Q3 Outside Reading Post #3

As I read more of the book, I found out more about the war situation in Germany.  While Liesel and Rudy are walking they walk by a shop owned by Frau Diller.  Markus Zusak describes her as, "a sharp-edged woman with fat glasses and a nefarious glare.  She developed this evil look to discourage the very idea of stealing from her shop, which she occupied with soldierlike posture, a refrigerated voice, and even breath that smelled like "heil Hitler" (49-50).  Many people were afraid to go into her shop because of her intimidating presence.  She was also very strict about "heiling Hitler".  Zusak writes, "If you walked into her shop and didn't say "heil Hitler," you wouldn't be served" (50).  This really shows the effect Hitler had on a lot of citizens of Germany.  The firm believers loved Hitler and everything he did.  He had hypnotized them into believing so many things that people forced others to basically bow down to him or else they wouldn't help.

We also see what happens to the Jews in Germany.  Hitler was starting to destroy their lives.  Zusak writes, "A few of the shops were abandoned and still labeled with yellow stars and anit-Jewish slurs" (50).  All the shops owned and ran by Jews were quickly shut down.  They would be labeled with a Jewish star to represent that it was ran by a Jew.  The Nazis would destroy the shop and write nasty comments on the building so they couldn't run the business anymore.  While Rudy and and Liesel were walking, they ended their trip at "The road of yellow stars" (51).  Down this street, every house had a yellow Jewish star painted on the door.  Hitler wanted to make sure the Jews were clearly noticed in society.  He made them wear yellow Jewish stars and paint yellow Jewish stars on their houses and businesses.  Everyone would know who or what was Jew because of the symbol.  They would stop going to those stores or stop talking to the Jewish people because of Hitler's rules.  It will be interesting to see how much worse the Jews are treated in that part of town as the war goes on.

Q3 Outside Reading Post #2

In the next section I read, I found out more about the town Liesel was living in.  It was a small town in Germany named, Molching, more specifically, Himmel Street.  Markus Zusak writes, "On the whole, it was a street filled with relatively poor people, despite the apparent rise of Germany's economy under Hitler" (46).  Even though the economy as a whole was doing well, there were many smaller towns around who were still poor.  The debt of the war had a very lasting negative effect on many people.  Even though the street was poor, the people didn't let that stop them from being happy.  Zusak writes, "On Himmel Street, friendships were made outside, no matter the weather" (47).  The children were all friends with each other.  Since they were all poor, they had something to relate to and there wasn't any competition on who had more money or better toys.  They were all in the same boat.  Although Liesel moved into a poor household, anything seemed so much better than where she came from.

In this section, we also meet a new character who lives on Himmel Street with Liesel, Rudy Steiner.  Zusak describes him as, "the boy next door who was obsessed with the black American athlete Jesse Owens,"(46) and, "He was eight months older than Liesel and had bony legs, sharp teeth, gangly blue eyes, and hair the color of lemon.  One of six Steiner children, he was permanently hungry" (48).  We get a good picture of Rudy through this.  He seems to be the tough kid on the block who the kids fear.  We also find out that he secretly likes Liesel along with all the other ladies.  Markus Zusak writes, "He liked girls a lot, and he liked Liesel (hence, the snowball).  In fact, Rudy Steiner was one of those audacious little bastards who actually fancied himself with the ladies" (48-49).  This might be foreshadowing something that comes later in the book.  I wonder if something will spark between Liesel and him.  

Quarter 3 Outside Reading Post 1: The Book Thief

This quarter for outside reading, I am reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.  It is about a young girl, Lisel, who has recently moved to Germany to live with her foster parents.  She is a ten year old girl who hasn't really had a chance to expirience life yet because she was poor. Zusak uses many vivid descriptions in his book.  One description of Lisel he writes is, "Everything about her was undernourished.  Wirelike shins.  Coat hanger arms.  She did not produce it easily, but when it came, she had a starving smile.  Her hair was a close enough brand of German blond, but she had dangerous eyes.  Dark brown" (31).  From this description, we see that it was obvious Lisel was poor because she was very skinny and didn't have a healthy look about her.  In the beginning of the book, we also find out that the narrator calls her "the book thief".  She aquired this name because she steels books whenever she sees some lying around.  Although she is illiterate, she still thrives to find new books.  Zusak writes, "There was something black and rectangular lodged in the snow.  Only the girl saw it.  She bent down and picked it up and held it firmly in her fingers" (24).  This is one of the most valuable books Lisel inquired because she stole it at her brother's feuneral.  This was the last time she was with her brother so she cherishes this book.

In the beginning of the book we also see that the author is very into color.  In every chapter, there is something about color.  He writes, "First the colors.  Then the humans.  That's usually how I see things.  Or at least, how I try" (3).  This quote really describes how he views things in life, based on color.  "Some of you are most likely thinking that white is not really a color and all of that tired sort of nonsense.  Well, I'm here to tell you that it is.  White is without question a color, and personally, I don't think you want to argue with me" (6).  Zusak really shows his true feelings about color here.  Everything to him seems to be a color and seems to have a different meaning.  It will be interesting to continue to read and see what role color plays in this book.