Monday, June 9, 2008
Book Thief--Promises
Promises are an important motif in the novel. Discuss how promises control the novel's plot. What do promises help to reveal about characters? The Hebrew word for the number seven is the same word for covenant, or promise. Note Zusak's use of this and other aspects of pacts or bonds. Which promises are of the most importance? Why?
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Hans' character is shown through his ability to keep his promise to his friend's family by hiding Max. When Max arrived at the Hubermann's house, he asked, "'Do you still play the accordion?' Of course, the question was really, 'Will you still help me'"(185)? Hans was willing to put his life on the line to keep his promise to his friend. This act reveals his character to be kind and nonforgetful of promises to others or himself.
I agree with monica w p, he is very good about keeping his promises. When Hans makes that promise to max's mother, he kept his promise for 20 years. This shows that he is very true to his words and is very kind. Hans' is risking a lot for just keeping his promise.
I agree with both Monica w p and Shelby m p. The fact that Hans keeps his promise shows a lot of potential for his character. He is willing to keep a promise that he made nearly 20 years before, even though the consequences will be horrible if he is caught hiding a Jew from the Nazis. “They’ll drag that man up there away and maybe Mama and me, too- and we will never, ever come back” (204). If Hans can set his life on the line to keep a promise, it shows that he will be a reliable character throughout the book.
I also agree. I think that Liesel has to keep a promise of most importance. The promise to not tell anybody, at all, about Max. She cant say anything that might hint that they are hiding a Jew in their house. Earlier on in the book on page 127 Hans says, "If I ever ask you to keep a secret for me, you will do it." "I promise." Liesel had already made a promise before knowing what she was going to have to keep secret. She didn't know the enormity of that promise.
Madeline makes a fantastic point. Promises are a highly important part of the Book Thief. The promises that both Liesel and Hans made are interconnected. In some ways, the promise that Liesel mad is even more important to keep.
As Madeline said, "Liesel had already made a promise before knowing what she was going to have to keep secret" I think that the promise that was made unknowingly, Liesel's promise, is definitely the most important.
Plus, Liesel and Hans promises are very much the same. They both made promises that they had to keep for a long time. Hans made a promise that he didn't have to keep until 20 years later. Liesel made a promise, not knowing that she would have to keep a life-threatening secret. These two didn't know that they would have to keep to their promises. However, they both did their best to do so.
I agree that Liesel's promise, to keep Max a secret, is the most important promise made in the book because it drives the plot of the novel. As long as Liesel keeps quiet about Max and acts as if everything is normal her family and her friend will be safe. "Liesel, if you tell anyone about the man up there, we will all be in trouble." (pg.203)Because of this, Liesel has to suppress her 10 year old tendency to tell people anything she knows. The life of the Hubermanns and Max depends on it. Liesel continues to play soccer with Rudy and visit the Mayor’s wife, but all the time, she has to keep this important secret.
Also, Han’s promise is very important in revealing his character. I agree with Lari O that Hans really didn’t know what he was getting himself into when he said he would help Erik’s family if they needed something. Han’s promise was intended to help if they needed a paint job or a minor thing. He couldn’t have known that 20 years later he would need to help hide the man’s son. Even though hiding Max was not what Hans thought he was promising, He keeps his word because Max’s father had saved his life. This shows that Hans is a respectful honest man and that he is willing to risk his life for others.
Okay--we have a lot of "I agree" posts; let's open this up a bit. To consider:
What about promises that groups, rather than individuals, make? Think of races, nations, political parties, religions, neighborhoods, families, friends, etc.? How are collective promises a part of this text?
Must promises be secrets (as the posts thus far have centered upon)? Why or why not?
Is there a connection between spoken and unspoken words and promises?
Just some ideas to consider–add your own.
A promise that the whole of WWII is centered on is essentially Hitler's promise to destroy the Jewish people. Since Hitler has made that promise, everyone in the Nazi party basically seconds the promise and therefore are trying to follow up on it throughout the entire war. Like Max wrote in his story on page 445, "Yes, ther Fuhrer decided that he would rule the world with words." His words came in the form of a promise to the Jewish people and not a very nice promise at all. Since he made this promise he had power because everyone else was scared of what he said. World War II is, in the end, a giant fight against a promise.
