Abandonment is a central theme in the novel The Book Thief. The reader knows that Liesel feels abandoned by her mother and by the death of her brother. To what extent can Liesel be considered a character who is constantly abandoned either by circumstance, the heart, or both? How does this contribute to the meaning of the work as a whole?
Guilt is a powerful emotion that may cause a person to become unhappy and despondent, but can be channeled, more positively, into helping others. to what extent is this true in the story of The Book Thief? How does this contribute to the meaning of the work as a whole?
“I have hated words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right.” This is the final line Liesel wrote in The Book Thief. To what extent is this the mission of all authors? Use the novel you have studied as an example.
In the opening of the book when Liesel steals her first book, The Gravedigger’s Handbook, this event can be thought of as the first of many turning points for her. What are some of the others? Talk about each major character and what their turning points are, as well as turning points for the community as a whole.
What was the author’s purpose behind choosing Death as a narrator? Is this a trustworthy narrator? How does Death see things that a human narrator might not? How does the choice of narrator shape the meaning of the work as a whole?