The Book Thief Language and Communication Quotes

How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #7

"If you tell anyone about that man…" (33.51)

Normally, if a grown-up tells a kid to keep a secret, it might ring our alarm bells. But, this is anything but an ordinary situation. Max, Liesel, and the Hubermanns' survival depends on secrecy.

Quote #8

In the basement of 33 Himmel Street, Max Vandenburg could feel the fists of the entire nation. One by one they climbed into the ring and beat him down. (38.112)

This is how Max perceives the majority of German people. It refers to the fact that the Holocaust could not have been carried out without the consent of the majority of the German population.

Quote #9

"'Is it really you,' the young man asked […]. Is it from your cheek that I took the seed?'" (80.44)

When Liesel sees Max marching to Dachau she recites passages from The Word Shaker, the book he leaves for her when he flees. This is interesting because Liesel is able to best communicate her feelings to Max using his words. She's also being economical. She has to chose her words for maximum impact, since she might not get to say very many of them. She's acknowledging Max's gift and telling him she understands it.