I agree with Monica W, WWII was in and of itself a promise from Hittler to the German people, he promised them that the economy of Germany would recover from WWI and prosper. He also promised to anialate the jews, a promise he came frightfully close to keeping.
I also think one of the important promises in the book is Hans comming each and every night to comfort Liesel after her nightmares. This promis is not one that is spoken, Hans never promises Liesel he will come each night, but he does without fail. Before long Liesel expects Hans to come, she relies on him comming.
I agree with Grace P about the unspoken promise Hans gives Liesel. He comes without fail every night to comfort her after her nightmares. Another unspoken promise is made by Liesel, when Max was dying. She visited him every day after school and read to him. Zusak writes, "From that day on, Liesel read The Whistler aloud to Max as he occupied her bed." (319)
Liesel also makes and unspoken promise by bringing him presents and to tell him all about what he missed when he wakes up. Liesel explains to Max, "'I'm sorry,' she said, 'it's not much. But when you wake up, I'll tell you all about it.'" (320)
There are a lot of unspoken promises in this book. A big one is that Death has promised to come get each of the souls. He doesn't have to, he's not getting paid, but he still comes each time there is a death to collect the owner of the body. This promise is really important, for it comforts all of the people. They can rest assured that their souls will be taken away when they die because of Death's promise. In his introduction Death says, "It suffices to say that at some point in time, I will be standing over you, as genially as possible. Your soul will be in my arms"(4).
As of this far it is understood that Hitler promised economic prosperity and to rid Germany of the Jewish people but Hitler promised more than these two promises. The primary promise that drove his Nazism ideal was his promise to the German people to build a "Reich that [he] proclaimed would last 1,000 years" (Herzstein). This promise to the people was derived from the history of the nation itself and a history that Hitler used to fuel his ambitions. According to Hitler's ideals, this Reich that he had promised was to be the third Reich with the first being the Holy Roman Empire, and the second being the time in which Kaiser Wilhelm the First reigned in Germany. In short, Hitler's promise of a Third Reich was nothing more than a promise to the people stating that he was to rebuild the German empire, which had briefly existed but was truly never under Germany’s control. This main promise was what would ultimately lead to the promise of the extermination of the Jewish people since he believed that in order to create a Third Reich, Germany must consist of German citizens and people. While the Jewish people were considered this, Hitler passed laws in the late 1930's eliminating Jewish citizenships throughout the country. This collective promise, as it is called, is not directly hinted upon nor exactly expressed in the text but its influence can be seen in it. It was the promise of the Third Reich and all that it would entail that would cause Max to make "his way to Munich and Mulching" to Hans Hubermann and Liesel (196 Zusack). Therefore, collective promises are apart of the forces driving events in the text. A secondary example of this is the collective promise given by Arthur Berg that "You get caught on the fence, you get left behind" (152 Zusack) when discussing his parameters for stealing. This in turn leads to Rudy and Liesel being somewhat better thieves in not wanting to be caught and results in an increase in their exploits. It results in an increase because the two become more accomplished under the idea of no help if caught thus creating a drive to be a better, and the only way to be a better thief is through practice. However, it can also be viewed that the collective promises lead to some of the more destructive and terrifying events of the text. Hitler's promise for a Third Reich was so demanding that he went against his pact with the Soviet Union and invaded Russia. This resulted in a weakening of German forces and creates the opening for the air raid on "September 19" where "Molching [was] a possible target" (380 Zusak). This is demonstrative of reverse power of collective promises when they collapse upon their intentions and bring the harm back to the one whom had promised everything. Therefore, the collective promises of the text ultimately lead to death and destruction when they exceed their expectations by those making them and those executing them.
Sources:
Herzstein, Robert Edwin. "Wolrd War II Time-Life Books: The Nazis". Copyright 1980. Time-Life Books Inc.
Zusack, Markus. "The Book Theif". Copyright 2005. United States of America. Random House, Inc.
