The Book Theif the Power of Words

Analytic Essay

The power of words has influenced and effected many people negatively and positively in The Book Thief. But ironically, many people use them and think of them in a negative way. These people are called Hitler, Liesel and Rosa. Many words influenced their daily lives, which helps them become brighter for the future and to have more power. Words are crafted and woven around each and everyone's lives. The author writes The Book Thief to demonstrate the power of words, both in a horrific way and a beautiful way. Hitler used words to convince people. After the WWI, Hitler accused the Jews of starting the war and decimating all of Germany. That is why Hitler thinks that they should be the one's being punished for all of the destruction that "they" caused. Then he went to jail and wrote Mein Kampf and that is the first time that the power of words came to play in for Hitler. This is still unknown, but someone set a building on fire and Hitler came out saying; “See what the Communists did! They are the ones that should take full credit for the building setting on fire! After that incident, Hitler started off small and began making his way up to classes like communists and then the Jews. They should be paying for it!" Then everyone thought that his words were the ones that they needed and should have followed. They then elected him as the chancellor and started "The Nazi Party." He then created a law that he could rule for four years without consulting Reichstag. He started first with communists and worked his way up to the Jews. He wanted to show everyone that that him and his legion resistant Nazi Germany and that they had the power to rule over everything using there main weapon, words. Liesel loves and hates words at the same time which is very ironic. Words had two meanings for Liesel: One was the love and the connection and bond between Hans and Liesel, and the other was hate. “The words were on their way, and when they arrived, Liesel would hold them in her hands like the clouds, and she would wring them out like the rain.” – Liesel Meminger. Ever since Liesel arrived to Himmel St., She did not know how to read or write. But when she arrived and settled in, Hans taught her how to read and write everything that she could possibly and hear and see. With those teachings, all you needed was words. That is the first thing that Liesel commemorates her father for doing. The second thing was that Hitler used words to misinterpret things, which makes Liesel angry at mad at him, because through all of Hitler’s actions and words, that is why Himmel St. got bombed, everyone died, and now Liesel has to face the recurring theme abandonment again. Hitler has enough power through his words to destroy a whole street full of innocent people that have done nothing wrong to receive that unaware death penalty. It's so frustrating how Hitler could have destroyed millions of families, but he still wouldn't have cared. Rosa's case is also ironic, because she uses all of hose hateful words like Arsloch and Saurkarel just, because she loves them. When Hans was reported to be apart of the air-raid squad, Rosa was always sitting on their bed with Hans accordion on her lap, weeping her tears all over it. When everyone reported to the bomb safety basement, Rosa was separated from diesel and said: “Liesel! Get over here!" She didn't want to know the fact that she was going to die alone with no one holding her; she wanted someone to be at her side, to comfort her, and to ease the pain of possibly getting or being killed. Rosa had feelings for them. She didn't hate them or mistreat them, she just adores both of them; the only two things that matter to her in the whole entire world. Many are hard on the outside, but soft in the inside, and this just happens to be Rosa's case. "The words we choose to use in our life are very, very powerful, yet people tend to not think about the words they use in everyday life. If we choose our words coming from a place of divine love then we will be working from a place more powerful than our ego. The words will be coming from our divine source!" - Elizabeth Sampson. I agree with what Elizabeth said, because all of words in the end always result into actions. And if those words do not come out right for many, then their actions will cause them great possession of danger. This is what happened to Hitler and Rosa, but all of their actions became to come correct. While Liesel still suffers abandonment, all she could do now is start all over and re-choose the steps that she had taken to star a new life. But only this time, she would have to start her third new life.