Part five summary

Death makes a "small" (he says small because he doesn't give much details about it) announcement about Rudy's  death. Death says that he feels bad about spoiling the book, but he hates mysteries. He confesses too that he feels bad to take Rudy away.
Death says that a game started, and in this game there is a seven sided die. He uses this die to represent the events that happened when Max lived with the Hubermanns which are: The Haircut, The Newspaper, The Weatherman, The Boxer, The New Dream, The Painters and The Showdown. The seven sided die is a very good symbol for the history. It shows us that Max and the Hubermanns' future is uncertain
We can notice that Death likes to show us his opinion on everything. As a consequence, the reader starts to think like Death, to imagine what is going to happen based on Death's point of view.
We then move to The Haircut:
The Hubermanns are discussing because Rosa can't find the scissors to cut Max's hair. It shows us that Hans and Rosa aren't a very "peaceful" couple, as they discuss for little things.
Liesel goes to the mayor's wife library frequently. Once, she is tempted to say that there is a Jew at her house, but she doesn't say this.
Liesel picks up crosswords to Max. The two are very good friends, because Liesel feels that Max suffered the same things that she suffered. The two lost their families. Hans is very bonded to Max too. He feels that, by helping Max, he is helping his old friend Erik. Liesel informs Max the weather, and once, inspired by what Liesel related, he made a drawing.
 Max feels that he is getting very weak so he starts to exercise to be entertained and to recover his strength. Sometimes he even imagines himself boxing Hitler. We can notice many aspects of the "true" war in this fight. The referee says that Hitler and Max should fight cleanly, but Hitler could fight "dirty" if he was losing. In Germany it's pretty similar. When Max knocks-out Hitler, the Fuhrer takes off his gloves and asks for the Germans who were watching the fight to, together, fight against the Jew. The Germans agree. It shows us that, even if Hitler wasn't very strong physically, when he spoke he was very powerful.
The last person that enters in the ring was a girl, who brings a newspaper to Max. It was Liesel. Again, in his fantasy, we can notice another aspect of the German reality: even if many Germans don't like him, Liesel likes him very much.
Death says that there was a German and a Jew in a basement. It seems like a joke, but it wasn't, says the narrator. It shows us that something important is about to happen.
We then move to "The Painters"
When Liesel goes to the mayor's house, Frau Herrman gives an envelope to the girl. The woman doesn't want her service anymore. Liesel feels the hate inside her, and verbally attacks Frau Hermann. After, she feels very bad for that.

Rudy's youth

Death says that Rudy and Tommy Muller have the same three problems:
-Tommy's ears
-Franz Deutscher, the Hitler's Youth leader
-Rudy's inability to stay out of things

Rudy tells Liesel his problems, and asks to Liesel for a kiss, to comfort him, but as always, she refuses.


The losers


The apple thief gang has now a new leader. In the place of Arthur Berg, a fair and generous leader, there is Viktor Chemmel, a kind of young Hitler. He has no respect for Rudy, who tries to makes the apple thief gang a fair and friendly gang, and disrespectful, completely different from Arthur. Now Rudy has another enemy, and things starts to get worse for him.


Sketches

To get entertained, Max tries to write an autobiography, but his exile makes the book a couple of different ideas. When Max tries to sketch, he closes the book and goes to bed. Some time after, Liesel goes to the basement and reads some pages of the book.


The whistler and the shoes

Rudy is very sad with his new leaders, and to comfort him, Liesel decides to steal food from the mayor's house (we can notice that Liesel got attached to Rosa, because she wants to revenge her mother) with him. When she faces the opportunity, she realizes that her true focus was to steal the book "The Whistler" and not food. When she leaves the house, she realizes that she forgot her shoes there. Rudy enters there and gets it, in a courageous act. From Rudy, Liesel receives the title of "The Book Thief".

Three Acts of Stupidity by Rudy Steiner

Death says that Rudy did three acts of stupidity:
-Stole the biggest potato from Mamer's the local grocer
-Talking to Franz Deutscher on Munich Street
-Miss all the Hitler Youth meetings
Rudy behaviour is getting dangerous. He refuses to go to the Hitler Youth, even if his parents are begging him to. His older brother proposes that he can go to his division, with older boys. Rudy accepts, and for the first time,  his stupid behaviour brings him benefits.

The Floating Book

Rudy and Liesel are talking, when Viktor Schmeikl appears. He takes the book that Liesel has in her hands and asks for money to give it back for her. Liesel doesn't accept, and Viktor flings the book in a river. Rudy, in another courageous act, swims in the cold water and picks the book. He expects to get a kiss from Liesel, but once again, she doesn't kiss him. For the last time in Rudy's life.