Rudy Steiner shows courage, standing up against evil.
Rudy Steiner, a character from ‘The Book Thief,’ is known for his obsession with Jesse Owens and deep friendship with Liesel.
His adventurous spirit and brave acts, like his frequent thieving escapades and his eventual dive into the cold Amper River, contribute to the plot progression.
Rudy’s struggle in the Hitler Youth meetings also showcases the resistance and rebellion of youth under the oppressive Nazi regime.
The Book Thief Quotes With Page Numbers
Rudy Steiner Character Traits
In “The Book Thief,” Rudy Steiner is a spirited character who holds an audacious, fearless, and bubbly position.
As the author Markus Zusak aptly illustrates, Rudy was always destined to be Liesel’s best friend. They started their lasting friendship with a snowball on the face (Page 48).
Routinely, he showcased the audacity of his personality, from fancying himself with the ladies to daringly asking for kisses from Liesel, even when they both are portrayed as filthy (Page 54).
His mischievous yet brave nature is consistently shown through several acts, such as pouring water onto the road for a priest or jumping into the ice-cold river to retrieve a book (Pages 162, 241).
Ritualistically, Rudy would cheekily ask for a kiss from Liesel, a testament to his affection towards her. However, amidst his irresistible zest for life, his untimely demise was heart-wrenching, underscoring the sad reality of the destructive times they were living in (Page 242).
Rudy Steiner is deeply fascinated with the African-American Olympic gold medalist Jesse Owens.
This obsession is an anomaly in Hitler’s Germany, where white supremacy is promoted, making his admiration for Owens a significant character trait.
His obsession reaches an extreme point when he sneaks out one night and covers himself in charcoal, attempting to emulate his hero, Owens, despite the potential backlash in the racially tense environment.
Rudy Steiner, an emblem of audacity, fearlessness, and jubilance, consistently challenged norms and painted a picture of a brave young boy embracing life with vigor.
Rudy Steiner Quotes With Page Numbers
“Insane or not, Rudy was always destined to be Liesel’s best friend. A snowball in the face is surely the perfect beginning to a lasting friendship.”
~Markus Zusak, The Book Thief, (by Death), about Liesel, Rudy and death, Page 48
“He liked girls a lot, and he liked Liesel (hence, the snowball). In fact, Rudy Steiner was one of those audacious little bastards who actually fancied himself with the ladies. Every childhood seems to have exactly such a juvenile in its midst and mists. He’s the boy who refuses to fear the opposite sex, partly because everyone else embraces that particular fear, and he’s the type who is unafraid to make a decision. In this case Rudy Steiner had already made up his mind about Liesel Meminger.”
~Markus Zusak, The Book Thief, By Death about Rudy, Pages 48, 49
“What do you want to kiss me for? I’m filthy.’- Liesel
So am I.’- Rudy”~Markus Zusak, The Book Thief, (by Liesel and Rudy), Page 54
“Rudy panted, bending down and placing his hands on his knees. “I was being Jesse Owens.” He answered as though it was the most natural thing on earth to be doing. There was even something implicit in his tone that suggested something along the lines of, “What the hell does it look like?”
~Markus Zusak, The Book Thief, (by Liesel and Rudy), Pages 58, 59
“He stretched his hand up and said, “Sister Maria, I think you forgot Liesel.” Sister Maria. Was not impressed. She plonked her folder on the table in front of her and inspected Rudy with sighing disapproval. It was almost melancholic. Why, she lamented, did she have to put up with Rudy Steiner? He simply couldn’t keep his mouth shut. Why, God, why?”
~Markus Zusak, The Book Thief, (by Rudy about Liesel), Page 66
“All those priests,” Rudy explained as they walked through town. “They’re all too fat anyway. They could do without a feed for a week or so.”… Rudy was carrying two buckets of cold water, or as he put it, two buckets of future ice…. Without any hesitation, he poured the water onto the road in the exact position where Otto would pedal around the corner.”
~Markus Zusak, The Book Thief, (by Rudy to Liesel), Page 162
“A book floated down the Amper River.
A boy jumped in, caught up to it, and held
it in his right hand. He grinned. He stood
waist-deep in the icy, Decemberish water.
“How about a kiss, Saumensch?” he said.”~Markus Zusak, The Book Thief, (by Death and Rudy Steiner), about books, Page 241
“How about a kiss, Saumensch?” He stood waist-deep in the water for a few moments longer before climbing out and handing her the book. His pants clung to him, and he did not stop walking. In truth, I think he was afraid. Rudy Steiner was scared of the book thief’s kiss. He must have longed for it so much. He must have loved her so incredibly hard. So hard that he would never ask for her lips again and would go to his grave without them.”
