Tuesday 12 June 2012

MACBETH BECOMES KING

http://www.bitstripsforschools.com/classroom/JDMJ/comics/9VN88/

The Book Thief: German Economy WW2

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak takes places in a time of difficulty, pain and suffering that characters face mostly because of Germany's economy in WW2 when the Nazi's were in power.
Aside from German being involved in the war, families were being separated, homes were being bombed and most harshly, the Jewish were faced with the Holocaust.
Liesel Meminger is faced with the tragic loss of her brother while travelling to Himmel Street to foster parents. Later on Liesel discovers that her mother has been taken away due to communism and she has already been abandoned by her father because he was a communist. Liesel tells her foster father that she hates Communism and her foster father instantly slaps her and tells her clearly to never say anything like that  because it is dangerous to speak against Hitler. Even though some people, like Hans Humberman are opposed and against the idea of communism, they were given no choice but to obey and respect Communism or else their lives would become at risk. It isn't easy for Liesel to over come the loss of her family although she manages to adjust with the support and comfort from Hans and Rosa Humberman. Liesel attends the "book burning" where all books from Jewish authors are being burned.
The Jewish are being discriminated and prejudiced. Hitler blamed them for Germany's economic problems, unemployment and depression and also Germany's loss in WW1 even though most of the soldiers were Jewish. Hitler decides to send the Jewish to extermination camps where they could be killed in large amounts, otherwise known as genocide. One of the victims of the Holocaust is Max Vandenburg.
Max gets separated from he's family and is found alone in a small dark room with no food or water. He struggles to survive as Rosa, Hans and Liesel take custody for Max by hiding them in their basement even though it is extreamly dangerous.
Germany was faced with bomb droppings on homes from enemies during the war war which put fear in Germans and the loss of life was becoming at a larger rate. Hans Humberman who was a part of both WW1 and  WW2 avoided death both times even though many didn't. Germany was no longer a safe place to live as many innocent civilians were victims of war and Hitler. Characters from The Book Thief have difficulties cope-ing with the German economy in WW2 especially Liesel Meminger and Max Vandenburg. Germany's economy is making survival difficult mostly for the Jews and civilians who have no part or intention of cruelty are separated from families or their houses were being bombed. Hitler was feared and must be obeyed being the main cause of Germany's economic problems portrayed in The Book Thief.

Thursday 3 May 2012

            "Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure."

Blindly Following Traditions : The Lottery VS. Hunger Games








The stories The Lottery by Shirley Jackson and Hunger Games Suzzane Collins both demonstrate how blindly following traditions is unfair and dangerous towards innocent individuals. Firstly, in The Lottery villagers follow the tradition of picking out names from “The Black Box” with the consequence of death in return while in The Hunger Games one boy and a girl between the ages of 12-18 are forced to participate in the hunger games if they are selected from “The Reaping”. Both of these situations of a lottery is unfair because the victims are being forced against even if they don’t want to participate or with the consequence of being stoned as in “The Lottery”. The victims are punished through an anonymous draw even though if they don’t deserve to be punished. 





 
 Secondly, blindly following traditions is not only unfair but severely dangerous. The story of “The Lottery” puts villagers in suspense and fear of their names being chosen. The Lottery begins with children of the village picking up rocks and making piles of stones. After the names have been picked the “Hutchinson’s” had no choice but death. In the Hunger Games the main characters Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark are faced with killing teammate’s and survival against death. Both of the stories involve dangerous situations by force with the risk of dying. The Lottery and The Hunger Games prove how blindly following traditions, in this case which a lottery, is unfair and extremely dangerous.

Loss of Innocence

"To fight a war is not the greatest battle, but when you loose the one of your own blood, living with the guilt is the greatest fight against your self " - 


 -The Sniper