1. TAYLAH, EMILY, NATHAN RUDY

2. Name and Label Rudy is a 10 year old boy with “bony legs, sharp teeth, gangly blue eyes, and hair the colour of lemon”-PAGE 49 Rudy instantly wants Liesels attention and in the beginning of the novel is described as “one of those audacious little bastards who actually fancied himself with the ladies.”-PAGE 50 He believes in fairness and equality. Rudy wanted to feed the Jews bread; “She heard his stomach growl-and he was giving people bread.”-PAGE 469 He has grown up knowing the efforts to balance staying alive and resisting the injustices he sees around him Rudy has put in time and effort to get as far as he is with his athletic side, and its resulted in him being seen by the Nazis Liesel calls him a ‘saummensch’; he gets under her skin, but she loves him. “He was considered a little crazy.” P.49

3. Compare/contrast Rudy Vs Liesel Rudy is very hypoactive, sporty and a loveable friend Liesel is very sweet, serious, caring, a very shy girl Both see people for who they are, rather than their race. Rudy Vs Ludwig Schmeikl (leaders) Rudy is a caring, kind person –eg. Retrieves Liesel’s book from the Amper River and also stands up for Tommy Mueller at Hitler Youth. Leads by example. Ludwig is a mean, bully, self-centered – picks on people he thinks who are beneath him. Rudy Vs Nazis The Nazis are all about killing the Jews and everyone else who they think is a threat to them Rudy is all about helping the Jews (giving them food) and just helping people in general **Irony: Rudy is a perfect example of the Aryan that Germany wanted to achieve, but his actions counteract his German looks.

4. Actions Is an athletic young boy who is obsessed with Jesse Owens; “he pulled some charcoal from the stove and gripped it in the smallness of his hands…Now, he smiles. He was ready.”-PAGE 58 –is not bothered by the fact that Owens is black, which is not appreciated by Germany. He is untainted by Nazism Rudy takes bread to give to the Jewish prisoners, he leaves the bread on the ground and hopes that most of it can be eaten before the Nazi Guards find it. He is just trying to do a little good- PAGE 469 Rudy jumped into the river to rescue Liesels book and wanted a kiss from Liesel for his heroics; ”how about a kiss, Saumensch?”-PAGE 326 Rudy isn’t easily intimidated.

5. Dialogue Rudy strives for what he believes is right even if that means going against Hitler and the Nazi party; “I want to kill the Fuhrer.”-PAGE 454 “I want to kill the Fuhrer”-PAGE 454 Rudy is sarcastic against Franz Deutscher when he asks when Hitler was born and replies with “Easter Monday”-PAGE 320 (he’s not intimidated) Rudy describes Jesse Owens as “the Black Magic one”-PAGE 61 (he is fascinated with Owens)

6. Thoughts Rudy is in love with Liesel “If I beat you, I get to kiss you” PAGE 55 Rudy’s dream is to be a professional athletic runner and to be a role model for others Rudy puts a teddy on a pilots chest towards the end on the novel –not fazed by race, or the fact that the soldier is American (enemy) –all he sees is a victim of war and a dying/alone man. Eliminates language barriers; his actions spoke louder than words Rudy dreams about his father coming back from war

7. What we can learn from Rudy Stand up for what you believe in, no matter the consequences. Accept everyone for who they are, not for what you’re told to see them as. Don’t be afraid of girls. Sincerity is a good thing. It’s not always a bad thing to wear your heart on your sleeve.