A gripping story, the moment you open “The Book Thief,” by Markus Zusak, is a story that takes place during the Holocaust and is narrated by Death.  It is based on a nine year old girl named Liesel Meminger whose mother was forced to give her and her little brother to foster parents because she was a communist. Liesel’s little brother, Werner Meminger died on the train while traveling to their foster parent’s house. Throughout the book Death follows Liesel around and narrates her life throughout holocaust alone, only left with her foster parents Hans and Rosa Hubermann and her flirty friend Rudy, who is constantly asking her to kiss him. Markus Zusak uses the symbolism of, Hans’ accordion and the colors Death sees to tell the story of The Book Thief.

            The first time we see Hans’ accordion is in Chapter 29 when Max asks Hans if he still plays it, since when Erik another friend who died in war taught him, Max says "Hans Hubermann? Do you still play the accordion?” and Hans replies, “Of course I do.” Hans’ accordion is a symbol of many things. It is first a symbol of hope, comfort and most of all, distraction to Liesel. She reflects that by reading to the residents of Himmel Street during the air raids. The accordion is then seen as Hans himself for Rosa his wife, when he goes off for Essen and leaves it behind. Liesel sees Rosa wearing it every night and it’s at that moment when Liesel realizes how much Hans means to Rosa. Finally when Himmel Street is destroyed and Liesel finds herself searching through the runnel after Hans has died, she finds the accordion. The accordion is now a symbol of great loss but one that has her story along with it.

            Death first sees Liesel in white. Death uses colors to describe how he sees Liesel and when he sees her. He uses white to describe the first time he saw her. I believe white symbolizes Liesel’s purity, she hasn’t seen death, nor has she stolen a book, she’s just a child. The next color death uses is black. There is a helicopter crash and she is seen stealing her first book, at her brother’s funeral, which is gravedigger’s guide book. The last time he sees Liesel, he uses the color red. The color everyone imagines when things are about to go wrong. He describes the moment before as children’s laughter, “Then bombs.” His colors also symbolize the mood of the story at that point in time.

            The story of Liesel Meminger and her heart-breaking journey of loss and disappointment throughout the Holocaust is long and quite painful. Nevertheless it is Death narrating the story.  Throughout the story of, “The Book Thief,” by Markus Zusak, he uses symbolism to tell the story of Liesel Meminger. He uses Hans’ Accordion, and the colors Death sees when he sees Liesel throughout the Holocaust. The Book Thief, is a difficult read, the loss, the heart-break, and the intensity makes you want to curl up in a ball and cry. It makes you wonder how bad WWII really was if just reading a fictional story about it in the comfort of your own home, makes you so