The Germans made promises to the Fuhrer just as the Fuhrer made promises to the Germans. The German people promised to support Hitler in his quest to extinguish the Jews, and his creation of a master race. Most people joined the Nazi party, and children joined Hitler Youth to support the creation of the master race. “Ten years old meant Hitler Youth.”(pg40) In Hitler Youth, children were taught to “march straight, roll bandages, and sew up clothes.”(pg40) Hitler’s plan was to make a race of humans that were physically and mentally superior and the Germans promised to become racially superior. They also promised to support the genocide of the Jews. They contributed to the harassment of the Jews. When Hans repainted the door of the Jew, it was as if Hans had broken his promise to the Fuhrer. After this he wasn’t permitted to join the Nazi party because he was a traitor to Germany.
I do agree with Keeley B F that the German people did make promises to Hitler that they, as a people, would hate the Jews, taunt them, and torment them. The people of Germany agreed with Hitler’s ideas and decided to carry them out for him as a leader of the rising Germany. However, there were special circumstances surrounding the reason as to why the German people promised to follow Hitler and his ideas. After the Treaty of Versailles, in 1919, Germany was in a deprived state of being from the results of the treaty. The country, as a whole, was blamed for starting World War I and was responsible for paying back the countries that were members of the Triple Entente. These countries, by the end of the war, included the United States of America, France, Great Britain, and Italy. However, the most significant problem for the country came when a global depression occurred in which the nations of the world were in a state of economic decline. One year after this depression began, “over three million Germans were out of work” and the “payments of reparations . . . could not be continued” (Heiferman 16). Germany was in a state of absolute ruin and it was from this ruin that Hitler rose up. During this hard time, Hitler promised many objectives and goals and the people of Germany backed his word up with their allegiance. Their allegiance to Hitler’s ideas was mainly stemming form the idea that he gave them a chance at the hope that the terrible situation that the country was in would become better. Hitler, all be it was a mass murderer and a war criminal, provided the light that the people needed to escape from their hapless void of depression. The people were so desperate for hope that they inevitably attached onto Hitler’s ideas and embraced them. The people of Germany believed all of his words of which many, as described by Max in his dream fight, were that “[the Jews] infesting you with his family and [they are] about to take you over” (Zusack 254). Thus was how the people of Germany came to make their promises to Hitler and the promise to follow his ideas. The people of Germany believed that Hitler was their deliverance from the depression but also did so to avoid his punishment. Hitler ruled with a totalitarian dictatorship and used it to create a state of allegiance and control. Therefore, the people of Germany promised to agree with Hitler to make themselves safe under his government and because they believed in the hope that he would bring them out of their depravity.
Sources:
Heiferman, Ronald. "World War II". Copyright 1973. Octopus Books Limited, London.
Zusack, Markus. "The Book Theif". Copyright 2005. United States of America. Random House, Inc.
Keeley states that "most people joined the Nazi party, and children joined Hitler Youth to support the creation of the master race." I believe that it's a 50-50 situation when it comes to why people joined. Hans disagreed with Hitler on what he was attempting. Yet he joined the Nazis.
(Why were Jews discriminated against? Why them in particular?)
Hitler's plan was to create the perfect race by eliminating everyone and everything who got in his way or that he didn't like. the Nazis chose to follow either out of fear or actual support.
After the huge bonfire, Liesel told Papa that she hate the Fuhrer and would never follow him. Hans slapped her across the face as a consequence. Liesel was confused because she knew that Papa felt the same way. Hans hit her out of fear because he was afraid to admit that he agreed with her. He was afraid someone was listening and would kill him and his wife and liesel.
Hans made a promise to the Fuhrer out of fear for his family. his love for Rudy and Liesel pushed him to make a promise he didn't want to make. So is it really a promise?
I agree with Monica about Death's unspoken promise. No matter what, Death always is doing his job, and doing it well I might add. Death's Promise is rather important because of the fact that this takes place during World War One. Thousands of people die each day, and Death is always called upon to do it. He may be bitter at times, however he does it, without protest. It is Death's unspoken promise that helped develop the story. It is his presence in Liesel's life that helps develop and move along in the story line
Promises reveal a certain aspect for characters. For one Liesel is viewed as a promise keeper. Hans knows this when he tells Max, “Don’t be afraid.” She heard papa whisper. “She’s a good girl” (186). Being a ‘good girl’ is being portrayed as someone who can keep a secret. Liesel and Hans have many secrets between them. One of them being book stealing. Hans tells Liesel;
“This is our secret, this book. We’ll read it at night or in the basement, just like the others-but you have to promise me something.”
