Book Thief Innocence

The innocence of children in "The book thief"

"The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak explores the life of a young girl named Liesel during World War II. One of the main themes in the book is the innocence of children and how it allows them to get away with more things than most people would. Using Liesel to show this, the author shows how children can manipulate people to their advantage.

First, Liesel's innocence allows her to steal books without getting caught. She knows that it is wrong, but is too young to understand how wrong stealing really is. When she is caught, she is able to convince her foster father, Hans, that she did not know what she was doing. This is evident when she says "I didn't understand what I was doing wrong. I thought it was just a book" (P. 29). Her innocence and ignorance of what she was doing allowed her to get away with stealing books.

She does not understand anti-Semitism and does not see Max as a threat like the majority of Nazi Germany would. Her innocence allows her to see past the hate and make a connection with Max. This is shown when she says "I have to show him that he's not alone" (P. 178). Her being innocent and her compassion towards Max allowed her to help him and keep him hidden.

Lastly, Liesel's innocence allows her to see the good in people where others cannot. Even though she is living during World War II, where there is a lot of hate towards certain groups of people, she is able to see the kindness in people such as her foster parents and the mayor's wife. Her being so innocent allows her to believe that people are all inherently good, and her believing this helps her deal with reality and how harsh it is. This is proven when she says "I think everyone's still alive in there" (P. 505). Her innocence and positive outlook on life lets her find hope where no one else