The Book Thief

We’ve already discussed Max’s Standover Man to some extent in class, but I want to reiterate some of the points in the blog for anyone who might be crazy enough to read is (besides the professor and my mom). The fact that he paints over the pages of Mein Kampf to insert his own words and pictures is largely symbolic of Max trying to blot out the influence that Hitler has over his life. Although, there are certain places on the pages where the reader can see the original text through the white “paint.” This represents the fact that Hitler’s influence will always be present as a stain on Max’s life, no matter how much he may want to try and cover it up.

It has also been discussed in our class how books are like the body and the content is like the soul. The thirteen pages of Max’s story is, metaphorically, his body and his soul in a form that will exist even after his real body weakens and passes on. His fears and comforts are expressed on the pages in a way only he can express.

In the first few pages, he talks about a “standover man/men,” who clearly has some power over him every time they are mentioned. The father is a figure that watches over him at night, but not enough information is given since Max knew very little about his father. The boys who Max fought and lost to stand over him, lauding the power of the victory, though sometimes they had scars from the fight, wuch as the bloody noses. The other standover men appear to be more friendly and people who Max are trying to meet, although it can be said that they have power over his intentions and his desires at that point.

Then a female becomes the standover figure, someone whom we can assume is supposed to be Liesel because of their relationship up to this point in the novel. The female figure has a more nurturing role then the standover men, although she still has a position of power and influence. Her influence is drawing information out of Max, such as asking him what his dreams are made of and, in return, she offers him information and feelings never offered to him by the other figures. The last lines are like this, “On her birthday, it was she who gave a gift-to me. It makes me understand that the best standover man I’ve ever known is not a man at all…” (235) That page is followed by a page depicting Liesel sitting on the floor of the basement with writing on the wall. I think that is supposed to symbolize the environment where they got to know each other the best. The writing on the wall is that space where Max can see all of Liesel’s past writing exploits.

Later on, a couple more pages from Max’s book are revealed, one showing Hitler as a conductor rather than a Fuhrer and then two people standing on a heap of bodies while the Swastika shines in the sun. The conductor is probably portraying the fact that Hitler is leading a huge group of people in a show of fealty and he’s leading them to precincts that have already been defined by the Aryan people. The second page with the pile of bodies is (very) darkly humorous, showing how heartless the united Germans could be if they allied themselves with the Nazi Party.