The Book Thief
Introduction + Context
Plot Summary
Detailed Summary & Analysis
Prologue: Death and Chocolate Prologue: Beside the Railway Line Prologue: The Eclipse Prologue: The Flag Part 1: Arrival on Himmel Street Part 1: Growing Up a Saumensch Part 1: The Woman with the Iron Fist Part 1: The Kiss (A Childhood Decision Maker) Part 1: The Jesse Owens Incident Part 1: The Other Side of Sandpaper Part 1: The Smell of Friendship Part 1: The Heavyweight Champion of the School-Yard Part 2: A Girl Made of Darkness Part 2: The Joy of Cigarettes Part 2: The Town Walker Part 2: Dead Letters Part 2: Hitler's Birthday, 1940 Part 2: 100 Percent Pure German Sweat Part 2: The Gates of Thievery Part 2: Book of Fire Part 3: The Way Home Part 3: The Mayor's Library Part 3: Enter the Struggler Part 3: The Attributes of Summer Part 3: The Aryan Shopkeeper Part 3: The Struggler, Continued Part 3: Tricksters Part 3: The Struggler, Concluded Part 4: The Accordionist (The Secret Life of Hans Hubermann) Part 4: A Good Girl Part 4: A Short History of the Jewish Fist Fighter Part 4: The Wrath of Rosa Part 4: Liesel's Lecture Part 4: The Sleeper Part 4: The Swapping of Nightmares Part 4: Pages from the Basement Part 5: The Floating Book (Part 1) Part 5: The Gambler (A Seven-Sided Die) Part 5: Rudy's Youth Part 5: The Losers Part 5: Sketches Part 5: The Whistler and the Shoes Part 5: Three Acts of Stupidity by Rudy Steiner Part 5: The Floating Book (Part II) Part 6: Death's Diary: 1942 Part 6: The Snowman Part 6: Thirteen Presents Part 6: Fresh Air, an Old Nightmare... Part 6: Death's Diary: Cologne Part 6: The Visitor Part 6: The Schmunzeler Part 6: Death's Diary: The Parisians Part 7: Champagne and Accordions Part 7: The Trilogy Part 7: The Sound of Sirens Part 7: The Sky Stealer Part 7: Frau Holtzapfel's Offer Part 7: The Long Walk to Dachau Part 7: Peace Part 7: The Idiot and the Coat Men Part 8: Dominos and Darkness Part 8: The Thought of Rudy Naked Part 8: Punishment Part 8: The Promise Keeper's Wife Part 8: The Collector Part 8: The Bread Eaters Part 8: The Hidden Sketchbook Part 8: The Anarchist's Suit Collection Part 9: The Next Temptation Part 9: The Cardplayer Part 9: The Snows of Stalingrad Part 9: The Ageless Brother Part 9: The Accident Part 9: The Bitter Taste of Questions Part 9: One Toolbox, One Bleeder, One Bear Part 9: Homecoming Part 10: The End of the World (Part I) Part 10: The Ninety-Eighth Day Part 10: The War Maker Part 10: Way of the Words Part 10: Confessions Part 10: Ilsa Hermann's Little Black Book Part 10: The Rib-Cage Planes Part 10: The End of the World (Part II) Epilogue: Death and Liesel Epilogue: Wood in the Afternoon Epilogue: Max Epilogue: The Handover Man
Themes
All Themes Death Words and Language Books Stealing and Giving Color, Beauty, and Ugliness
Quotes
Characters
All Characters Liesel Meminger Death Hans Hubermann Max Vandenburg Rudy Steiner Ilsa Hermann Adolf Hitler
Symbols
All Symbols The Accordion Mein Kampf
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The Book Thief

by

Markus Zusak

The Book Thief: Part 9: The Bitter Taste of Questions Summary & Analysis

Death Theme Icon
Words and Language Theme Icon
Books Theme Icon
Stealing and Giving Theme Icon
Color, Beauty, and Ugliness Theme Icon
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 Theme Icon
Death
Words and Language Theme Icon
Words and Language
Books Theme Icon
Books
Stealing and Giving Theme Icon
Stealing and Giving
Color, Beauty, and Ugliness Theme Icon
Color, Beauty, and Ugliness
Summary
Analysis
In February Liesel gets a letter from Hans describing his situation, and she and Rosa are ecstatic. Liesel tells the Steiners the news and they are also pleased, but Liesel can tell Rudy wonders why Hans Hubermann got so lucky and Alex Steiner didn't.
The Hubermanns are the lucky ones at this roll of the die, and the Steiners are unlucky. Rudy must struggle to deal with this chaos, and find something to direct his frustration at.
Themes
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