What is the climax of The Book Thief?
The climax of a story is the moment of greatest emotional intensity, when we have been led to a high point through the rising action to a significant moment of suspense. In this novel, the climax comes at the end of the novel when Liesel's world is literally blown apart by a bomb raid, and all that she knows and everybody that she loves (almost) is killed:
In the space of a few minutes, all of them were gone.
A church was chopped down.
Earth was destroyed where Max Vandenburgh had stayed on his feet.
Death is shown to move around all of the people, friends and family of Liesel, claiming each one of them. However, Liesel is saved because she was in the basement of her house, and thus she is pulled out to face another day and does not meet Death ultimately at this point in the story....
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She is left to be looked after by the mayor's wife and to be reunited with Max at the end of the tale.
In The Book Thief, what events lead to the climax?
Note that there are more than three events leading to the climax of The Book Thief since many things occur in the rising action of the novel. The climax of the book occurs very near the end of the book when Himmel Street is bombed and Liesel loses all whom she loves. Some major events leading up to this are:
1. The soldiers have book-burning sessions in the streets, and Liesel watches as the books (and all knowledge) go up in flames. This is an early symbol that the people of Himmel Street will be stripped of all that they know.
2. When Hans agrees to take in Max, their home is immediately put in danger. The Hubermanns are in constant fear that someone will realize that Max is hiding in the basement and that they will be punished by the German soldiers for it.
3. The German soldiers march the Jewish prisoners through town on their way to Dachau. They are obviously starving and being led to their death. The people in town see that their own survival is equally precarious.
What is the most unforgettable part of "The Book Thief"?
In the end, this is really a question that you must answer yourself; it is a matter of personal opinion. To help guide you to the part that you found most touching, ask yourself a few questions. Was there any part of the book where you just had to keep reading, and couldn't put the book down because you needed to know what happened next? Or, was there any part of the book that made you feel a strong emotion--like sadness, or happiness? Did you laugh out loud or cry during any part of the book? Did any part make you angry or feel like you wanted to step in and make things go a different way? If you ask yourself these questions, it might lead you to an answer for yourself.
For me, the most unforgettable part of the book was near then end, when the bombs hit the city. The narrator, death, had been warning the entire time that Liesel's good friend Rudy would indeed die, but, I never really wanted it to happen. Rudy was such a great kid--I really, really liked him; I liked his honesty, his vulnerability, his love for Liesel, his patient teasing of her, the fact that he would go on adventures with her and ease her mind of its pain...all of these things really made me want Rudy to make it through and survive. But, indeed, Death did not lie, and Rudy is hit by the bombs after all. When Liesel leans over him and finally, too late, gives him that kiss that he wanted, that was an unforgettable moment for me.
Other great moments in the book to consider: When Liesel finds Max in the crowd of emaciated concentration camp prisoners, and steps out to speak to him--that is pretty unforgettable. Also, at the very end, when Max finds her again, and they collapse in relief and happy tears in each other's arms--that's a good moment. These moments, along with so many others, are what make this book so engaging and interesting. I hope that you can find one that moved you also, and relate it for your answer. Good luck!