Page 64 - The Book Thief
P. 64
THE OTHER SIDE OF SANDPAPER
People have defining moments, I suppose, especially when theyre children. For
some its a Jesse Owens incident. For others its a moment of bed-wetting
hysteria:
It was late May 1939, and the night had been like most others. Mama shook her
iron fist. Papa was out. Liesel cleaned the front door and watched the Himmel
Street sky.
Earlier, there had been a parade.
The brown-shirted extremist members of the NSDAP (otherwise known as the
Nazi Party) had marched down Munich Street, their banners worn proudly, their
faces held high, as if on sticks. Their voices were full of song, culminating in a
roaring rendition of Deutschland ber Alles. Germany over Everything.
As always, they were clapped.
They were spurred on as they walked to who knows where.
People on the street stood and watched, some with straight-armed salutes, others
with hands that burned from applause. Some kept faces that were contorted by
pride and rally like Frau Diller, and then there were the scatterings of odd men
out, like Alex Steiner, who stood like a human-shaped block of wood, clapping
slow and dutiful. And beautiful. Submission.
On the footpath, Liesel stood with her papa and Rudy. Hans Hubermann wore a
face with the shades pulled down.
SOME CRUNCHED NUMBERS
In 1933, 90 percent of Germans showed unflinching
support for Adolf Hitler.
That leaves 10 percent who didnt.
Hans Hubermann belonged to the 10 percent.