“Anything papa.”
Everything was smooth and still. Everything listened. “If I ever ask you to keep a secret for me, you will do it.”
“I promise.” (127).
That like keeping a Jew in the basement was the type of promise that was a pledge of loyalty. Hans promised his friend that died in war that he would do anything for him for saving his life. When Max showed up at the door asking, “‘Do you still play the accordion?’ Of course, the question was really, ‘Will you still help me?’”(185), Hans had proven loyal by keeping to his word and agreeing to keep a Jew hidden in his basement. Liesel also had to pledge loyalty to Max that she would not say a word about his presence in Munich. She had a tough time with this promise though. “‘There’s a Jew in my basement.’ ‘There’s a Jew in my basement.’”(245), Liesel heard those words in her mind often and imagined her saying it to someone. She didn’t though, she stayed true to her word and kept Max a secret until on page 517, after seeing him in the parade of Jews, she finally told her best friend Rudy who promised not to tell anyone including his own family. Promises are sacred in this book and only made on serious occasions.
I agree with kathleen that promises are only made in the book on serious occasions. They are a very serious aspect of a book that sometimes tries to put a lighter touch on things. Like when Liesel describes max's hair as feathers, (216), instead of focusing on the fact that he was very sick. The author puts more emphasis on promises. They are often turning points in the story and drive the traits of characters like Liesel and Hans. The ability to keep a secret is regarded as an excellent trait even though secrets sometimes hurt other people.
I agree with Brendon that the promises are "often turning points in the story and drive the traits of characters like Liesel and Hans". Secrets are kept to protect certain people, even though those secrets can end up being the death of the ones keeping it.
I agree with Kathleen that having to keep the secret of Max being in the basement was a "pledge of loyalty". The promises kept within the Hubermann household are the lives of Max, Liesel, Hans and Rosa. If the secrets came out, Death would have four more souls to collect. Four different colors to observe. Hans warned Liesel, "Liesel, if you tell anyone about the man up there, we will all be in big trouble" (203). He explained to her what would happen if she did. "--and we will never, ever come back"(204). After that statement Liesel understood that telling even Rudy would result in tragic consequences.
I agree with Kassidy that the turning point is the promises with Leisel and Hans. Without these promises the characters would not be able to relatein such a way, because promises show that you trust a person, relationships get built on that trust.
The promises passed between Papa and Liesel are important in trust when Max arrives. Max Vandenberg is the son of Hans' friend Erik. Erik saved Hans on that day when the sergeant came into the sleeping quarters and asked, "Who's got neat handwriting?" No one stepped forward because the sergeant played nasty jokes and no one wanted to be caught in that line of fire. "At least one of you useless bastards must be able to write properly"(177). Erik volunteered Hans and that day Hans became the only man to have survived. And 20 years later Max comes on his doorstep. "Do you still play the accordion"(185)?
After 20 years he kept his promise and protected Max even though he was putting his life in danger as well as Rosa's and Liesel's lives.
In this novel, it seems that promises are a way of man to appeal to each others deepest feelings. When Hans promised to help Max's family, he had no way of nowing what would have been askied of him. However, he had such deep feelings for his friend that he agreed to a possibly life-changing decision. In this way, men who had nothing left in the world could still offer up their honor as a currency.
Transversely, men also used promises to betray others trust in them. A prime example is when the U.S. promised land and aid to Indians, but later forced them off a newly discovered oil field or gold mine. By expending their honor these men marred the definition of a promise.
While promises in "The Book Thief" served to preserve honor in a crazy, messed-up world, they are often enough used to betray.
It is interesting to me how closely related all of the promises in "The Book Thief" are. Every promise seems a direct cause of another promise. For example, Hans making Liesel promise to keep Max a secret results from Hans' promise to Erik. Without Liesel being on her end of the promise, Hans couldn't keep Max safe and would not be keeping his own promise to Erik. Liesel's promise is also related to Hans' promise to Hitler to join the Nazi party and follow their pursuit for the ideal race. Similar to the deal with Erik, if Liesel did not keep her promise to Hans, he could not follow through with his supposed commitment to Hitler. This goes further to Rudy promising to keep Liesel's secret. If he did not keep this promise, all three of the previous promises would be broken.
