In The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, there are many themes developed throughout the plot. A theme is a main idea or underlying meaning of a literary work; they can be stated either directly or indirectly. The same theme can be found in a multitude of literary works, however there are often a number of different themes in a novel. One of the significant themes that is present in The Book Thief is the ability to find beauty in an ugly situation. The narrator, Death, along with Liesel and those around her, are all in or around unfortunate situations. As the story progresses, they are forced to accept what they have been given and appreciate the miniscule happiness that can be found in any situation.
Both Rudy Steiner and Liesel Meminger, fictional characters in The Book Thief, lived in Nazi Germany. They were poverty-stricken, constantly hungry, and were forced to live without anything but the necessities. As Liesel and Rudy were walking down the street on …show more content…
At the onset of the novel, Death complains about his job. He complains about how he spends his life standing outside of humanity and how trapped he is in his role. Nevertheless, Death does see people in an objective way, a way that they could never see themselves. “The human heart is a line, whereas my own is a circle, and I have the endless ability to be in the right place at the right time. The consequence of this is that I’m always finding humans at their best and worst. I see their ugly and their beauty, and I wonder how the same thing can be both.” (Zusak, page 491) Death cannot find clarity on how people can do good and evil. He feels sympathy for humans although he has seen the best and worst of humanity. If Death is able to find the emotion that he lacks in his “circle” of a life, then he is able to find beauty in the terrible situation that is