Part Two
Quotations
"Liesels letter from Rudy went like this:
Dear Saumensch,
Are you still as useless at soccer as you were the last time we
played? I hope so. That means I can run past you again just like
Jesse Owens at the Olympics. . . .
- When Sister Maria found it, she asked him a question, very amiably.
***SISTER MARIAS OFFER***
"Do you feel like visiting the corridor, Mr. Steiner?"
Needless to say, Rudy answered in the negative, and the paper was torn up and he started again. The second attempt was written to someone named Liesel and inquired as to what her hobbies might be." -- Death, Part Two (94)
"There was a pulse and yellow light, all together. Her eyes blinked. "I mailed my letters." -- Death and Liesel, Part Two (99)
...
"The red marks grew larger, in patches on her skin, as she lay there, in the dust and the dirt and the dim light. Her breathing calmed, and a stray yellow tear trickled down her face. She could feel herself against the floor. A forearm, a knee. An elbow. A cheek. A calf muscle.
The floor was cold, especially against her cheek, but she was unable to move.
She would never see her mother again." -- Death, Part Two (99)
...
"When she wrote about that night, she held no animosity toward Rosa Hubermann at all, or toward her mother for that matter. To her, they were only victims of circumstance. The only thought that continually recurred was the yellow tear." Had it been dark, she realized, that tear would have been black.
But it was dark, she told herself.
NO matter how many times she tried to imagine that scene with the yellow light that she knew had been there, she had to strugggle to visualize it. She was beaten in the dark, and she had remained there, on a cold, dark kitchen floor. Even Papa's music was the color of darkness." -- Death, Part Two (99-100)
Colors, colors, colors. Who would think such a dark-seeming thing/character like Death would be so into colors? The primary color he is talking about here is yellow even if they're not actually yellow. He is actually using the colors to symbolize the Star of David, and furthermore saying that Liesel's mother was a Jew.
...
"The red marks grew larger, in patches on her skin, as she lay there, in the dust and the dirt and the dim light. Her breathing calmed, and a stray yellow tear trickled down her face. She could feel herself against the floor. A forearm, a knee. An elbow. A cheek. A calf muscle.
The floor was cold, especially against her cheek, but she was unable to move.
She would never see her mother again." -- Death, Part Two (99)
...
"When she wrote about that night, she held no animosity toward Rosa Hubermann at all, or toward her mother for that matter. To her, they were only victims of circumstance. The only thought that continually recurred was the yellow tear." Had it been dark, she realized, that tear would have been black.
But it was dark, she told herself.
NO matter how many times she tried to imagine that scene with the yellow light that she knew had been there, she had to strugggle to visualize it. She was beaten in the dark, and she had remained there, on a cold, dark kitchen floor. Even Papa's music was the color of darkness." -- Death, Part Two (99-100)
Colors, colors, colors. Who would think such a dark-seeming thing/character like Death would be so into colors? The primary color he is talking about here is yellow even if they're not actually yellow. He is actually using the colors to symbolize the Star of David, and furthermore saying that Liesel's mother was a Jew.
"Hans Junior had theeyes of his father and the height. The silver in his eyes, however, wasn't warm, like Papa's-they'd been Führered. There was more flesh on his bones, too, and he had prickly blond hair and skin like off-white paint."--Death, Part Two (103)
This quote is referencing the Hitler Youth through "Führered," saying that Hans Junior was a Hitler youth.
This quote is referencing the Hitler Youth through "Führered," saying that Hans Junior was a Hitler youth.
Images
This Star of David helps me picture what Death is referring to when he talks about yellow and what the Jewish street looks like.
This picture reminds me of the book burning that Liesel attends.
Connections and Historical Context
- Nazi Book Burnings
- Information About Sacred Jewish Items
- Information About Nazi Police and Intimidation
This song makes me laugh and think about Hitler's speeches.
My Questions
- Why does Hans continue to stay with Rosa despite her obnoxiousness?
- Why does Death like colors so much?
- Does The Grave Digger’s Handbook somehow represent Liesel’s brother, Werner, to her?
- Why does Hans try to join the Nazi party when he disagrees with it?
My Thoughts and Response
I found Part Two very entertaining and sped through it. I enjoyed reading about the book burning and watching how Liesel's character develops through such a short time period. I also love it how Zusak switches back between German and English. It shows the area and culture they lived in and also paints a picture with the sound of the words.