Also, the connection between these promises seems similar to the ways lies are often connected. If they are not built perfectly on top of each other, all of them come falling down. In a way, the promises not just related to, but are lies. As Kassidy C stated on July 16, Hans didn't make his promises out of agreement with what Hitler was doing but rather fear of what he would do to Hans' family. So this promise that Hans makes is essentially a lie. Then, Hans has to carefully build upon this initial promise/lie to keep from returning to his original fear. So each additional promise is just another piece of one lie.
I would like to begin in stating that I find Steph O W's statement pertaining to the idea that "each additional promise is just another piece of one lie" when referring to the relationship between the promises of the text quite intriguing and quite thought provoking in how it could very well be said to be true. The lie that is being referred to by Steph O W is the lie that Hans gives to the Nazis in the form of a promise of allegiance to the party and its ideals. This is true to a degree if one is to consider the chain of events following the arrival of Max Vandenburg on Himmel Street because this was when Hans, despite all prior events and even his morals, told and encouraged Liesel to still solute Hitler and to never shame the Fuhrer. This is when the promises begun to accumulate within in the lie of loyalty to the fascist party controlling the country of Germany. The first promise was of course when Hans states, “If you tell anyone about the man up there, we will all be in big trouble”, thus creating the promise between him and Liesel (Zusak 202). This is why Steph O W is correct in how each promise from then on is a part of an ever-expanding lie that eventually ensnares those whom make the promises. This case event occurs when Liesel the events about “[the] Jewish fist fighter, and [her] basement” and as a result, brings Rudy into the expanding lie about loyalty to Hitler (Zusak 518). It could be disputed that Rudy was already living the lie when he yelled out against the Fuhrer but this lie is much more powerful in how the consequences for revealing the lie could result in multiple deaths of all involved in the hiding of Max. This is why she is correct in how the promises are ea part of a lie but not from just a literary standpoint but from some historical points. It is quite true that many Germans pledged allegiance to Hitler during World War II but were actually people that were disbelievers in what he had to say and do as a leader of the country. Many of these people made promises that were a collective lie that built upon itself as a means to try to stay safe from Hitler’s Nazi regime. Therefore, Steph O W is correct because the fictional characters of the text are fictional representations of an event that was quite common and true in the Nazi Germany of the terrifying, nightmarish, and destructive Second World War.
Sources:
Zusak, Markus. "The Book Theif". Copyright 2005. United States of America. Random House, Inc.
To add to what Bryan W said about promises in relation to honor and betrayal, the promises in "The Book Thief" act simultaneously to bring both. For example, Hans' promises to Erik and Hitler automatically contradict each other. It is not possible for Hans to protect Max, his promise to Erik, without breaking his promise to Hitler. By protecting Max, Hans is not helping Hitler to create his ideal race. On the other hand, if Hans was to keep his promise to Hitler, he would be breaking the one with Erik because he could not protect Max. Either way, Hans offers one act of honor by keeping his promise and one act of betrayal for breaking one. Liesel is in a similar position when she tells Rudy about Max. She knows she can't tell Rudy,
"If you tell anyone about the man . . ."
Her teacher.
Rudy.
It didn't matter whom. (203)
So in telling Rudy, Liesel betrays Hans by breaking her promise to keep Max a secret. From the other side, if she did not tell the secret and continue to protect Max secretly, she betrays an honest friendship and her heart.
Both of these examples lead back to Zach H's explanation of promises being lies because in both situations as well in others within the book, promises become lies and the lies are what make them betrayals.
The idea of lies being related to promises intrigues me. I see this relationship as a person choosing his allegiance by deciding to who his promises are going to be lies and to whom they are real. This leaves the person giving the promises in a position where he must contradict himself to be trustworthy, lie to be truthful. Thus, even the most honorable person must lie to become so.
This theory entails that each one of us humans is raised with an inherent instinct to lie and promise. How they use this power is up to themsleves and how they view the world. Hans chooses to use this power over people to save a Jewish life in peril in accordance with his views. Hitler however, used the power to cause unimaginable carnage.
