On the first night she began living there, she began to have the same horrible and vivid nightmare of her brother’s death. She would wake up in the middle of night in a cold sweat screaming. Hans would stay with her till dawn either talking or playing the accordion making her feel more calm and at ease. Liesel became more comfortable around Hans and started to love him
He also left his family to hide, and got the Hubermanns help, putting them at risk, which left him with guilt. Liesel's background was also hard. She lost her father, brother, and her mother. She had to move into a new family,
She lost her past identity in this event and had to continue without her past life with her. She struggles to restart with her life. 14. I would describe Liesel as daring. She stole books, stole food with Rudy, hid a Jew, and defied
From her perspective, if the Nazis were to lose the war, it would likely mean certain death for her sons. With both women, Liesel confronts the uncomfortable truth that her close
An additional example of social injustice in this chapter is the situation of Jurgis and Ona. Migrating to America, problems emerged at the beginning as the officials took away Jurgis passport and fined him, leaving the family with little to none to start in America. As the immigrants, who at first possess confidence in the American Dream of diligent work prompting material achievements, are tormented, and
At the start of the book. Liesel is nine years old and due to her mother being sick, she’s given up for adoption. Liesel is then taken in by her foster parents, Hans Hubermann and Rosa Hubermann. On the way to 33 Himmel Street, which is where the Hubermanns live, Liesel’s younger brother died. “With one eye open, one still in a dream, the book thief -- also known as Liesel Meminger -- could see without question that her younger brother, Werner, was now sideways and dead.”
Liesel has realized she must respect the man who was the reason for her and her entire families suffering. She has realized she officially has lost her home, that she is completely isolated from the community. “It was quite a sight seeing an eleven year old girl try not to cry on church steps, saluting fuhrer”(Zusak 115). After losing all of these emotionally wrecking things Liesel learns and understands she needs to keep going forward. She refuses to give up she although times are rough manages to think, it could be worse.
An important role model in Liesel’s life is Ilsa Hermann. After seeing Liesel steal a book at the book burning, she gives her the ‘window of opportunity’ (Zusak, pg. 155) inviting her into her library and sharing her own love of books with Liesel. The reader eventually learns that Ilsa is still mourning the loss of her own son many years before. Ilsa takes Liesel into her care after the tragedy of the bombing raids that results in the death of Hans and Rosa leaving Liesel traumatised and
Nazi Germany was full of hatred and German-supremacy. Anyone who had a different opinion was wrong and should be treated as inferior. She attributed this German idea to the suffering of her family and herself. Her parents were called communists and for that reason were persecuted by the government. Liesel confessed to Hans that she hated Hitler, leading to a harsh slap in her face, literally and metaphorically, from Hans.
Growing as a Character Every event in our lives happens for a reason, whether it is to learn from our mistakes or to gain experience from them. In Markus Zusak's novel “The Book Thief,” Liesel Meminger uses her experiences with living in the 1940s to learn life lessons and experience first hand the many terrible things Hitler is doing to people around her. She learns how to deal with the many obstacles that are thrown at her. Liesel grows as a character by following her step-father’s footsteps in being a kind and generous person, going through childhood with her best friend Rudy, and being aware of what is going on around her by learning from Max.
Change is an inevitable aspect of life; however the most significant changes occur when an individual develops a sought after skill or learns imperative information. In the novel The Book Thief the novel’s main protagonist Liesel Meminger encounters numerous moments which help define her characterization as she grows as a character. Firstly one of Liesel’s most poignant moments occurs once she pieces together her vague past and during the same process discovers her reason for loathing Hitler. When Liesel heard the word communist being mentioned in a negative connotation at the book burning, she became stricken with fear as this word was all she knew of her past life. Liesel’s desire for answers on her Mother’s disappearance leads to her asking Hans if Hitler was one
Through the pain and losses in her family, she begins to get motivated and is able to stick up for herself and others for what she feels is right. (Her father was killed because he felt communism was right). As Liesel grows up, she begins to re-evaluate her life, and creates a set of moral rules for herself instead of what society dictated for her. Liesel then begins to understand that her mouth (language) could be a blessing and a curse, and living under the control of the Nazi’s it changes her views on life. After books she reads, writes and steals, she learns more about herself, she evolves from a “powerless” character to a powerful character who can change the lives of many.
He even tried to push her away, but the girl was too strong.’” (511) The time of the Holocaust was hell-like for the Jews. Just because of their religion, they were harassed and and abused by the Germans in inhumane ways. However, Liesel was a girl who stood up for humanity and justice.
At first, Liesel is illiterate, but when she steals her first book at her brother’s funeral, and is abandoned by her mother, she turns to something she
One of the most important recurring themes throughout The Book Thief was Liesel’s relationships with all of the people in her life. She grows close with several different people, and trusts, loves, and cares for them all differently but equally. Three of those relationships will be explored more deeply; Liesel’s relationship with her foster father, Hans Hubermann, the Jewish man her family takes in, Max Vanderburg, and her best friend, Rudy Steiner. Liesel’s relationship with Hans is one of the most important, if not the most important, relationships in the novel. Hans is the first person Liesel trusts, and the person who stays with her and loves her until the end.
