Power In The Book Thief

Power can come from many sources, with the most prominent being fear and knowledge. In Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief, the ways that displays of power take shape differ as much as how the characters perceive power itself. Throughout the text, Liesel changes and develops; while she originally finds Hitler’s words empowering, she learns that his words are oppressive and are the reason for the suffering of many, including her loved ones. Later on, Liesel is able to find her individuality through both her own words and the words of those around her such as Hans Hubermann and Max Vandenburg who teach her about humanity’s capacity for good and evil. The complex dynamics of power within The Book Thief give insight into the latent abilities of words
In Max’s The Word Shaker, “the Fürher decide[s] that he would rule the world with words. [. . . ] He invite[s] his people toward his own glorious heart, beckoning them with his finest, ugliest words, handpicked from his forests.” (Zusak 445). This is a fantasy based off of reality as Hitler uses propaganda disguised as freedom that dehumanizes Jewish people and demonizes communists to compel Aryan Germans to follow him. Furthermore, the power that Hitler claims to give the Aryan Germans is not real freedom as they act based on Hitler’s commands, meaning that the only power given is to Hitler. Likewise, Hitler uses the restriction placed on literature and media to further affect the dynamics of power within Germany through limiting the viewpoints and knowledge available to solely Nazism. During the book burning event on Hitler’s birthday, the man on the podium speaks to the audience,
Liesel is one character who grasps the dynamics of power through her experiences throughout the book and discovers what true Nazism is. When the book begins, Liesel has a dream where she is “listening contently to the torrent of words spilling from [the Fürher’s] mouth. His sentences glowed in the light. In a quieter moment, he actually crouche[s] down and smiles at her. She returned the smile” (210), establishing that she originally thinks well of Hitler and finds comfort in his words that are often on the topic of German superiority. However, when Liesel discovers that her mother leaves her involuntarily with the cause being Hitler, she says “‘I hate the Fürher, [. . . ] ‘ I hate him.’” (115). Her hatred of Hitler stems from her realization that Hitler is not the saviour granting power and freedom to Germany, instead being someone who takes away loved ones from not only her but many others. Additionally, it is inferable that previous to learning the reason behind her mother’s disappearance, Liesel would easily accept Nazism and finds power from it, but afterward, it is clear that Liesel’s stance on Nazism is one of hatred. Not only does Liesel no longer find power or courage in Hitler’s words, but she also realizes that there is more potential in words than what Hitler uses them for. Through reading Max’s The Word Shaker, Liesel understands how words