Emily Lefeuvre
Mrs. Hart
ENG 2DG
4 December 2015
The Power of Propaganda and Literature
In Markus Zusak’s “The Book Thief”, the author uses literary elements to emphasize the power of propaganda and literature in society. Setting is used to show the irony between Hitler and his use of words during the second world war, versus the protagonist’s use of literature to comfort her and her intentions to extend her knowledge. Characters develop throughout the story due to being victimized by the propaganda and literature that surrounds them in society. The exposure to the propaganda contributes to some characters developing for the better and some for the worse. The conflicts throughout contribute to the story and underline the power of propaganda …show more content…
“The Germans loved to burn things. Shops, synagogues, Reichstags, houses, personal items, slain people, and of course, books” (Zusak 109). This proves the intense influence Hitler has over citizens under his influence. German citizens have no desire to learn more as they are confident in their leader. The event of burning belongings underlines the power and the movement of Hitler’s words. Another conflict that Hitler’s propaganda creates is the racism towards Jewish citizens. “[One] could argue that Liesel Meminger had it easy… Certainly, her brother had practically died in her arms. Her mother abandoned her. But anything was better than being a Jew” (Zusak 467). The loss of family members in such tragic ways is unimaginable for many but these sentences draw attention to other conflicts in society other than the ones that Liesel is experiencing. A third conflict that Hitler’s propaganda creates is Liesel’s theft. Due to the Germans and their ignorance during the second world war, Liesel would steal books to over come this ignorance: “In fact, on April 20 – the Führer's birthday – when she snatched a book from beneath a steaming pile of ashes, Liesel was a girl made of darkness” (Zusak 84). Due to the German leader and his impact on the community many of these conflicts could have been avoided. The conflicts prove the power of propaganda and
Mrs. Hart
ENG 2DG
4 December 2015
The Power of Propaganda and Literature
In Markus Zusak’s “The Book Thief”, the author uses literary elements to emphasize the power of propaganda and literature in society. Setting is used to show the irony between Hitler and his use of words during the second world war, versus the protagonist’s use of literature to comfort her and her intentions to extend her knowledge. Characters develop throughout the story due to being victimized by the propaganda and literature that surrounds them in society. The exposure to the propaganda contributes to some characters developing for the better and some for the worse. The conflicts throughout contribute to the story and underline the power of propaganda …show more content…
“The Germans loved to burn things. Shops, synagogues, Reichstags, houses, personal items, slain people, and of course, books” (Zusak 109). This proves the intense influence Hitler has over citizens under his influence. German citizens have no desire to learn more as they are confident in their leader. The event of burning belongings underlines the power and the movement of Hitler’s words. Another conflict that Hitler’s propaganda creates is the racism towards Jewish citizens. “[One] could argue that Liesel Meminger had it easy… Certainly, her brother had practically died in her arms. Her mother abandoned her. But anything was better than being a Jew” (Zusak 467). The loss of family members in such tragic ways is unimaginable for many but these sentences draw attention to other conflicts in society other than the ones that Liesel is experiencing. A third conflict that Hitler’s propaganda creates is Liesel’s theft. Due to the Germans and their ignorance during the second world war, Liesel would steal books to over come this ignorance: “In fact, on April 20 – the Führer's birthday – when she snatched a book from beneath a steaming pile of ashes, Liesel was a girl made of darkness” (Zusak 84). Due to the German leader and his impact on the community many of these conflicts could have been avoided. The conflicts prove the power of propaganda and