~Markus Zusak, The Book Thief, (by Death and Rudy Steiner), about books, Page 241
“On many counts, taking a boy like Rudy Steiner was robbery–so much life, so much to live for–yet somehow, I’m certain he would have loved to see the frightening rubble and the swelling of the sky on the night he passed away. He’d have cried and turned and smiled if only he could have seen the book thief on her hands and knees, next to his decimated body. He’d have been glad to witness her kissing his dusty, bomb-hit lips.
Yes, I know it.
In the darkness of my dark-beating heart, I know. He’d have loved it all right.
You see?
Even death has a heart.”
~Markus Zusak, The Book Thief, (by Death), about Rudy, Page 242
“To exemplify that particular situation, we can look to a cool day in late June. Rudy, to put it mildly, was incensed. Who did Liesel Meminger think she was, telling him she had to take the washing and ironing alone today? Wasn’t he good enough to walk the streets with her?
“Stop complaining, Saukerl,” she reprimanded him. “I just feel bad. You’re missing the game.”
He looked over his shoulder.
“Well, if you put it like that.” There was a Schmunzel. “You can stick your washing.”
He ran off and wasted no time joining a team. When Liesel made it to the top of Himmel Street, she looked back just in time to see him standing in front of the nearest makeshift goals.He was waving.
“Saukerl,” she laughed, and as she held up her hand, she knew completely that he was simultaneously calling her a Saumensch. I think that’s as close to love as eleven-year-olds can get.”
~Markus Zusak, The Book Thief, (by Death, Rudy, and Liesel), Page 243
“He stood a few feet from the step and spoke with great conviction, great joy.
“Alles ist Scheisse,” he announced.
All is shit.”
~Markus Zusak, The Book Thief, (Rudy), Page 249
“You might well ask just what the hell he was thinking. The answer is, probably nothing at all.He’d probably say he was exercising his God-given right to stupidity.”
~Markus Zusak, The Book Thief, (by Death), about Rudy, Page 297
“Which leaves us only with stupid act number three—skipping the Hitler Youth meetings. He didn’t stop going right away, purely to show Deutscher that he wasn’t afraid of him, but after another few weeks, Rudy ceased his involvement altogether. Dressed proudly in his uniform, he exited Himmel Street and kept walking, his loyal subject, Tommy, by his side. Instead of attending the Hitler Youth, they walked out of town… generally getting up to no good.”
~Markus Zusak, The Book Thief, (by Death), about Rudy, Page 299
“How about a kiss, Saumensch?”
He stood waist-deep in the water for a few moments longer before climbing out and handing her the book. His pants clung to him, and he did not stop walking. In truth, I think he was afraid. Rudy Steiner was scared of the book thief’s kiss. He must have longed for it so much. He must have loved her so incredibly hard. So hard that he would never ask for her lips again and would go to his grave without them.”
~Markus Zusak, The Book Thief, (by Death and Rudy), about books, Page 303
“There was nothing but a knowing smile and a slow walk that lolled him home. They never talked about it again… Perhaps three medals had shown what he wanted to show, or he was afraid to lose that final race. In the end, the only explanation she allowed herself to hear was an inner teenage voice. “Because he isn’t Jesse Owens.”
~Markus Zusak, The Book Thief, (by Death and Rudy), about Rudy, Page 364
“The best scores in the class,” said one of the monsters. Such depth and dryness. “Not to mention his athletic ability.” Damn it, why did he have to win all those races at the carnival?… Damn that Franz Deutscher! But then he understood. This was not Franz Deutscher’s fault, but his own. He’s wanted to show his past tormentor what he was capable of, but he also wanted to prove himself to everyone. Now everyone was in his kitchen.”
~Markus Zusak, The Book Thief, (by Death about Rudy, Page 408
“They pedaled ahead of the parade, toward Dachau, and stopped at an empty piece of road. Rudy passed Liesel the bag. “Take a handful”…. He slapped some bread into her palm…. How could she argue? It was worth a whipping. “If we’re fast, we won’t get caught.” He started distributing the bread. “So move it, Saumensch.”
~Markus Zusak, The Book Thief, (by Rudy and Liesel), Page 440
“Hair the color of lemons,’” Rudy read. His fingers touched the words. “You told him about me?”
At first, Liesel could not talk. Perhaps it was the sudden bumpiness of love she felt for him. Or had she always loved him? It’s likely. Restricted as she was from speaking, she wanted him to kiss her. She wanted him to drag her hand across and pull her over. It didn’t matter where. Her mouth, her neck, her cheek. Her skin was empty for it, waiting.
