Your Comments:
1) How and where is the book found? Max makes the book and gives it to Leisel for her birthday
2) What is the book ‘like’ and what is it about? Made of painted over pages of Mein Kampf. It is a picture book of the story of Max and Leisel. “As time passed by, the girl and I realised we had things in common. Train. Dreams. Fists.”
3) What happens to the book over the course of the section it appears in? It becomes a treasure to Leisel, connects Max and Leisel.
4) How does the “book” help us to understand key aspect of the novel? It helps us to understand Max and Leisels friendship from his point of view. It shows us how Max feels like there is always going to be people standing over him – more important than him. Helps us to understand the Jewish people's perspective in World War II. Strengthens Leisel's relationship with Max. Protector.
Previous students' comments:
This was written by Max over Mein Kampf, and given to Liesel. It is about him and the “presence in his life” – this could be prejudice, bullying, anti-semitism. Liesel reads the book and understands him better. The book means they are both associated strongly with literature. It is a point of connection for them and as literature has the power to immortalise the book represents Max’s “immortality”. In it, he is like a bird – “his hair is like feathers”. He is the “animal which has cruelties visited upon him”. He is, therefore, dehumanised. The book also shows the continuity of the past and the present – what has led to the here and now. Max gains “power” as he writes over Hitler’s words - it is “his struggle”. Max says “the best standover man I’ve ever known is not a man at all.” He refers to Liesel. Ultimately, how Max treats this book reminds us of the power of language to reinvent (he turns Hitler's book into something new), and to supercede (Max's version is the reality now, as it is the text which exists in this environment). The book's strong meesage is that people are able to overcome great distress and terror- through the caring and nurturing influence of Liesel, Max is able to feel that the metaphorical bully in his life is expunged.