The Children of Germany

Throughout the last part of the reading, I found that Zusak made a few references to the children in Germany during the war. While learning about World War II, the blame is always on Hitler and the Nazis. But what many fail to see is that many people affected by Hitler’s power were children. As we have learned throughout Ms. Wilsey’s English class and the books we read, children are innocent and easily influenced, and never fully understand what is going on. In Germany during World War II, many children loved Hitler because that is what they were told to do by their parents, and being so naïve, that is what they did. Death says he carries souls slung over his shoulder or in his fingers, but he cradles the children in his arms. On page 337, death tells us, “The last thing I wanted was to look down at the face of my stranded teenager.” Death pities the children because they never wanted war and famine, or murder and homelessness, but were given the horrible situation of bombs being dropped on their home towns and war by the adults. Many children don’t even understand the gravity of the situation. When Cologne, the bombed German town, was in ruins and the enemy’s empty fuel containers were being dropped, the children ran around collecting the cans. Death never mentioned seeing fear or concern from any of the children, Just curiosity for the fuel containers. I my opinion, The Book Thief gives the reader a whole new perspective on many of the Nazi children in Germany that not many other books include, making us pity the situation Germans and German children are put in with the war.