In works of great literature, scenes of violence often play a leading role. However, these scenes of violence do not exist for their own sake, but rather add value and depth to the story being told. The Book Thief, written by Markus Zusak, is no exception to this statement. Throughout the story, there are many scenes of violence, and all of them add meaning and power to Zusak's writing. In this particular story, the acts of violence show how a cruel, Nazi, fascist society reacts to acts of human kindness; they also show the power of words and, finally, show how survivors of tragedies deal with their guilt. The violent scenes in The Book Thief help to highlight themes of human kindness, the power of words, and survivor's guilt. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay. An example of a violent scene in history occurs when the Nazis first march a line of Jews down the street in Munich. “Their eyes were huge in their hungry skulls. And the dirt. The dirt was molded to them. Their legs wobbled when they were pushed by the hands of the soldiers..." (Zusak, 391-92). The parade of these human beings, treated like animals, is certainly a scene of unimaginable violence. However, due to this violence, Hans Hubermann's thoughts towards the Nazis are manifested through his kind actions. “The Jew stood before him, expecting another handful of derision, but he watched with everyone as Hans Hubermann reached out to him and presented him with a piece of bread, as if by magic” (Zusak, 394). When he gives a piece of bread to one of the Jews, his compassion and care for humans, regardless of their ethnic or religious background, is shown. This scene of violence shows the theme that even in the darkest of times, human compassion for one another still exists. Another example of how a scene of violence affected the meaning of the story is the death of Liesel's brother on the train at the beginning of the story. “Liesel Meminger could see without doubt that her little brother Werner was now sideways and dead. His blue eyes stared at the ground. See nothing” (Zusak, 20 years old). Although her brother's death is a brief scene of violence, since he died from coughing on a train, it sets off a chain of events that benefit Liesel's life and affect the meaning of the story. Since Werner's death, Liesel has had to stop before arriving at his foster home to bury him. It is at this stop that she picks up the Grave Digger's Manual and steals her first book. This book later becomes the glue that binds Liesel and Hans together and helps Liesel learn more and more about books and words. She then realizes the power of words and the damage they can do. “The words. Why did they have to exist?... Without words, the Führer was nothing. There would be no lame prisoner, no need for consolation or worldly tricks to make us feel better” (Zusak, 521). All of these events, which began with Werner's violent death, contributed to the book's theme of the power of language. Another violent scene occurs when Michael Holtzapfel survives the Battle of Stalingrad, but his brother Robert dies. Michael is so guilty about surviving that he commits suicide. “Michael Holtzapfel knew what he was doing. He committed suicide because he wanted to live” (Zusak, 503). This violent act of someone committing suicide highlights the theme of abandonment and guilt of.