Category Archives: English 10

Part 3: The Book Thief questions

Analysis:
Max revelas he went outside during the raids. Again, just like Mein Kampf helps him scure more freedom, how do the raids help him? What is his reaction to going outside?
Mein Kampf gave gave Max freedom because he is a jew and in order to smuggle him in their basement the Hubermann’s had to give him a new name and Mein Kampf to walk around with so that he does not look suspicious. Though he is cokmpletelt against what the book has to hold having it gave him the chance to escape the gas chambers an prisions. The raids gave him freedom because when the sirens were sounded that their was bombs coming their way eeveryone rushed into shelters, meaning that their was absolutely no one above ground. Which gave Max the perfect opportunity to take a peek outside and see the world. It gave him the freedom to actually go upstairs without having to be scared of being caught. Though the thought of having something so deathly be your chance at freedom is quiet strange, beacuse Max is risking his life for a peek at the outside world. Max’s reaction to the outside was very different from what you’d expect, he was quiet scared. He was scared because he was worried that someone might have saw him through the window, which would jepredise not only his life but the rest of the households. He also felt extremely overwhelemed from seeing actual life! Imagine being locked up for 22 months and then suddenly seeing light, your mind would be running miles per hour.

Quickwrite:
“Champagne and Accordian” shows more of Han’s adapatbility. what are your thoughts on Hans up to this point?
I have loved Hans as a character from the beginning, I think he is so thoughtful and caring. I have much respect for him due to the fact that he stands by his own morals and views on life and lives them. He always knows how to make Liesel happy whether its telling her stories or playing is accordian for all to hear. What made my adoration for him grow was when the poorest people of them all would come begging to get their windows painted and though he may not have enogh paint hat day he would always come first thing in the morning. Instead of telling them to cover it with blankets because Hans being poor himself knows the strugglesof not havingenough blankets in the winter. Though because they were so poor they would not have enough money to pay him so without a second thought Hans would paint their house and grestfully take what theyd give him whether it be a cookie or a cigarette. Also he is such an inviting character and everyone seems to love him, an example being the people giving him a glass of champagne at the end of the chapter. Overall, my love for him has never withered, if anything it has grown!

Part 1: Book Thief Questions

 

 

 

Analysis:

What purpose do colors serve for the narrator? Why does the narrator need distractions?

Colors in the sky serve as a distraction for death. The colors appear in the sky when someone passes away and one can imagine during the time of World War II that happened quite frequently. The colors can range from a deep pink all the way to a chocolate shade, which is his favorite color. The reason for the distractions is to make death’s job a lot less morbid then it actually is. Now it’s not the part of collecting the souls of the dead that is depressing for death, it’s the one’s who are still alive that make his job so painful. Needless to say he can’t stand watching them fall-apart with broken hearts, due to the passing of their loved one’s. As said by death himself “I deliberately seek out the colors to keep my mind off them, but now and then, I witness the ones who are left behind, crumbling among the jigsaw puzzle of realization, despair, and surprise”. It’s “funny” to think that someone like death who is viewed to be gloomy and dark would need to be distracted because his job is getting too dark and saddening.

 

Quickwrite:

What impression does death give of himself? Do you feel you can trust him as a narrator? Why or why not?

While death is talking he portrays himself as a sly character, though you get glimpses where he shows his feelings. He tries to act tough but deep down you know that his job puts a beating on him. He does not consider himself a scary person though you will be damned if you say he is nice: ” I most definitely can be cheerful. I can be amiable. Agreeable. Affable. And that’s only the A’s. Just don’t ask me to be nice.Nice has nothing to do with me”. Death say’s that he is trustworthy and fair and that I can believe. You may think ‘why trust death? He will kill the characters!’, but that is where it lies. Death does not kill the characters he takes the souls of the dead, there is a great difference there. Also, because death was an extremely common part of life during that era, death would always be on his toes seeing watching everything happen. Which is also a bonus because it let’s us see other people’s lives and not just the girl’s (though she is the main focus in the story). Death has been around for a very long time, which also means that he has seen everything happen which leads to great background information so we can better know our characters. He doesn’t only give us flashbacks but also foreshadowing that always keeps the reader guessing and wanting more.