What quote from The Book Thief describes the setting?
The chapter titled "Arrival on Himmel Street" actually has various quotes that lead us to deduct a good sense of setting:
The book thief and her brother were traveling down toward Munich, where they would soon be given over to foster parents We now know, of course, that the boy didn't make it.
This quote places the setting in Germany, though most of the action won't be in Munich but in the fictional town of Molching.
Just as the Fuhrer was about to reply, she woke up.
It was January 1939. She was nine years old, soon to be ten.
Her brother was dead.
This additional section places the protagonist right in the center of Adolf Hitler's infamous reign of terror. Being located in Germany during this time period creates an ominous setting, reinforced by her brother's death so early in the novel.
Snow had been falling consistently, and the...
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service to Munich was forced to stop due to faulty track work. There was a woman wailing. A girl stood numbly next to her.
We are already aware that it is January, but the cruelty of winter is vivid in this section of text. The reader is reminded through the setting yet again of the cold, hopeless mood that envelopes Liesel's world.
Beyond the outskirts of Munich, there was a town called Molching ... That's where they were taking her, to a street by the name of Himmel.
This places Liesel at the place where most of the action will occur as she arrives to stay with the Hubermanns.
Together, these sections of text provide an accurate context of the cold and ominous setting which sets the tone for the events that will follow.
Liesel is sent to live with foster parents because her mother cannot afford to keep her. Her mother is also very sick and couldn't afford to take care of herself. Like many during those hard times in Europe, they found foster parents to take in their kids until they could get back on their feet. Both Liesel and her brother were to go to the new foster parents, but her brother died on the train ride there. Liesel soon meets Hans and Rosa Hubermann who live on Himmel Street in Molching, Germany. The description of the street where Liesel plays out a few years of her childhood is as follows:
"The buildings appear to be glued together, mostly small houses and apartment blocks that look nervous. There is murky snow spread out like carpet. There is concrete, empty hat-stand trees, and gray air" (27).
A few pages later, a more detailed description of Liesel's new home is described as a small house with only a few rooms. They were lucky to have their own kitchen, but they had to share an outhouse with a few other neighbors. They also had a basement which would become a home for Max, a Jew in hiding. The basement, however, was not the "adequate depth" for hiding during an air raid in 1942 and 1943.
What is the setting of The Book Thief?
The setting for The Book Thief is a sad, bleak neighborhood on Himmel Street. Himmel Street is located in the fictional town of Molching, Germany. According to the novel Molching was located close to Munich, Germany. The story starts in 1939 at the beginning of World War II and the story continues on into the war years. Nine-year-old Liesel Meminger lives in the deserted neighborhood. All of the Jewish people are gone and their stores, homes, and neighborhoods have been burned to the ground. The Hubermans are suffering and struggling to make ends meet. Rosa does laundry and Hans is a painter.
“The story is set in Germany during World War II. Liesel's father was taken away because of suspicions that he was a communist. At the beginning of the story, Liesel is on a train with her mother and brother; during the journey, Liesel's little brother dies.”