Years ago, when they’d raced on a muddy field, Rudy was a hastily assembled set of bones, with a jagged, rocky smile. In the trees this afternoon, he was a giver of bread and teddy bears. He was a triple Hitler Youth athletics champion. He was her best friend. And he was a month from his death.
Of course I told him about you,” Liesel said.”
~Markus Zusak, The Book Thief, (by Rudy and Liesel), Page 518
“I carried [Rudy] softly through the broken street…with him I tried a little harder [at comforting]. I watched the contents of his soul for a moment and saw a black-painted boy calling the name Jesse Owens as he ran through an imaginary tape. I saw him hip-deep in some icy water, chasing a book, and I saw a boy lying in bed, imagining how a kiss would taste from his glorious next-door neighbor. He does something to me, that boy. Every time. It’s his only detriment. He steps on my heart. He makes me cry.”
~Markus Zusak, The Book Thief, (by Death about Rudy), Page 531
“He does something to me, that boy. Every time. It’s his only detriment. He steps on my heart. He makes me cry.”
~Markus Zusak, The Book Thief, (by Death about Rudy), Page 531
“The tears grappled with her face.
Rudy, please, wake up,…wale up, I love you. Come on, Rudy, come on, Jesse Owens, don’t you know I love you, wake up, wake up, wake up..”
But nothing cared…
She leaned down and looked at his lifeless face and Liesel kissed her best friend, Rudy Steiner, soft and true on his lips. He tasted dusty and sweet.
He tasted like regret in the shadows of trees and in the glow of the anarchist’s suit collection. She kissed him long and soft, and when she pulled hersel away, she touched his mouth with her fingers. Her hands were tremblin, her lips were fleshy, and she leaned in once more, this time losing control and misjudging it. Their teeth collided on the demolised world of Himmel Street.”
~Markus Zusak, The Book Thief, (by Liesel Meminger), about Rudy and death, Pages 535-36
“She leaned down and looked at his lifeless face and Leisel kissed her best friend, Rudy Steiner, soft and true on his lips. He tasted dusty and sweet. He tasted like regret in the shadows of trees and in the glow of the anarchist’s suit collection. She kissed him long and soft, and when she pulled herself away, she touched his mouth with her fingers…She did not say goodbye. She was incapable, and after a few more minutes at his side, she was able to tear herself from the ground. It amazes me what humans can do, even when streams are flowing down their faces and they stagger on…”
~Markus Zusak, The Book Thief, (by Death), about Liesel, Rudy and death, Page 536
What was Rudy Steiner’s powerful quote?
“What do you want to kiss me for? I’m filthy.’- Liesel
So am I.’- Rudy”~Markus Zusak, The Book Thief, (by Liesel and Rudy), Page 54
What quotes show Rudy and Liesel’s friendship?
“Insane or not, Rudy was always destined to be Liesel’s best friend. A snowball in the face is surely the perfect beginning to a lasting friendship.”
~Markus Zusak, The Book Thief, (by Death), Page 48
Why is Rudy afraid of Liesel’s kiss?
Rudy is not precisely afraid of Liesel’s kiss, but the constant rejection disheartens him. He stopped asking Liesel for a kiss after he rescued “The Whistler” from the Amper River, finding her refusals too overwhelming to endure. Even though his feelings for Liesel were strong and undeniable, the lack of reciprocity seemingly impacted him deeply.
“1. After months of failure, this moment was his only chance to revel in some victory.
2. Such a position of selflessness was a good place to ask Liesel for the usual favor.
How could she possibly turn him down?“How about a kiss, Saumensch?”
He stood waist-deep in the water for a few moments longer before climbing out and handing her the book. His pants clung to him, and he did not stop walking. In truth, I think he was afraid. Rudy Steiner was scared of the book thief’s kiss. He must have longed for it so much. He must have loved her so incredibly hard. So hard that he would never ask for her lips again and would go to his grave without them.”
~Markus Zusak, The Book Thief, (by Death), Page 303
Was Rudy in love with Liesel?
Yes, it appears that Rudy deeply loved Liesel. He continually attempted to win Liesel’s affection, often pushing for a kiss as a sign of her reciprocal feelings.
His bond with Liesel was unyielding, and he demonstrated a strong, protective instinct and significant self-sacrifice for her, highlighting the depth of his love for her.
What does Rudy call Liesel?
Rudy, Liesel’s best friend, often addresses her as “Saumensch,” a term also used by Rosa Hubermann, reflecting their close bond and shared experiences.
Who is Rudy obsessed with?
Rudy Steiner is obsessed with the renowned American track athlete Jesse Owens. This obsession stems from his love for athletic pursuits and admiration for Owens’ outstanding performance. This particular fixation also highlights Rudy’s thoughtful and persistent nature.