In The Book Thief, a historical fiction novel by Markus Zusak, the narrator, Death, says; “I 'm always finding humans at their best and worst. I see their ugly and their beauty, and I wonder how the same thing can be both” (Zusak 491). Humans are complex beings with the ability to hold so many emotions, thoughts, and feelings. Death finds himself astounded by how they can be so beautiful and ugly at the same time. There are many things that are beautiful about Liesel Meminger, but then again just like anyone else, she also has those few ugly qualities. Her circumstances, and her stealing are no doubt hideous, but she has one thing that most people lack. She is able to get up and keep moving on in the messed up world she finds herself in. Liesel …show more content…
From a young age, Liesel had to grow up and keep a brave, tough face. She realized early on that she could not really rely on others due to her feelings of being abandoned by everyone. Through out the entirety of her story, she kept picking herself back up, and moving along. She is a survivor. When everyone around Liesel had died, Death had a curious thought, “It amazes me what humans can do, even when streams are flowing down their faces and they stagger on, coughing and searching, and finding” (Zusak 536). Death was watching Liesel at the time of this thought. He admires the way Liesel is able to live on and keep moving even after all that occurred. This is the part of Liesel that is so alluring, and it shines like a bright beacon of light from her. This is her beauty. Liesel Meminger has a lot of ugly qualities about her, yet she also has a bright and beautiful piece of her. From a readers point of view, she really is a 'diamond in the rough '. She inspires death to keep going. All the characters have an ugly side as well as a beautiful side, just like humans still do now in current society. Even though the complexity of being two things at once intrigues Death, Liesel Meminger would not be who she is without