The Book Thief post #3: the viewpoint from a postcolonial perspective

As mentioned in previous blog posts, The Book Thief takes place in a time during WWII, where Hitler was ruler of Germany and most of Europe. His mission was to create the perfect race, meaning he would capture and throw innocent Jewish civilians in concentration camps where they are sent to meet their death.

The problem with this is that there would not be a multi-cultural world and a majority of one culture. The Book Thief tries to emphasize the issue with Hitler having so much power and what it could do to others. By the Germans having so much power over other it puts the Jew at a lower class which goes against the human rights code. The Jews were severely affected by this as they were unreasonably targeted and killed. The shops and buildings they owned were destroyed, burnt down or vandalized just because of their race. This time of history, the racism was very bad and by having a ruler who is racist does not help as he sent a terrible example towards others.

Death narrates this novel about life and death during World War II. Liesel Meminger, the protagonist of the novel survives, but her friends and family do not. The Book thief allows readers to understand how terrible this time in history was as death is followed by millions of Jews killed in the concentration camps. Death also personally touches every character in the story. Max’s entire family is probably killed in those same camps, and he spends a desperate struggle fighting against potential death the entire novel. Neighbors to the Hubermanns have sons, brothers, fathers, and uncles who die in the war, just as the Hubermanns’ son is also out fighting for the Nazi cause. Hans has friends in the army who die while fighting with him, and he himself narrowly avoids dying while out on patrols. Death can come at any time, in any number of ways, and is an inevitable part of war, and of life.

This was such a terrible time in history as many people are still being affected by it today. It will never be forgotten as many lives were taken and others were affected by a choice someone made.