The Book Thief by Markus Zusak takes place in Nazi Germany during World War II. Narrated by Death, the novel has as its protagonist Liesel Meminger, a young girl who grows up in a foster family where Jews are not considered bad, breaking with the attitudes of the rest of Nazi Germany. Max, a Jew living in the Hubermann's cellar, carries the guilt on his shoulders as much as anyone else. He left his family, endangered one man's life, and endangered an entire family by living in their basement. Nazi Germany makes Max feel this way, persecuting Jews and threatening anyone who shows compassion towards the Jewish religion; Naturally, guilt is a burden that weighs on the shoulders of many characters in The Book Thief. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay In The Book Thief, Max is the character who carries the most guilt. When a Nazi soldier knocks on Max's family's door, his mother finds a way to let him escape, but only Max can go, and he decides to leave: "If only he had turned to his family for one last time when leaving the house. apartment. Maybe the guilt wouldn't have been so heavy. No final goodbye” (193). Max feels selfish and cruel, escaping the arms of the Führer and going to live a new life while his family is tortured and killed. He also feels guilty for endangering the life of a dear friend, Walter Kugler, who helped Max find a family to live with. When Max arrives at 33 rue Himmel and Rosa and Hans take care of him, Max says: "'Better than nothing,' Max assured him, 'Better than I deserve - thank you'" (208). Max feels guilty because he knows he is putting the Hubermanns in great danger by living in their basement The Hubermanns barely have enough to eat with three people, so Max also feels guilty for taking what little food they have. Max, living in a cruel Nazi Germany, carries the guilt of a position in which almost all his decisions will hurt or affect anyone around him. Nazi Germany, suppressed by the iron fist of the Führer, becomes so horrible for them. Jews and her citizens are all unhappy because of the circumstances of this place Death describes the weight of survivor's guilt: "To live was to live. The price to pay was guilt and shame" (208). ).Such a cruel society regularly forces Max to understand that he doesn't deserve the most basic things that people take for granted and that he should feel guilty for having them. The Hubermanns also struggle with shame because society constantly tells them that they should feel guilty and ashamed for doing the right thing. When Michael feels guilty about leaving the war alive, he tells Rosa Hubermann, "Why do I want to live?" I shouldn’t want to, but I do” (487). He feels abandoned for not staying with his mother during the air raid, thus feeling guilty for putting himself before his mother. Michael Holtzapfel has experienced the death of his brother and the corpses and mutilations of war, and yet he still wants to live, hating himself for it. In Germany during World War II, whether you were Jewish or one of Hitler's most loyal supporters, Nazi Germany was so cruel that it made people feel guilty for having the desire to live. Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf inspires the lives of many hateful people. -filled individuals but also saved the life of Max Vandenburg. On the way to the Hubermann house, he receives a book from his savior: “In the middle of the month of.