Violence In John Steinbeck's The Book Thief

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In The Pearl, Steinbeck shows that when Kino’s riches are achieved, his family becomes unsafe due to the envy and violence of surrounding people. When Kino finds the pearl he is overjoyed by all of the things that he will be able to supply to his family. But later someone tries to break into his home and to it, and Kino sinks his knife into the intruder. After the altercation, his wife waits for Kino to fall asleep and takes the pearl. Kino sets out and finds his wife about to cast the pearl back into the lake, but he stops her. As Kino prevents her from throwing the pearl away Juana says “I am afraid; a man can be killed. Let us throw the pearl back into the sea” (Steinbeck 16). She realises that the pearl will bring violence. Trackers then …show more content…
Liesel has been convinced that Hitler is a magnificent person and that he would help better the country.While Liesel is dreaming she listens to Hitler speak. ” She is listening contentedly to the torrent of words spitting from his mouth. His sentences glowed the light. In a quieter moment, he actually crouched down and smiled at her” (Zusak 20). Hitler made Liesel feel safe and comfortable by using his words. Even though Liesel is at a loss for words and cannot read she understands that there is a great power inside of the words that people speak, and that is why she becomes the book thief. Liesel visits the library with her father and it is one of the greatest places she has ever seen. The books she reads provide comfort to not only herself but also the people around her while the air raids take place. She realizes that words also bring violence like the words the Fuhrer uses. These words are used to make the German people carry out horrific acts and Liesel realizes that “Without words the Fuhrer is nothing. There would be no limping prisoners no need for consolation or wordy tricks to make us feel better” (Zusak 521). And without his words her brother and mother would not have been taken away. Liesel realizes now that words can comfort, but they can also manipulate people into carrying out acts they normally would not