Max begins to feel as if he is disappearing; he feels gray. He starts doing push-ups and sit-ups, and he daydreams about being in a boxing ring with the Fuhrer, surrounded by a large and loud crowd. The match is set up so that Max will lose, despite his efforts […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Part 5: The Whistler: The Gamblers (A Seven-Sided Die)Summary and Analysis Part 5: The Whistler: The Floating Book (Part I)
Analysis Death uses this chapter to foreshadow two events: Rudy’s jumping in the river to save one of Liesel’s books, and, afterwards, his asking her for a kiss. Even Rudy knows how important Liesel’s books are to her. The second event is Rudy’s death. This chapter also shows us how […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Part 5: The Whistler: The Floating Book (Part I)Summary and Analysis Part 4: The Standover Man: Pages from the Basement
Analysis Through The Standover Man, Max illustrates how he feels about Liesel, and their affection for and understanding of one another grow. The fact that Max chooses to paint this story over the pages of Mein Kampf symbolizes how the story of Max and Liesel’s relationship and are more powerful […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Part 4: The Standover Man: Pages from the BasementSummary and Analysis Part 4: The Standover Man: The Swapping of Nightmares
Liesel’s outside life progresses as it has been — she walks with Rudy, picks up and delivers the washing, and reads in the mayor’s library. Now, she is reading The Whistler. Rosa and Hans make Liesel deliver food to Max in the basement. She sees that he is reading Mein […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Part 4: The Standover Man: The Swapping of NightmaresSummary and Analysis Part 4: The Standover Man: The Sleeper
Analysis This chapter stages the official meeting between Max and Liesel. Liesel already sees some of herself in him, the way they both have nightmares. The chapter’s title, too, suggests some type of an awakening or call to action that is yet to come, a sort of calmness before the […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Part 4: The Standover Man: The SleeperSummary and Analysis Part 4: The Standover Man: Liesel’s Lecture
Analysis Again, in this chapter, words and books are very important to Liesel. She does not want to think about these things being taken away from her. Even more, though, she does not want to think about losing another family. Liesel can sense that things are all right in the […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Part 4: The Standover Man: Liesel’s LectureSummary and Analysis Part 4: The Standover Man: The Wrath of Rosa
Analysis This chapter provides a lighthearted moment during a very serious situation. It also gives another glimpse into Rosa’s character and at the caring nature that she often tries to hide behind her gruff exterior.
Read more Summary and Analysis Part 4: The Standover Man: The Wrath of RosaSummary and Analysis Part 4: The Standover Man: A Short History of the Jewish Fist Fighter
He and a group of boys would gather in the evenings to fight. During these fights, he develops a close bond with Walter Kugler, the man who hides him later. With the Nuremberg Laws come extra hardships for the Jews, and Max struggles to find work. On November 9, 1938, […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Part 4: The Standover Man: A Short History of the Jewish Fist FighterSummary and Analysis Part 4: The Standover Man: A Good Girl
Analysis In this chapter, Liesel discovers that she is going to have to keep the biggest secret yet in her young life. And, again, the power of words becomes apparent in how Hans says that Liesel is “a good girl.” He really means that she can be trusted, that she […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Part 4: The Standover Man: A Good GirlSummary and Analysis Part 4: The Standover Man: The Accordionist (The Secret Life of Hans Hubermann)
After Hans returns to Molching, he hesitates to join the Nazi Party, but his business suffers because of his non-affiliation, so he fills out an application. In the meantime, he helps paint over the defaced door of a Jewish shopkeeper, Joel Kleinmann. As a result, he is denied entry into […]
Read more Summary and Analysis Part 4: The Standover Man: The Accordionist (The Secret Life of Hans Hubermann)