Though we encounter them a handful of times in our everyday lives, disguised behind a mask of knowledge and self-empowerment, in reality, words are one of the most powerful drugs of mankind. When a poor family in Nazi Germany decides to protect a Jewish man in their basement, a young girl’s stolen books help her develop a deeper understanding of the world beyond Himmel Street, encouraging her to give a new life to Hitler’s toxic words in her own stories. In The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, the simultaneous existence of anti-Semitic propaganda in Nazi Germany alongside Liesel’s cherished books and Max’s captivating stories demonstrate how words can be both destructive and self-delegating in an oppressed society. First, Hitler demonstrates the …show more content…
One of the first fatherly acts Hans does for Liesel is playing his accordion. Still mourning the death of her mother and brother, Liesel spends her first few days in Molching crying. Yet when Hans brings the accordion back to life by playing it, “the sound of the accordion was, in fact, also the announcement of safety” (38). Though she suffers from tragic losses, Hans’s accordion speaks to Liesel as a symbol of safety and security, setting the foundation to their relationship. Before Liesel is taken in by the Hubermann family, she steals a book by her brother's grave, despite not knowing how to read. To prevent her nightmares and reassure her safety, Hans reads Liesel’s book to her during the night and consequently, teaches her to read. In this instance, “there was a sudden desire to read it that she didn’t even attempt to understand” (66). Not only does the book spark the beginning of Liesel’s book thieving journey, but it also represents the last time she saw her mother and brother. Having Hans help her read “The Grave Digger’s Handbook” aloud comforts her because the words give her a sense of security in an undiscovered place and demonstrate how “security and love are founded through the process of learning to read and being read to” (Webb 5). Moreover, their affectionate bond is a prime example of how Liesel converts Hitler’s words into a positive message for herself. Though Hitler’s words are destructive and discriminatory, “it was the war that launched the well-organized campaign of mass thievery” (Holahan). Without the hate, blood and chaos the war brings to Molching, Liesel has no need to be scared and thus, no need to steal books. Without Hitler instilling fear in innocent children like Liesel, the affectionate relationship between Hans and Liesel would not exist. Ultimately, the mollifying music of