So, in essence, you must first lie to those you dislike to make a true promise to those you like.
Bryan's and others comments on lying to be truthful are all very intriguing to say the least. the way people lie to be truthful is what I want to focus on. How Hans lies to the party and other people about wanting to be in the party when he is secretly hiding a jew is considered a good lie in the book. But to the Nazi officials, if they found out about it his lying would be considered bad. Perspective is a big part of the book thief and I believe that Promises play a big part in the theory. The story is told from the perspective of the Hubermann's and the neutral aspect of death so everything they do is considered good. Even if they are breaking promises and lying through thier teeth, they are doing it for good.
I agree with Steph O W when she said, “In a way, the promises not just related to, but are lies.” Many people have agreed with this and have shown how Hans Hubermann was a perfect example of this by hiding a Jew in his basement and by being a Nazi. But Hans was not the only one who did this. Leisel is also a character who was lying in order to keep a promise. She promised Hans that she would keep the secrete about Max on pages 203 and 204 in her conversation with Hans. Kathleen A P said, “ keeping a Jew in the basement was the type of promise that was a pledge of loyalty.” But Leisel proclaims her loyalty to Hitler a few times in the book by doing the simple act of the heil Hitler. On page 388, “By the door, when she saw the framed photos of two young men in military uniform, she also threw in a ‘heil Hitler,’ her arm raised in the kitchen.” By just doing this act while still holding the secrete of Max hiding in her basement, Leisel is lying by upholding her promise to Hans and Max because she is proclaiming loyalty to someone who’s morals and ideals she is not supporting and is actually fighting against.
Like the prompt says, promises are definitely a very meaningful part of the story. The two promises that stand out the most to me are the ones made by Hans Hubermann and Liesel.
~Liesel’s Promise~
Although Hans used fear as an extra encouragement to keep the secret that Max was in their house (204), I’m sure Liesel would have done it any way just because her father had asked. This shows how trust worthy she is since in the words of Max, “Kids have big mouths.” (195) I can relate that when younger kids have cool or interesting things going on they like to brag about it to other kids, even if they’re told not to. This temptation briefly visits Liesel when she is in the Mayor’s library and wants to whisper, “There’s a Jew in my basement,” to Ilsa. (246) Obviously she refrains from doing so. She even keeps it a secret from her best friend Rudy.
~Hans’s Promise~
Hans is the type of man who is true to his word no matter what. But when he promised Erik Vandenburg’s wife, “-if there’s anything you ever need,” and gives her the paper with his name and address on it (179), I can assure you that he never thought that he would end up hiding her son in his basement. Yet even though the consequences for hiding a Jew are so high, he kept his promise to Mrs. Vanderburg risking both his life and his family.
At this point in this blog it is pretty much set in stone that promises go hand in hand with lies in the story. As leah says promises are a big part of the story. I think that we can tell the character of the characters by the promises that they keep and the lies that they tell to keep those promises. Liesel lies countless times about hiding a jew in her basement, or just manuevers away from a subject that might uncover max. Hans also lies every time he leaves his house by leading everyone to believe that he supports hitler. But he keeps promises to his family and to max. If promises and lies are any indication of a characters moral mettle then the Hubermann's are certainly good people.
I want to go back to what Kiers said. Kiera makes a good point when she states that, “promises show that you trust a person, relationships get built on that trust”. What she says is true. Liesel only became who she is in this novel based off of trust that is introduced throughout the characters Liesel came to know.
Promises are important in this story because it helps to show who a character really is. When a character makes a promise, it helps you to recognize what type of person they really are. Liesel didn’t have to promise Hans and Rosa that she’d keep Max a secret, but because she did, this shows that Liesel is true to her word and respects the idea that what they have going for them.
