Paige Nelson                                                  12-12-13

Topic: Interpretations of Red in Markus Zusak's The Book Thief

The Color Red meant to EXCITE

**Excitement is interpreted through the color red in the following quotes by enthusing you and your feelings in the situations** 

“Even Schiller Strasse-the road of yellows stars-which was still awaiting its renovation, was ransacked one last time, to find something, anything, to burn in the name of the Führer’s glory.” (69 PDF)

“It would have been near impossible to keep them all together as the bonfire burned in their eyes and excited them.” (73 PDF)

“To their left, flames and burning books were cheered like heroes.” (76 PDF)

“There was new blood in him-the blood of victory-and it had the capability to both frighten and excite.” (127 PDF)

“From a Himmel Street window, he wrote, the stars set fire to my eyes.” (378)

“Together, they would watch everything that was so carefully planned collapse, and they would all smile at the beauty of destruction.” (408)

“Another noteworthy point is that the first was stolen from snow and the second from fire.” (23 PDF)

The Color Red, Showing Compassion

**In the following quotes, Compassion is shared and shown in several different ways, and they make you feel giddy, sad, and finally they show dedication of others that are compassionate for things.** 

“”Remember the Führer’s birthday-when we walked home from the fire that night? Remember what you promised me?”” (136 PDF)

“One by one they climbed into the ring and beat him down. They made him bleed. They made him suffer.” (254)

“Who else would do some painting for the price of half a cigarette? That was Papa, that was typical, and I loved him.” (354-355)

“There was paint and blood on his hands. And bread crumbs. How different from the bread of summer.” (396)

“They all shook his hand. Barbara embraced him, kissing both cheeks.” (423)

“Rudy placed the lantern on the counter and came toward her in mock-anger, and Liesel had to admit that a nervousness started gripping her.” (455)

“It was a time of bleeders and broken planes and teddy bears…” (492)

“On many occasions he was pensive about the thought of his son fighting in Stalingrad, but he hoped that some of his luck was in the boy’s blood.” (500)

“He was popular with the men for his sense of humor and practical jokes, but more so for the fact that he never followed anyone into the fire.” (119 PDF)

“From that moment on, he started to fight with greater regularity. A group of die-hard friends and enemies would gather down at a small reserve on Steber Street, and they would fight in the dying light.” (127 PDF)

“His straight-line cuts opened as he spoke, and a small drop of blood rolled crookedly down his throat.” (491)

The Color Red meant for Loss and the feeling of Defeat

**So many people were lost and there is much sorrow throughout the novel, these quotes show your anger at the innocence, the wrong, and the sorrow...just red.** 

“He was nearly two years old when his father died, shot to pieces on a grassy hill.” (126 PDF)

“The audience sank down, back to their beer. On his knees, the Führer tested himself for blood and straightened his hair, right to left.” (253)

“The yellow stars were on fire. When he made it to Frau Diller’s, he looked back one last time to number thirty-three.” (397)

“Holding up the bandaged hand, he said, ”I still can’t get it to stop bleeding.”” (468)

“The rubble just climbed higher. Concrete hills with caps of red. A beautiful, tear-stomped girl, shaking the dead.” (535)

“So much good, so much evil.” (112 PDF)

“There’s blood in the Führer’s mustache, as well as in his part line, on the right side of his head.” (257)

“A bloodstain was signed across his face. It trailed down his throat and neck.” (435)

“Far away, fires were burning and I had just picked up just over two hundred murdered souls.” (488)

The Color Red, Adrenaline

**The color red is shown through all the rushed feelings, the struggles, and just the plain urgency of everything, just a pure adrenaline rush that makes "sparks" ignite throughout your head.**

“Max stood up, like a struck match.” (125 PDF)

“A trickle of blood was dripping from Max’s mouth. He tasted it, and it tasted good.” (126 PDF)

“His arm touched the fire and he snapped it back.” (147 PDF)

“He started with push-ups, lying stomach-down on the cool basement floor, then hoisting himself up.  It felt like his arms snapped at each elbow, and he envisaged his heart seeping out of him and dropping pathetically to the ground.” (250)

“He struck another match and reignited the candle. The sweet smell of fire and carbon.” (409)

“On the ration cards of Nazi Germany, there was no listing for punishment, but everyone had to take their turn. For some it was death in a foreign country during the war.” (416)

“The voice struggled out of the flames.” (433)

“It’s bad enough when people catch me red-handed, so I made the usual decision to make my exit, into the breakfast-colored sun.”  (503)

“If you were being flippant about it, you’d say that all it took was a little bit of fire, and some human shouting to go with it.” (56 PDF)

“To burn. The Germans loved to burn things. Shops, synagogues, Reichstags, houses, personal items, slain people, and of course, books. They enjoyed a good book-burning, all right - …” (56 PDF)

“The orange flames waved at the crowd as paper and print dissolved inside them. Burning words were torn from their sentences.” (75 PDF)

