Exploring language features in quotes from The Book Thief

In Marcus Zusak’s novel The Book Thief, the author speaks on the topic of the power of words, and how a historical figure such as Adolf Hitler used language to his advantage in order to drive his third reich to greater heights of inhumane power over the world. The quote “Yes the Fuhrer decided that he would rule the world with words. “I will never fire a gun, I will not have to” ” showcases Zusak’s deft use of language by using Irony. When the Fuhrer says “I will never fire a gun, I will not have to”, it makes an ironic statement that the Fuhrer did in fact fire a gun once in the war; against his own head as Soviet forces marched on his bunker in Berlin. This use of Irony shows that while Hitlers mastery of words was powerful, more powerful were the words of the Allies and their speeches of freedom, equality, and justice, as well as German citizens like Liesel who rose up against the Fuhrer in their own subtle ways throughout the war.

Another example of the power of words in The Book Thief is the quote “The injury of words. Yes the brutality of words. Cuts had opened and a series of wounds were rising to the surface of her skin” in reference to Liesel having an outburst at Frau Hermann when she cuts the laundry job. Zusak uses metpaphor, saying “Cuts had opened and a series of wounds were rising to the surface of her skin”. While words obviously can’t directly cause physical damage (excluding their effects), this quote is giving a visual image of what the emotions invoked from harsh words are like. This metaphor shows the reader what the power of Liesels words have over Frau Hermann as she changes from the illiterate girl into a master of language herself. This is also a telltale sign of the magical realism nature of the Novel, giving a fantastical feature of physical brutality to the non-physical concept of words.