DEATH AND SUFFERING

THE ACCORDION

DOMINOES

WORDS

NAZI GERMANY

Suffering and Death are central themes as Death tells the reader about the millions who suffer and die in WWII. He conveys the depths of Liesel's sadness at her traumatic losses while also giving the reader an understanding of WWII and the Holocaust.

Papa's kindness and patience with Liesel and her adoration in return; the loyalty and consistency of Rosa; the deep understanding between Liesel and Max; the infatuation and friendship between Rudy and Liesel. Even Death is a very sympathetic character saying "Even death has a heart."

The accordion symbolizes the joy, kindness, and friendship Papa conveys when he plays it. It represents an exuberance for life and is woven into how Papa's life was saved by Max's father and in turn. why Max is saved by the Hubermanns.

The dominos symbolize the fact that one event could set others in motion without realizing it. Rudy's father saves Rudy from military service by taking his place. In doing so, Rudy is left behind with the family when the neighborhood is bombed and Rudy's father is the only survivor.

The Nazis use words as propaganda and feared words that could refute their false, bigoted ideologies. They burned books and suppressed free speech. Liesel is enchanted with words and steals books to learn, express herself, and cope. Max uses words to communicate through writing his stories and talking about their dreams.

The novel sheds light on different sides of Nazi Germany. There are characters like Frau Diller and Franz Deutscher who are blindly loyal, bigoted, and oblivious to or take pleasure in suffering. On the other hand, there are people who hate the regime and actively fight against it.

THEMES, SYMBOLS, MOTIFS