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Part 3: The Attributes of Summer
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Book Thief, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Death
Words and Language
Books
Stealing and Giving
Color, Beauty, and Ugliness
Summary
Analysis
One day in August Rudy and Liesel find a coin on the ground, and they take it to Frau Diller's shop. She makes them heil Hitler, and then mockingly gives them one piece of candy. At first they are disappointed, but they take turns sucking on it, and that day they feel like life is wonderful.
Frau Diller is seemingly defined by her devotion to Hitler. The children don't understand the implications of this yet, but the reader does. More happiness found in little pleasures.
Themes
