For my Book Thief project, I did a figurative language booklet. These are the quotes and the descriptions I chose to go inside of it.
“Himmel = Heaven” (26)
· This line is symbolism because in a way, Himmel Street is where Liesel got saved. It is where she started a new life, met the Hubermanns and the Steiners, and made so many memories. When Liesel first arrives on Himmel Street, Death makes it seem like a place nobody wants to live. However, as the story progresses, you realize what Himmel Street becomes to Liesel.
“Upon her arrival, you could still see the bite marks of snow on her hands and the frosty blood on her fingers. Everything about her was undernourished. Wirelike shins. Coat hanger arms.” (31)
· This line is an example of imagery in The Book Thief because it gives you a clear image in your mind. I can picture a skinny girl with red hands and blood on her fingers. Death is helping us to understand how poor Liesel is, but more importantly, how she appears to others.
“Before she could answer, the wooden spoon came down on Liesel Meminger’s body like the gait of God. Red marks like footprints, and they burned.” (99)
· This quote from The Book Thief is both an example of a simile and an example of imagery. “Like the gait of God” and “. . . like footprints” show how this quote is a simile. It is also an example of imagery because I get an image in my head of a spoon coming down with great force onto a girl’s body and the marks that the spoon leaves. I think that we are supposed to understand just how angry Rosa Hubermann is in this moment.
“Mein Kampf. Of all the things to save him.” (160)
· This quote shows one of the best examples of irony in The Book Thief. Mein Kampf is written by Hitler, and one of the main topics in it is his hatred for Jews. Max, the “him” in this quote, is a Jew. We are supposed to pick up from this quote that while Hitler is the reason behind Max going into hiding, he also helped him to get out of hiding.
“There were the erased pages of Mein Kampf, gagging, suffocating under the paint as they turned.” (237)
· This quote is an example of personification because pages cannot gag or suffocate. Pages cannot turn on their own either, but the author makes it obvious in other parts of this paragraph that Liesel is turning the pages. I think that this quote is supposed to show us that anything can change. Hitler’s words are dying as Mein Kampf’s pages become the pages of The Standover Man.
“***A SMALL ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT RUDY STEINER*** He didn’t deserve to die the way he did.” (241)
· This quote is an example of foreshadowing because it tells us what is going to happen later on. Death is saying that Rudy is going to die tragically. I think that Death spoiled this part of the book for us because, like he said, he does not like surprises. Also, Death has been through a lot and is very tired. He knows how Rudy’s death is going to make us feel, and he wants to prepare us.
“’The sky is blue today, Max, and there is a big long cloud, and it’s stretched out, like a rope. At the end of it, the sun is like a yellow hole . . .’” (249)
· This is a great example of a simile in The Book Thief. Liesel is describing the sky to Max because he wants to know what the weather is like outside. I think that the author included this quote because he wants to show us just how creative children are. He is also showing us how Liesel has grown in the way she speaks since she learned to read.
“Traces of bread crumbs were in the creases of his overalls. Paint-speckled hands made their way across the buttons and raked over the keys, or held on to a note for a while. His arms worked the bellows, giving the instrument the air it needed to breathe.” (355)
· This quote is an example of imagery with a little bit of personification and a metaphor in it as well. While it puts a good image in my head, the keys were not “raked over” and accordions cannot breathe. In this quote, we are supposed to understand how peaceful it is when Papa plays his accordion and how he make the accordion come to life.
“. . . Rosa Hubermann was sitting on the edge of the bed with her husband’s accordion tied to her chest.” (428-429)
· This is a quote from The Book Thief that contains symbolism. After Hans leaves, the accordion begins to represent him. This quote also shows Rosa’s love for her husband. I think that the author is trying to show us that Rosa really does have a heart, and no matter what names she calls him, she will always love her husband.
“The cherries of blood had grown into plums.” (465)
· This quote from The Book Thief is a metaphor. There are not any cherries or plums made of blood on Michael Holtzapfel’s hand. We are supposed to understand that over time, his hand keeps bleeding and he is in constant emotional and physical pain.
