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Definition of Allegory
An allegory is a work that conveys a hidden meaning—usually moral, spiritual, or political—through the use of symbolic characters and events. The story of "The Tortoise and The Hare" is... read full definition
An allegory is a work that conveys a hidden meaning—usually moral, spiritual, or political—through the use of symbolic characters and events. The story of "The... read full definition
An allegory is a work that conveys a hidden meaning—usually moral, spiritual, or political—through the use of symbolic characters and... read full definition
Part 2: The Joy of Cigarettes
Explanation and Analysis—Someone Else:
In Part 2: The Joy of Cigarettes, Liesel learns that life at school is easier if she complies with Sister Maria's rules, even when she disagrees with them. Her compliance is an allegorical representation of the individualist way many characters in the novel try to survive Hitler's authoritarian regime:
In class, she did not speak.
She didn’t so much as look the wrong way.
As winter set in, she was no longer a victim of Sister Maria’s frustrations, preferring to watch as others were marched out to the corridor and given their just rewards. The sound of another student struggling in the hallway was not particularly enjoyable, but the fact that it was someone else was, if not a true comfort, a relief.
Liesel has endured enough of Sister Maria's abuse that she prefers to keep her head down and let others be targeted. She does not believe that anyone deserves to be beaten in the hallway. She still thinks she and the rest of the children should be freer to speak their minds. Despite these beliefs, she comes to feel "if not a true comfort, a relief" when she sees others on their way to be beaten. It feels good to see abuse directed at other children because it is a reminder that she is currently safe from abuse. Sister Maria's authoritarian abuse thus warps Liesel's psychology until her feelings are at odds with her true beliefs.
The power dynamics at play in this passage represent the broader power dynamics at play in Nazi Germany. Most of the characters on Himmel Street, for instance, are well-meaning. However, under authoritarian rule, they learn quickly that it is safer to comply with unjust laws than to speak up about them. Like Liesel, they come to believe that the persecution of others keeps them safe. Throughout the novel, it becomes less and less true that one group's oppression means everyone else is free. Eventually, the Himmel Street bombing demonstrates that authoritarian rules eventually endanger everyone's freedom and safety.
Part 6: Fresh Air, an Old Nightmare, and what to do with a Jewish Corpse
Explanation and Analysis—Christ Crucified:
In Part 6: Fresh Air, an Old Nightmare, and What to Do with a Jewish Corpse, Liesel's recurring nightmare about her brother begins to feature the ill and unconscious Max. Liesel's anxiety about the dream's meaning leads into a passage that highlights Max's illness as a religious allegory:
Perhaps it was even a deep-seated wish for Max to die. After all, if it was good enough for Werner, her brother, it was good enough for this Jew.
“Is that what you think?” she whispered, standing above the bed. “No.” She could not believe it. Her answer was sustained as the numbness of the dark waned and outlined the various shapes, big and small, on the bedside table. The presents.
“Wake up,” she said.
Max did not wake up.
For eight more days.
Liesel and other Germans often swear by saying, "Christ crucified." It is a curse that subtly emphasizes their belonging to dominant Christian culture, as opposed to Judaism. Although he is Jewish, Max's long illness and recovery bear similarities to Christ's crucifixion and resurrection in the Bible. The Hubermanns are terrified and practically resigned to the idea that Max will never wake up. Like Jesus's followers after his execution, they believe they will have to deal with his death. Miraculously, he does wake up. Similar to how Christ's resurrection cements his followers' faith in him, Max's recovery reinforces Liesel and the Hubermanns' sense that they have been right to put their all into keeping him alive. "Christ crucified" may be a curse that reinforces the separation of Christians and Jews, but Max's "crucifixion" and "resurrection" strengthen their loyalty to one another. It is a reminder that the resurrection story has roots in both Christianity and Judaism.
In fact, Max's Judaism is central to his "resurrection" story. After Liesel's nightmare, she questions her faith in and loyalty to Max. She has been told that Jewish lives are less worthy than others, and she wonders if she believes this idea. In this passage, she doubles down on her love for Max and her faith that she can and must keep him alive by bringing him small gifts. While Christ's resurrection takes three days, Death specifies that Max remains unconscious for eight days after Liesel finds this faith in the dark. The eight days evoke Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights. Hanukkah commemorates Jewish rebels' reclamation of their Holy Temple in Jerusalem in the second century BCE. As the story goes, the rebels could only find one night's worth of menorah oil left uncontaminated by their oppressors. Miraculously, the tiny bit of oil kept the menorah lit for the eight nights it took to ritually prepare more. Many people celebrate Hanukkah with eight nights of gifts, lighting a new candle each night to symbolize the hope and faith that the Jewish people will always survive persecution. Liesel's gifts to Max represent the ethos of hope and faith she has learned from him. She chooses this ethos over the fear, hatred, and despair Nazi Germany tries to instill in her.
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