ELA 9: Introduction to Literature (Foundational)—Semester A

Sample Lesson - Introduction

Lesson 4.05: Literary Décor

If it's shaped like a shark, colored like a shark, and named "The Mako Shark," then it's safe to say it has a shark motif.
(Source)

You've probably noticed by now that Death likes to make lists, like his opening description of the book:

It's just a small story really, about, among other things:

• A girl
• Some words
• An accordionist
• Some fanatical Germans
• A Jewish fist fighter
• And quite a lot of thievery

Other names for all these things? Characters, symbols, and motifs.

Look at it this way: Zusak is actually making it easy for you. Instead of making you painstakingly thumb through the pages (or scroll through the screen) to look for imagery, he lays it out: thieving is important. The accordion is key. Words matter.

Back to Basics

Let's get back to basics for a minute. You probably remember that a symbol is one thing that represents another thing, like when someone offers up a dozen red roses on Valentine's Day. Those flowers = love, right? Simple.

If, however, you're reading a book, and the author first draws your attention to a dozen red roses on the table, and then later mentions two lilac bushes outside the front door, followed still later by a patch of daisies in the yard, an azalea, several tulips, and some violets—you might begin to think there's a flower motif in play.

What's It All Mean?

Basically, a motif is just a meaningful pattern of imagery or objects. The key is that there needs to be meaning. If there is meaning behind the images, like, say, all the cut flowers mentioned in the book (roses, tulips) wither away and die while the wildflowers continue to grow and flourish, the author might be using the flowers as a motif to hint that nature's best left untouched, for example.

Of course, if you can't find any meaning, no matter how hard you try, then maybe the author spent a few summers working as a landscaper and just likes to include as many mentions of flora as possible, because why not? The great thing is that, as a literary critic, you get to argue either way. Just make sure you've got plenty of evidence to back it up.

Sample Lesson - Reading

Reading 4.4.05a: Standing By

Speaking of motifs, keep your eyes peeled for them as you read this next section, Part Four: The Standover Man:

Read the summary of the following longer chapter:

• "The Accordionist"

Then read this crucial chapter in its entirety, which describes the dynamics when Max settles into his basement lodgings:

• "A Good Girl"

Read the summary of:

• "The Short History of the Jewish Fist Fighter"

Read the following chapters about the Hubermanns' good deeds:

• "The Wrath of Rosa"
• "Liesel's Lecture"

Read the summary of:

• "The Sleeper"
• Skip "The Swapping of Nightmares"—but definitely read page 219 ("During the nights") to the end of the chapter

Then, close out Part Three by reading the final (and illustrated!) chapter:

• "Pages from the Basement"

And hey, keep 'em front and center as you tackle Part Four: The Whistler, too:

Read:

• "The Floating Book (Part I)" 
• These sections in the "The Gamblers": "The Weatherman," "The New Dream," and from page 251 ("For a long time, she sat on the steps") to 264 ("She'd be glad of it"). Read the summary of the rest of the chapter.

Read the summaries of:

• "Rudy's Youth" 
• "The Losers" 
• "Sketches"
• Skip "The Whistler and the Shoes." 
• "Three Acts of Stupidity by Rudy Steiner"

Then, close out Part Five by reading:

• "The Floating Book (Part II)"

There are three chapters you read summaries of that focus on characters and their backstories: Rudy, Hans, and Max. In your final reading for the lesson, choose one of the following chapters to read in its entirely, annotating and scribbling as you read for any major details of characterization, historical allusion, symbolism, or motif.

• "The Accordionist" (Hans characterization)
• "Three Acts of Stupidity by Rudy Steiner" (Rudy characterization)
• "The Short History of the Jewish Fist Fighter" (Max characterization)

Nice job, Shmoopers—that was a lot of reading. But this is a two-day lesson, after all. In case you forget any of it by the end of the lesson, hit the summaries section to make sure you got everything.

