The Accordion Symbol in The Book Thief

Hans Hubermann's accordion represents hope, safety, and creativity for Liesel. When she starts to read to the people of Himmel Street during the air raids, she feels like reading out loud is her version of playing the accordion. The accordion means music in spite of war, and entertainment and creativity in the face of suffering and death.

For Hans himself, the accordion is a symbol of his debt to Erik Vandenburg, the Jewish man who saved his life. The accordion then becomes the link between the Hubermanns and Max Vandenburg, and a symbol of Hans's strength of character that allows him to take Max in. When Hans leaves for the war, the accordion comes to symbolize Hans himself, as Rosa silently wears it at night without playing a note.

The Accordion Quotes in The Book Thief

The The Book Thief quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Accordion. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

She didn't dare look up, but she could feel their frightened eyes hanging on to her as she hauled the words in and breathed them out. A voice played the notes inside her. This, it said, is your accordion.
The sound of the turning page carved them in half.
Liesel read on.

Related Characters: Death (speaker), Liesel Meminger

Related Symbols: The Accordion

Page Number and Citation: 381

Explanation and Analysis:

The Accordion Symbol Timeline in The Book Thief

The timeline below shows where the symbol The Accordion appears in The Book Thief. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...ease. Death gives a few facts about Hans: he is a house painter, plays the accordion, and has already survived World War I. To most people he doesn't seem noticeable or... (full context)

...the fact that he never leaves when she needs him. Some nights he plays the accordion for her, which cheers her up, but the noise annoys Rosa. For Liesel, the accordion... (full context)

...a wooden bridge over the Amper River, where they practice reading and Hans plays the accordion. Liesel doesn't yet realize that the accordion has its own story for her Papa, but... (full context)

...despairing, and Rosa apologizes to her. After a while Hans comes home and plays the accordion for her. Liesel's only memory of that night is darkness. She finally starts to accept... (full context)

Max stands in the kitchen and asks Hans if he still plays the accordion. Then Death brings the story back to World War I, when Hans was fighting in... (full context)

Hans kept Erik's accordion, as it was too heavy to be sent home. After the war he came to... (full context)

...list, but was generally left alone because of his skill at painting and playing the accordion. Then one day Hans was on his way to a painting job when a man... (full context)

...that Liesel is also a good reader and fist fighter, and then Hans plays the accordion for the first time in months. (full context)

...seem to ever get warm. By mid-February he collapses and hits his head on the accordion case. Rosa and Hans carry him to Liesel's room and put him to bed. Liesel... (full context)

...cigarettes or a cookie. Liesel goes with him, and Hans tells stories and plays the accordion. Liesel is happy during those days, and wishes they would never end. She especially likes... (full context)

...never taste as good as it did that day. It is the same with the accordion – sometimes Liesel wants to learn to play, but she knows she could never play... (full context)

...to her. Liesel realizes that reading out loud is like having and playing her own accordion. Even after the sirens signal that the raid is over, people stay to hear the... (full context)

...get drunk at a bar. Hans gets up and plays a sad song on the accordion and everyone cheers. The next morning he is passed out and Rosa has to dump... (full context)

...Liesel wakes up and sees Rosa sitting at the foot of the bed with Hans's accordion strapped to her chest. She just sits silently in the moonlight without touching any of... (full context)

...Max, and Hans all in the room. The next morning she watches Rosa hold the accordion and pray for everyone's safe return. (full context)

...fetches Rosa and they all wait together. Hans returns and that night he plays the accordion, but the notes sound wrong. After that Liesel stays in bed for three days. (full context)

...keeps writing. Sometimes she interjects the story with present actions, like describing Hans play the accordion, and how in some ways he is an accordion, breathing and moving and making music. (full context)

...book with her, looking for Hans and Rosa and Max. Then she sees the broken accordion and starts to accept reality. She sees Rudy's body, and she drops her book and... (full context)

...memories, and she truly breaks down at the sight of her Papa. She lays the accordion next to his body and imagines him standing and playing, and she thanks him for... (full context)

...only survivor of Himmel Street, and she is taken to the police clinging to Hans's accordion. Three hours later the mayor gets her in a car, and Liesel sits in the... (full context)

The Book Thief

Markus Zusak

The Accordion Symbol Analysis

The Accordion Quotes in The Book Thief

The Accordion Symbol Timeline in The Book Thief