“Full of blood and violence- but also full of stories that are equally difficult to fathom.” (118 PDF)

“But it was bombing carpet. Make no mistake.” (358)

The Color Red meant for Desperation

**Desperation, doing anything or wanting something so badly, you're willing to do whatever it takes. You face strains, its turning red from built up anger (for things not going good), your self dignity going down the drain from doing whatever it takes, and feeling hopeless and helpless.**

“In their separate rooms, they would dream their nightmares and wake up, one with a scream in drowning sheets, the other with a gasp for air next to a smoking fire.” (148 PDF)

“Rudy’s words were rushed together and his face was red with strain. His nose began to bleed.” (275)

“If only she could be so oblivious again, to feel such love without knowing it, mistaking it for laughter and bread with only the scent of jam spread out on top of it.” (358)

“He was wearing a white shirt with a dark red collar and he held his leg as if it was next to him.” (435)

“His hands were caked with blood and he was heaping snow onto the area just above his shins, where his legs had been chopped off by the last explosion. There were hot hands and a red scream.” (469)

“Closer to the town hall, under a light, some shadows stood and talked, most likely exulting in the success of the fire. From Liesel’s position, their voices were only sounds. Not words at all.” (80 PDF)

“Liesel’s blood had dried inside of her. It crumbled. She almost broke into pieces on the steps.” (90 PDF)

The Color Red meant for Pain

**Pain, suffering, death, and ash** 

“Why was the sky red? How could it be snowing? And why did the snowflakes burn her arms?” (533)

“Her fingers were bleeding, just like they had on her arrival here.”(534)

“There was the smell of pea soup, something burning, and confrontation.” (71 PDF)

“The word communist +a large bonfire + a collection of dead letters + the suffering of her mother + the death of her brother = the Führer.” (77 PDF)

“By the time she made it back to Papa and Wolfgang Edel, the book was starting to burn her. It seemed to be igniting.” (82 PDF)

“With the red sky still showering its beautiful ash, she stopped the tall LSE worker…” (534)

Consolidation; red

**Comfort, support, and bonding with your loved ones and others you thought you would never know. Everyone coming together for certain things.** 

“She saw her Papa in the window at school. Max often sat with her at the fire.” (439)

“The snowman made an appearance, as did a list of the thirteen presents, not to mention the records of countless nights in the basement or by the fire.” (444)

“Papa’s copy of the Molching Express  announced that there would be a celebratory fire in the town square, which would be attended by all local Hitler Youth divisions.” (69 PDF)

“Perhaps the fire didn’t burn long enough to fully reach the depth where they sat. Whatever the reason, they were huddled among the ashes, shaken. Survivors.” (81 PDF)

“One evening, Hans, Max, and Liesel were sitting in front of the fire.” (147 PDF)

The Color Red; Punishment

**Confrontation, pain, facing the consequences.** 

“Before she could answer, the wooden spoon came down on Liesel Meminger’s body like the gait of God. Red marks like footprints, and they burned.” (66 PDF)

“For Liesel, the paranoia itself became the punishment, as did the dread of delivering some washing to the mayor’s house.” (88 PDF)

“She could see the burning light on Max’s eggshell face and even taste the human flavor of his words. The course of his survival was related, piece by piece, as if he were cutting each part out of him and presenting it on a plate.” (147 PDF)

“Had Max now replaced her brother? And if so, how could she discard her own flesh and blood in such a way?” (331)

“…. Liesel Meminger was thinking that if the bombs ever landed on Himmel Street, not only did Max have less chance of survival than everyone else, but he would die completely alone.” (384)

“They watched the Jews come down the road like a catalog of colors. That wasn’t how the book thief described them, but I can tell you that that’s exactly what they were, for many of them would die.” (391)

“The Jew was whipped six times. On his back, his head, and his legs. “You filth! You Swine!” Blood dripped now from his ear.” (394)

“The blood thickened. “Why do I want to live? I shouldn’t want to, but I do.”” (487)

“The hot sky was red and turning. Pepper streaks were staring to swirl and I became curious.” (533)

“For now, he could only sit on his suitcase couch, hands under his chin, his elbows burning his thighs.” (94 PDF)

“Of course, there was also the scratchy feeling of sin.” (116 PDF)

“The fire was nothing now but a funeral of smoke, dead and dying, simultaneously. On this particular morning, there were also voices.” (148 PDF)

Discoloration

**Death tries to explain things to us that he wants us to see as the color red, when they truly aren't, these quotes are more of a unique and distruded red, Discolored.**

“Blood discolored his lips. It would soon be dried across his teeth.” (128 PDF)

“The führer pounded away at the punching-bag Jew. Jewish blood was everywhere.” (253)

“She read in the kitchen. Red and yellow gaps in the stove. The Word Shaker.” (443)

“The cherries of blood had grown into plums.” (465)