As Ryan P talked about, promises result from trust. The trust comes from previous unspoken promises. For example, Liesel has trust in Hans because he cared for her, loved her, and comforted her when no one else would. After that, Liesel trusted Hans’ unspoken promise to always care for her and in return promised to care for him and love him by not telling a secret that could risk his life. Hans promise to Erik also fits this concept. Erik silently promised to save Hans' life, "Erik Vandenburg and Hans Hubermann glanced at each other. . . . On the other hand, if someone was to be nominated" (177). They both knew that whoever stayed behind to write would not risk his life that day in battle and when Erik nominated Hans, he silently promised that he would save Hans' life. With the trust that now existed, Hans willingly made the promise to save another life that was important to Erik. Furthermore, Hans' promise to Hitler also fits the same standard. When Hans Junior left the Hubermann home after fighting with his dad about joining the Nazi party, he silently promised never to communicate with his parents unless they would affiliate with Hitler. The Hubermann's quickly understood this quiet promise, "As expected, Hans Junior did not come home" (215). This trust led Hans' to put aside his past feelings toward the Nazi party and join for the possibility of seeing his son again. He knew that his son would not return home if he remained against Hitler, so he made a promise against his beliefs in hope his son would again trust him.
I haven't read every single blog here, but I think it's interesting how the Jewish store with seven stars is significant to the story. I think it means the author is saying no matter what a promise can be kept and it is very hard to break it with either Death or hatred. For the nazi party has ransacked the store several times, but the seven stars remain, the promise cannot be broken without a fight. Also, I think this promise is any promise made or perhaps the promise that their god is with them always.
To add to what Ryan P P and Kiera M P said on the idea that, “promises show that you trust a person, relationships get built on that trust” (Kiera M P), I would like to say that I think one of the most important relationships in this book sprouted from a promise that was made non-verbally. It is the relationship between Leisel and Ilsa Herman. Leisel is seen stealing The Shoulder Shrug by Ilsa on the day of the bonfire and Leisel knows it. The next time Leisel goes to get the laundry from the mayors home after that event, “She [Ilsa] reached out, cold-fingered, and said, ‘Warte - wait.’… When she came back and stood with impossibly frail steadfastness, she was holding a tower of books against her stomach, from her navel to the beginning of her breasts… Come and see, it said.(133)” After which, Ilsa lead Leisel to her library and encouraged her to choose a book. I think this action by Ilsa Herman was her making a promise to Leisel that she wouldn’t tell anyone that she stole the book and that she would actually help her pursue her love of reading and words. I think she was making this promise in order to gain Leisel’s trust and try and begin a relationship with her. Because of one non-verbal promise, an essential relationship to the progression of the plot of the book was established
Christine M. said...
"To add to what Ryan P P and Kiera M P said on the idea that, “promises show that you trust a person, relationships get built on that trust” (Kiera M P), I would like to say that I think one of the most important relationships in this book sprouted from a promise that was made non-verbally. It is the relationship between Leisel and Ilsa Herman. Leisel is seen stealing The Shoulder Shrug by Ilsa on the day of the bonfire and Leisel knows it. The next time Leisel goes to get the laundry from the mayors home after that event, “She [Ilsa] reached out, cold-fingered, and said, ‘Warte - wait.’… When she came back and stood with impossibly frail steadfastness, she was holding a tower of books against her stomach, from her navel to the beginning of her breasts… Come and see, it said.(133)” After which, Ilsa lead Leisel to her library and encouraged her to choose a book. I think this action by Ilsa Herman was her making a promise to Leisel that she wouldn’t tell anyone that she stole the book and that she would actually help her pursue her love of reading and words. I think she was making this promise in order to gain Leisel’s trust and try and begin a relationship with her. Because of one non-verbal promise, an essential relationship to the progression of the plot of the book was established"
This statement is very true. It was also this relationship that leads her to continue thievery which ultimately leads to her survival. So when you think about it not only does a promise continue the book, it also saves and continues a character as well.
The way that promises control the novel's plot is through the keeping of them. The only way that the story progresses through promises is when the promises are kept and the people behind them follow through.
As Madeline S said, "I think that Liesel has to keep a promise of most importance. The promise to not tell anybody, at all, about Max" which is one of the most difficult in this novel. Liesel is a child, which makes it very difficult to keep promises, especially of this magnitude.
Promises are kept by the good people as well as the bad people in this novel. Hans allows Max to stay with their family even though it could very well ruin life for the Hubermanns indefinately.
But also, along with the promises kept for good, there are also those kept for bad.
