant to be read so it is ok that she took them. Although she only saved one book from burning in a fire and being destroyed, the rest she took from someone else who used them, besides the two she got for Christmas. Does Liesel still have the same excuse and is she still morally correct?
ReplyDelete-Liz Bates
After reading your blog I took an interest in this book. This book seems unique considering the fact that death is the narrator. You said that everyone imagines death as a grim reaper figure what did you imagine him as? Also, which character do you think faced more dilemmas that affected their morals and beliefs?
ReplyDeleteAydan, I love how you begin your post with a Martin Luther King Jr. quote, it is a great hook! Also, your quotes you found in your book make your body paragraphs captivating and really show how your book connects with morality. I can see many connections you made within the story to connect with morality. You made the book sound very interesting! Did you like the book itself? What are your feelings towards Leisel’s actions, would you say she is a moral or an immoral character?
ReplyDeleteAydan, your Martin Luther King quote is spot on. This describes so much of morality. People who seem to be kind and moral may just be a bystanderd. I believe Martin Luther King is so heroic because he used his human ability to fight, to oppose, and to use his voice to not only represent himself but represent others. This can be paralleled with Nazi Germany and the German families who took in Jews to save them from the holocaust. The non- Jewish German society who partook in the efforts against Hitler are heroic as well. They sacrificed themselves as Martin Luther King did. This book seems very interesting. Is death a person and how does he narrate the book?
ReplyDelete