The Book Thief Courage
By Markus Zusak
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Courage
(Click the themes infographic to download.)
The characters in The Book Thief exhibit great courage in the face of great adversity. It takes courage for the Hubermanns to take in Max Vandenburg, a young Jewish man. It takes extreme courage for Max to make the trip to their home in the first place, and even to trust them.
As the characters grow and change, courage becomes a bigger and bigger factor in their lives. In fact, it becomes a life-sustaining attribute and a testament to their positive humanity. The courage to resist unjust laws and practices and to display their resistance publicly, even in small ways, makes these characters an inspiration to many readers.

Questions About Courage
- Who's the most courageous character and why? Who is the least courageous character?
- What gives Max courage?
- What are some courageous moments in the novel?
- What is your most courageous moment? What would you like it to be? Do you know, or have you heard of anyone you thought was particularly courageous? Can you connect that with The Book Thief?
Chew on This
Rudy's teddy bear is a symbol of his courage.
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- Introduction
-
Summary
- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5
- Chapter 6
- Chapter 7
- Chapter 8
- Chapter 9
- Chapter 10
- Chapter 11
- Chapter 12
- Chapter 13
- Chapter 14
- Chapter 15
- Chapter 16
- Chapter 17
- Chapter 18
- Chapter 19
- Chapter 20
- Chapter 21
- Chapter 22
- Chapter 23
- Chapter 24
- Chapter 25
- Chapter 26
- Chapter 27
- Chapter 28
- Chapter 29
- Chapter 30
- Chapter 31
- Chapter 32
- Chapter 33
- Chapter 34
- Chapter 35
- Chapter 36
- Chapter 37
- Chapter 38
- Chapter 39
- Chapter 40
- Chapter 41
- Chapter 42
- Chapter 43
- Chapter 44
- Chapter 45
- Chapter 46
- Chapter 47
- Chapter 48
- Chapter 49
- Chapter 50
- Chapter 51
- Chapter 52
- Chapter 53
- Chapter 54
- Chapter 55
- Chapter 56
- Chapter 57
- Chapter 58
- Chapter 59
- Chapter 60
- Chapter 61
- Chapter 62
- Chapter 63
- Chapter 64
- Chapter 65
- Chapter 66
- Chapter 67
- Chapter 68
- Chapter 69
- Chapter 70
- Chapter 71
- Chapter 72
- Chapter 73
- Chapter 74
- Chapter 75
- Chapter 76
- Chapter 77
- Chapter 78
- Chapter 79
- Chapter 80
- Chapter 81
- Chapter 82
- Chapter 83
- Chapter 84
- Chapter 85
- Chapter 86
- Chapter 87
- Chapter 88
- Themes
-
Characters
- Liesel Meminger
- Rudy Steiner
- Max Vandenburg
- Hans Hubermann
- Rosa Hubermann
- Death
- Frau Ilsa Hermann
- Werner Meminger
- Paula Meminger
- Liesel's Father
- Erik Vandenburg
- Max's Mother
- Walter Kugler
- Max's Uncle, Aunt Ruth, and Cousins
- Hans Hubermann Junior
- Trudy Hubermann
- Alex Steiner
- Barbara Steiner
- The Steiner Kids
- Tommy Müller
- Frau Holtzapfel
- Michael Holtzapfel
- Robert Holtzapfel
- Arthur Berg
- Victor Chemell
- Frau Diller
- Franz Deutscher
- Reinhold Zucker
- Ludwig Schmeikl
- Frau Hienrich
- Heinz Hermann
- Johann Hermann
- Analysis
- Quotes
- Premium