Sample Lesson - Reading

Reading 4.4.05b: Recap and Review

Recap

• This lesson's reading mostly focuses on the Hubermanns hiding Max, and the risks they take. After Part Four opens by establishing Hans' backstory ("he was not well-educated or political, but if nothing else, he was a man who appreciated fairness. A Jew had once saved his life and he couldn't forget that"), and that Max's father saved his life. Oh…so that's why Max ends up at Hans's place!
• But it's not just Hans who's the good German. Liesel treats Max with kindness (how cute—they even have simultaneous nightmares), and Rosa is established as being strong in times of chaos.
• These chapters also pile on the wartime hardships. Liesel and Rudy continue to steal food with their crew, and Rosa loses the mayor as her laundry client. But don't feel too bad for Rosa…Liesel gets back at the Hermanns by sneaking into their mansion with Rudy and stealing a book.
• The Book Thief adds another layer to its experimental style: it includes illustrations. Max paints pages of Mein Kampf white (blotting out Hitler's words and replacing with his own), and uses the book to create a gift for Liesel: a picture book of his life story. Check out "Pages from the Basement" if you want to check out Max's artwork again. We dig it.

Chapter Summaries

• "The Accordionist" 
• "A Good Girl" 
• "The Short History of the Jewish Fist Fighter" 
• "The Wrath of Rosa" 
• "Liesel's Lecture" 
• "The Sleeper" 
• "The Swapping of Nightmares" 
• "Pages from the Basement" 
• "The Floating Book (Part I)" 
• "The Gamblers" 
• "Rudy's Youth" 
• "The Losers" 
• "Sketches" 
• "The Whistler and the Shoes" 
• "Three Acts of Stupidity by Rudy Steiner" 
• "The Floating Book (Part II)"

Related Shmoop Videos and Guides

• Symbols in The Book Thief: Books, The Accordion
• Symbols
• Motifs
• Motifs in Reality TV Video

Sample Lesson - Activity

Activity 4.05a: How'd You Do?

Now that you've finished the lesson's XL reading, take a few moments to jot down a sentence or two for each of the comprehension questions.

Sample Lesson - Activity

Activity 4.05b: Lucky Number 13

Sample Lesson - Activity

Activity 4.05c: Motif and Meaning

Books.

Unsurprisingly, they're kind of a Big Deal in The Book Thief. Why?

Let's see:

• They're mentioned a bajillion times (or more).
• Our protagonist is pretty much obsessed with them.
• The narrative is broken up in parts that are named for specific books.
• They're burned, cherished, given as gifts, and transformed over the course of the story.
• The protagonist writes her own book, which, presumably, is the basis for the tale Death spins for us.
• Oh, you know, we're reading one?

Books seem pretty significant, and they definitely qualify as a repeated image or object. But to what end? What's it all about? What do they mean?

The List

Let's make a list of all the things books could represent. Or rather, let's make three lists, in response to each of the questions below. Answer each of the following brainstorming questions on a piece of scrap paper—no complete sentences needed.

• What might the books themselves represent?
• What about the book burnings?
• What does the act of stealing books represent?

A Quick Aside

Before we get to the big payoff here—a discussion what the book motif could mean in this novel—let's take a quick moment to revisit the difference between a symbol and a motif.

When we're talking about the books in The Book Thief—all of the books, collectively—we're looking at them as a motif. Jot down answers to these questions, too:

• Why are books so prominent in this narrative? 
• Why do they appear over and over again in different situations (being stolen, being burned, being read, being rescued, being used to help a Jew to freedom, being used to spread knowledge, being used to spread lies)?

Now the Big Payoff

What do we think the book motif is all about? We could write a lengthy essay—heck, maybe even a whole dissertation—on this one, but we'll try to keep it simple, especially since we're only working with half of the book at this point.

Instead, make a short vlog (video blog entry) about what you think the book motif is doing in The Book Thief.

Start by using your brainstorming points to create a script. You'll be talking for two minutes in your YouTube confessional-style vlog post, so try to write a script that's about 100 – 200 words.

Since this is expository and not argumentative—you don't need to convince your viewer of anything, but rather just explain your thoughts—you don't need to open with a thesis. Start with just a general topic sentence that sets up what your paragraph will explore. Try this:

Books are a major motif in Markus Zusak's The Book Thief.

Then, get into your paragraphs. Why does Zusak include it, and how does it relate to the novel's themes? Don't forget to use the lists you brainstormed at the beginning of the activity.

In your vlogs, be sure to

• reference at least two specific mentions of books in the…book.
• use at least one direct quote from the novel.

Then, submit your file below.

Sample Lesson - Activity