The definition of the word Greek word "Holocaust" means total distruction by fire. This seemed a little disturbing to me because it made me think of all the things within reach that were consumed by Hitlers deathly flame. Death, the narrator of The Book Theif informs us that Nazis love to burn things. The first thought that came to mind was the burning of the bodies that lined the walls of the death camps scattered about Europe. More deeper in the meaning of the word "Holocaust" was the idea of burning any "dangerous" reading material. Book burnings were commonly used to destroy any written object that might stir up rebellion. It even happened on the Furhers birthday, as shown in The Book Theif. I thought about how we are taught from an early age that reading is a key to a most wonderful freedom, the freedom of our minds. The Nazis were all about gaining complete control of their realm and found that destroying the books of the people was a powerful weapons that forced them to stay under control. Uniformed people are easy to control, but people who have their right minds about them will know what must be done to break free of the evil force consuming them. Scary?
~Elise Scott