A pact in this novel is that of the nazi group, which is a huge promise that controls the novel's plot. Leah S said that the two promises she found most important were those of Hans and Liesel.
I found that the promise of the Nazi party and Hitler is the promise that keeps the novel's plot going forward the most.
If the nazi party had not promised to kill all of the Jews, Max would have never come into liesel's life. Liesel and Max were brought together by the Nazis because "anything was better than being a Jew." (161)
Wait, does every story have to be kept moving through the plot by a promise kept? Many stories have been written about lies and broken promises. A broken promise or secret can be just as powerful as a kept one.
The question Ian asked is a very good one.
I don't believe that every story must be pushed forward with a promise kept, but this one mostly is and I have not been able to find an example of a broken promise that controlled the plot of this novel.
One unspoken promise that Max made to Hitler was not followed through on, but the book ends before we can see if it ever panned out.
The seven-sided die is Max's life, essentially, so Max's life is an ongoing promise.
The very last side of the die, the seventh, which means promise, is the end of Max's life and where the Hubermanns stay. Liesel and her family reside "very much in Munich, but somewhere on the seventh side of Germany's die".
Devon S F
Ian makes a very valid point. Not every story moves through the plot due to a promise kept. However, There aren't very many broken promises in this particular story. This plot does move along due to kept promises, as Megan said. In fact, I can't even think of any broken promises in the entire plot. Actually, here's one: Hitler's promise to the people of Germany to bring them out of poverty and humiliation. Although at the beginning of his reign, he certainly does accomplish this. However, because of his ambition to destroy cammunism and capitalism and create a superior race, he eventually loses the war. So maybe the entire book is also built upon the broken promise of Hitler. Throughout the book, the people of Molching are growing poorer with each part. Innocent people are dying. Starvation grips the land. The people grow poor again. When Hitler turns on his ally, Stalin, any thoughts of world empire are destroyed. So yes, there is a very strong broken promise in the novel. Hitler's promise to make Germany great again and a much better place to live. This broken promise controls the setting of the entire book.
I, personally, like the fact that Hitler's broken promise was somewhat the basis for the book because if he hadn't broken the promise that he did, Liesel wouldn't have learned some of the many lessons about the world, and she definately wouldn't have gained as much knowledge as she did.
But I don't understand too much about a certain something. If people promise that they are going to do something or protect a valuable item to them, then why do we brake the promises that are most likely to affect our lives? Is it for us to learn a lesson, or is there something deeper?
Megan H’s idea was very interesting when she said, “The way that promises control the novel's plot is through the keeping of them”. After reading this I thought about what if characters did not keep their promises? If Liesel broke her promise about not telling anyone about Max and told someone she would have never have gotten to know Max and she would have broken Han’s promise to Erik Vandenburg. Max and Liesel becoming friends and what they do together takes up a huge portion of the book so it is not only necessary for Liesel to keep the promise to her family but also for the readers even though they do not know it. The Book Thief would be an incredibly different book if promises were not kept.
There are many answers to Shelby G’s questions, “Why do we break the promises that are most likely to affect our lives? Is it for us to learn a lesson, or is there something deeper?”. I think the main reason why people break promises is because it may be too strenuous for them to keep. In The Book Thief Hans could not completely keep his promise to his friend Erik Vandenburg because he could not keep Max protected but after max leaves Death says,” How Perfect. Peace” (398). When a promise endangers not only the person who is keeping the promise but also people they care about, keeping the promise becomes a tedious task that sometimes can’t be kept. I do not think that people break promises that easily unless they have to because promises only are made if people trust each other and nobody wants to lose that trust.
Many people have said that the book is all about promises being kept, but this story is also about promises that are not being kept. Hans and Leisel are not keeping their promise to Hitler to support him, which they promise to do every time the perfom the hil
Many people have said that the book is all about promises being kept, but this story is also about promises that are not being kept. Hans and Leisel are not keeping their promise to Hitler to support him, which they promise to do every time the perfom the heil Hitler. Every time they do that, they are proclaimint loyalty to a man in which they do not beleive in or the things he stand for and is actually fighting against. This book is not all about promises being kept and that's not just what compells the story plot. Broken promises are also a part of the book.
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