Carr,1

LaurenCarr
Mrs.Rutan
APLiteratureandComposition
29September2015

FindingTrueMeanings
Literatureismorethanjustwordswrittenonapageitiswhatisbetweenthelinesthat
revealthemorecomplexmeaning.Witheverymeaningincorporatedinapieceofliterature
comesasetofinterpretationsfromavarietyofreaders,andalmosteveryreaderhasadifferent
interpretationofliterature.ThatiswhereThomasC.Fostersbook
HowtoReadLiterature
LikeaProfessor
willhelpreadersimprovetheiranalyticalskillsandgetabetterunderstanding
ofthepieceofliteraturethroughthetheoriesheprovides.SeveralofFosterstheoriescanbe
appliedtoMarkusZusaksbestsellingbook,
TheBookThief
,whereagirlsdesireforstealing
booksleadstotroublingsituations.

ItwasinFostersfirstchapter,
EveryTripIsaQuest(ExceptWhenItsNot)
,thatreaders
sawLieselMemingerZusaksprotagonistcomeintotheroleofaquester.LieselMeminger,
ayoung,Russiangirl,wassenttolivewiththeHubermannsinMunich,GermanyduringWorld
WarIIwhereshedevelopedafascinationforreadingbooks.AccordingtoFoster,aquest
consistsoffivethings:(a)aquester,(b)aplacetogo,(c)astatedreasontogothere,(d)
challengesandtrialsenroute,and(e)arealreasontogothere(Foster,3).LieselfitsFosters
theoryofaquesterbybeingyoung,inexperienced,[and]immature(Foster,3)sincesheisonly
nineyearsold(Zusak,21)andshehasntfullydevelopedtheunderstandingofrightfrom

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wrongasshowninheractionsofstealingbooks.ThereasontogotoHimmelStreetandsteal
booksdidntbecomecleartoreadersuntilLieselandherfosterfatherHansHubermann
developedarelationshipfromhimteachingherhowtoread.AsLieselbecamebetteratreading,
shecravedforknowledgeandadventurethatbooksbroughtthatsherreasonforgoingaround
HimmelStreetandstealingbooks.Withthenewfascinationofsearchingforbooks,Lieselwas
leaddownatroublingroadthatrequiredhelpfromotherssuchasRudyandthemayorswife
andthatcouldhaveleadtoconsequencesofgettingcaughtwhichwereherchallengesonthe
quest.ItwasntuntilHimmelStreetwasbombedandtookthelivesofLieselsfosterfamilyand
friendthatshediscoveredtherealreasonshewassenttoHimmelStreetwhichisthethe
relationshipsthatshedevelopedwiththepeoplearoundher.Fosterstatesthattherealreasonfor
aquestisalwaysselfknowledge(Foster,3)andLiesellearnedthatthereisnosetamountof
booksthatcouldcomparetotherelationshipsshehad.TheuseofFosterstheoryofquesthelps
readersbreakdownandanalyze
TheBookThief
tounderstandmeaningsbehindthejourney
Lieseltook.

InFosterssecondchapter,
NicetoEatwithYou:ActsofCommunion
,hemakesan
argumentthatmealshaveamorecomplexmeaningespeciallywhenitcomestocharactersand
theirrelationshipswitheachother.Fosterstatesthatwheneverpeopleeatordrinktogether,its
acommunion(Foster8)thereforethereisareasonwhythosepeoplejoinedtogethertohavea
meal.Readersseethistheoryin
TheBookThief
whenRosaHubermannofferspeasouptoMax
VandenburgwhenhefirstarrivesattheHubermannsdoorstep(Zusak,197).Themeaning
behindthecommunionwasRosawasacceptingMaxintoherhomeandshowedhowHansand

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sheweredifferentfromthefollowersofHitler.TheuseofacommunionhelpedshowwhoRosa
Hubermannisbesideherdirtymouthandharshreactionstowardssituations.
LieselMemingersfosterfatherHansHubermannisauniquecharacterthatstandsoutamong
theresidentsofHimmelStreet.HansHubermanninsomewayshascharacteristicsthatsuggest
heisaChristfigure.Inchapterfourteen,
Yes,ShesaChristFigure,Too
,ofFostersbook,he
discusseshowcharacterscanhavesomeofthefeaturesthatmakeChristwhoheis(Foster,
119).HefurtherexplainsthatacharacterdoesnthavetohaveallthetraitsthatChristhad,butif
acharacterhadsimilartraitsthentheywouldbeaChristfigure.Hanscanbeconsidereda
Christfigurebecauseheis
3)Selfsacrificing
4)Goodwithchildren
8)Knowntousehumblemodesoftransportation,[suchas]feet(Foster,121)
ReaderscanseethatHanscarriedthetraitofselfsacrificingwhenhegaveaJew,whowas
walkingtoaconcentrationcamp,apieceofbreadandthengotbeatenbyaNazisoldierforthat
crime.HeisalsogoodwithchildrenespeciallywhenitcomestoLieselMeminger.Readerscan
seethatwhenHanswastheonlyonetopersuadehertogetoutofthecarwhenshefirstarrived
onHimmelStreet(Zusak,28).ThelasttraitthatconsidersHansaChristfiguremaynotcross
everyreader'sminds,butHansuseshumblemodesoftransportation(Foster,121)whenhe
goestoworkandtravelsaroundHimmelStreetbywalking.BeingaChristfigurehelpsshow
whattypeofcharactertheauthorcreatedandinthiscaseHansistheoddoneoutofeveryone.

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Inchaptereighteen,
IfSheComesUp,ItsBaptism
,inFostersbook,hebringsupthe
theoryofdeathandrebirththroughthemediumofwater(Foster,155).Histheoryisshownin
TheBookThief
whenRudySteinerjumpedintherivertosaveLieselsbook.EventhoughRudy
didntliterallydiefromjumpingintheriver,hewasrebornwhenhecameout.Theactof
submergingofwaterrepresentedasachangeinhimandhowheactedtowardsLieselfromthat
pointon.HenolongeraskedforakissfromLieselanddidn'ttrytoberomantictowardsher.The
theoryofdeathandrebirthgivesastoryorcharactermoremeaningeveninthiscasewithRudy
andLieselsrelationship.

ManyofFosterstheoriescanbefoundinmanypiecesofliteratureincluding
TheBook
Thief
.EventhoughsomeofFosterstheoriesmaynotbeobviouslikedeathandrebirthofRudy,
othersareeasytospotonceareaderlearnsandidentifiesthem.Withtheuseofthetheories
The
BookThief
andotherliteraturearerevealedtohavedeepermeaningsbehindthecharactersand
plot.

WorksCited
Zusak,Markus.
TheBookThief
.NewYork:AlfredA.Knopf,2006.Print.
Foster,ThomasC.
HowtoReadLiteratureLikeaProfessor:ALivelyandEntertainingGuideto
ReadingbetweentheLines
.NewYork:Quill,2003.Print.