· This line is symbolism because in a way, Himmel Street is where Liesel got saved. It is where she started a new life, met the Hubermanns and the Steiners, and made so many memories. When Liesel first arrives on Himmel Street, Death makes it seem like a place nobody wants to live. However, as the story progresses, you realize what Himmel Street becomes to Liesel.
“Upon her arrival, you could still see the bite marks of snow on her hands and the frosty blood on her fingers. Everything about her was undernourished. Wirelike shins. Coat hanger arms.” (31)
· This line is an example of imagery in The Book Thief because it gives you a clear image in your mind. I can picture a skinny girl with red hands and blood on her fingers. Death is helping us to understand how poor Liesel is, but more importantly, how she appears to others.
“Before she could answer, the wooden spoon came down on Liesel Meminger’s body like the gait of God. Red marks like footprints, and they burned.” (99)
· This quote from The Book Thief is both an example of a simile and an example of imagery. “Like the gait of God” and “. . . like footprints” show how this quote is a simile. It is also an example of imagery because I get an image in my head of a spoon coming down with great force onto a girl’s body and the marks that the spoon leaves. I think that we are supposed to understand just how angry Rosa Hubermann is in this moment.
“Mein Kampf. Of all the things to save him.” (160)
· This quote shows one of the best examples of irony in The Book Thief. Mein Kampf is written by Hitler, and one of the main topics in it is his hatred for Jews. Max, the “him” in this quote, is a Jew. We are supposed to pick up from this quote that while Hitler is the reason behind Max going into hiding, he also helped him to get out of hiding.
“There were the erased pages of Mein Kampf, gagging, suffocating under the paint as they turned.” (237)
· This quote is an example of personification because pages cannot gag or suffocate. Pages cannot turn on their own either, but the author makes it obvious in other parts of this paragraph that Liesel is turning the pages. I think that this quote is supposed to show us that anything can change. Hitler’s words are dying as Mein Kampf’s pages become the pages of The Standover Man.
“***A SMALL ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT RUDY STEINER*** He didn’t deserve to die the way he did.” (241)
· This quote is an example of foreshadowing because it tells us what is going to happen later on. Death is saying that Rudy is going to die tragically. I think that Death spoiled this part of the book for us because, like he said, he does not like surprises. Also, Death has been through a lot and is very tired. He knows how Rudy’s death is going to make us feel, and he wants to prepare us.
“’The sky is blue today, Max, and there is a big long cloud, and it’s stretched out, like a rope. At the end of it, the sun is like a yellow hole . . .’” (249)
· This is a great example of a simile in The Book Thief. Liesel is describing the sky to Max because he wants to know what the weather is like outside. I think that the author included this quote because he wants to show us just how creative children are. He is also showing us how Liesel has grown in the way she speaks since she learned to read.
“Traces of bread crumbs were in the creases of his overalls. Paint-speckled hands made their way across the buttons and raked over the keys, or held on to a note for a while. His arms worked the bellows, giving the instrument the air it needed to breathe.” (355)
· This quote is an example of imagery with a little bit of personification and a metaphor in it as well. While it puts a good image in my head, the keys were not “raked over” and accordions cannot breathe. In this quote, we are supposed to understand how peaceful it is when Papa plays his accordion and how he make the accordion come to life.
“. . . Rosa Hubermann was sitting on the edge of the bed with her husband’s accordion tied to her chest.” (428-429)
· This is a quote from The Book Thief that contains symbolism. After Hans leaves, the accordion begins to represent him. This quote also shows Rosa’s love for her husband. I think that the author is trying to show us that Rosa really does have a heart, and no matter what names she calls him, she will always love her husband.
“The cherries of blood had grown into plums.” (465)
· This quote from The Book Thief is a metaphor. There are not any cherries or plums made of blood on Michael Holtzapfel’s hand. We are supposed to understand that over time, his hand keeps bleeding and he is in constant emotional and physical pain.