Name_________________________
Beside the Railway Line Part 1
Text: The Book Thief “Prologue: Beside the Railway Line” (pg. 6-8)
Questions:
1. Who do you believe is the narrator? What clues led you to this belief?
2. What does the color white usually symbolize?
3. How does the narrator describe himself? What does malicious mean? Why do you think people would
believe the opposite of his description?
4. What does the guards conversation with each other reveal about the situation? Compare it with what
the family must be feeling.
5. Why does the narrator want to stay longer with the girl? Why is it a bad thing that he feels interested in
her life?
6. Why does white represent this incident?
After each group reports, answer this final question.
7. How do the three colors come together in a literal as well as a metaphorical way?
Name_________________________
Beside the Railway Line Part 1
Text: The Book Thief “Prologue: Beside the Railway Line” (pg. 6-8)
Questions:
1. Who do you believe is the narrator? What clues led you to this belief?
2. What does the color white usually symbolize?
3. How does the narrator describe himself? What does malicious mean? Why do you think people would
believe the opposite of his description?
4. What does the guards conversation with each other reveal about the situation? Compare it with what
the family must be feeling.
5. Why does the narrator want to stay longer with the girl? Why is it a bad thing that he feels interested in
her life?
6. Why does white represent this incident?
After each group reports, answer this final question.
7. How do the three colors come together in a literal as well as a metaphorical way?
Name_________________________
The Eclipse Part 2
Text: The Book Thief “Prologue: The Eclipse” (pg. 9-11)
1. What does the color black usually symbolize?
2. What incident is described here?
3. Pick one of the images the narrator describes and draw it. Focus on only one specific detail and draw
that, don’t try to draw the entire scene.
4. What does trepidation mean? What attitude does this give to the boy?
5. Explain the irony of the “final dirty joke. Another human punch line.”
6.The eclipse is not a literal eclipse, so what is the eclipse describing it? “I’ve seen more eclipses than I
care to remember.” What does that tell us about the narrator?
7. Why does black represent this incident?
After each group reports, answer this final question.
8. How do the three colors come together in a literal as well as a metaphorical way?
Name_________________________
The Eclipse Part 2
Text: The Book Thief “Prologue: The Eclipse” (pg. 9-11)
1. What does the color black usually symbolize?
2. What incident is described here?
3. Pick one of the images the narrator describes and draw it. Focus on only one specific detail and draw
that, don’t try to draw the entire scene.
4. What does trepidation mean? What attitude does this give to the boy?
5. Explain the irony of the “final dirty joke. Another human punch line.”
6.The eclipse is not a literal eclipse, so what is the eclipse describing it? “I’ve seen more eclipses than I
care to remember.” What does that tell us about the narrator?
7. Why does black represent this incident?
After each group reports, answer this final question.
8. How do the three colors come together in a literal as well as a metaphorical way?
Name_________________________
The Flag Part 3
Text: The Book Thief “Prologue: The Flag” (pg. 12-15)
Questions:
1. Who do you believe is the narrator? What clues led you to this belief?
2. What does the color red usually symbolize?
3. What irony can be found in the line “snowflakes of ash fell so lovelily you were tempted to stretch out
your tongue to catch them, taste them.”?
4. Why couldn’t the narrator stop and help the book thief?
5. Why does the narrator warn against reading the story?
6. Why does red represent this incident?
After each group reports, answer this final question.
7. How do the three colors come together in a literal as well as a metaphorical way?
Name_________________________
The Flag Part 3
Text: The Book Thief “Prologue: The Flag” (pg. 12-15)
Questions:
1. Who do you believe is the narrator? What clues led you to this belief?
2. What does the color red usually symbolize?
3. What irony can be found in the line “snowflakes of ash fell so lovelily you were tempted to stretch out
your tongue to catch them, taste them.”?
4. Why couldn’t the narrator stop and help the book thief?
5. Why does the narrator warn against reading the story?
6. Why does red represent this incident?
After each group reports, answer this final question.
7. How do the three colors come together in a literal as well as a metaphorical way?