Rudy's Mistake

Rudy Steiner was in trouble. It is ironic because for once he was in trouble for doing something right, instead of doing something wrong. Two men in suits had arrived, men from the Gestapo, Hitler's presonal police. They came for Rudy Steiner. Rudy had proven that he was smart, intelligent, and happened to be a good athlete. He unfortunately proved this skill to the wrong people. The Gestapo wanted him now, for a special school where they trained young German men to be the perfect soldiers fighting for Hitler's cause. The soldiers try to pass off the school as a perfect establishment, that Rudy will not be subjected to harsh conditions with commanding officers screaming in his face every minute of every day. Alex Steiner, Rudy's father, obviously thinks differently because he refuses to let the soldiers take Rudy. Rudy had listened to bits and pieces of the conversation, silently cursing to himself for doing well at the carnival. "Not to mention his athletic ability.'Damn it, why did he have to win all those races at the carnival?" (Zusak, 408). I have to agree with Alex Steiner on not subjecting any child or relative of mine to the atrocities they would have seen if they had gone to the school. The Nazi's were known for attempting strange experiments on Jewish prisoners to try and create a formula for a German supersoldier. I myself have never been in a situation where I have had to stand up for myself and then been published. I know that many people in history, many of them famous for it, that have stood up for what they believe, the most notable to me are Martin Luther King Jr, and Nelson Mandela.

Works Cited
Zusak,Markus. The Book Thief. New York, NY. Alfred A. Knoph. 2005.Print.

The Raid

An air raid was the single greatest fear for the average German citizen, other than being sent into the war. Liesel and her family react to the threat the same as everyone else. Hans spent a small amount of money to buy a radio. "This way, he said, we can hear when the raids are coming even before the sirens start. They make a cuckoo sound and then announce the regions at risk." (Zusak, 371). The first air raid on the Molching region was in September, 1942. The Hubermanns had discussed weeks before that Max would stay in their basement, while Hans, Rosa, and Liesel go to the Fiedler's basement. Hans felt it was not right to leave Max in danger, but Max, in true recognition of his situation, convinces them to go. The Hubermann family makes their way to the Fiedler's house, where the rest of Himmel street had converged making their way down into the small basement. (Zusak,153). Death's presence was felt that night, each person knowing that the next moment could be their last. Nobody was taken, but they knew he was there. In the moments before the sirens ring to signal the end of the raid, the people of Himmel street form a living circle of prayer, each person hoping to survive that night. Meanwhile, Max did something very dangerous, which threatened not only his safety, but the safety of the Hubermann's. "I...' He struggled to answer. 'When everything was quiet, I went up to the coridor and the curtain in the living room was open just a crack...I could see outside. I watched, only for a few seconds."           (Zusak, 377).
I have been treated unfairly a few times, but the one time that sticks out to me the most was back in eighth grade. I was in a group in science class, we were given a project on an element. I ended up doing all the work, we got an A on the project, but my two group members got the same grade as I did.

Works Cited
Zusak,Markus. The Book Thief. New York City, NY. Alfred A Knoph. 2005.Print.

Death in Overtime

Many people would say that war is Death's best friend. Death would disagree, however, saying that war only brings a slew of back breaking jobs, especially the concentration camps of World War II. " 'I'll never forget the first day in Auschwitz, the first time in Mauthausen. At that second place as time wore on, I also picked them up from the bottom of the great cliff,when their escapes fell awfully awry." (Zusak, 349). The concentration camps were where the majority of the six million Jews who died were killed. The Jews chosen that day were told to strip, thinking they were going for a shower, would file into a dark room. The door would suddenly slam shut behind them, and the gas would come pouring in. Everyone would die, including the women and children. Death describes the sky as the color of Jews because of all the souls floating around, waiting to be taken to the afterlife. He even goes into specifics describing a group of French Jews who were sent to the gas chamber. "On Jun 23, 1942, there was a group of French Jews in a German prison on Polish soil. The first person I took was close to the door, his mind racing, then reduced to pacing, then slowing down, slowing down..."(Zusak, 350). Death goes into the specific details of how they die, describing the man slowly sucumbing to the cynanide gas' deadly embrace (Zusak, 220). Death believed he was doing the Jews a favor, by taking them into his wide embrace, freeing them from their pain and hardships. Dying in the concentration camps was probably preferable to living in the work camps, living under the reality of starvation and torture. Death was actually being kind to them by freeing them in the only way he knew how to.

Works Cited
Zusak,Markus. The Book Thief. New York City, NY Alfred A. Knoph. 2005.Print.