Fear In Elie Wiesel's Book Thief

Imagine if you were being hunted down in your own country by an army who wanted you dead. What would you do? Would you run away and hide from the danger or would you accept the situation you were in and let yourself be killed? Some lucky people got the choice between both options, and I was one of them. I chose to hide from the danger present in front of me, purely because of a promise made between my father and a man named Hans Hubermann.

I have been staying with the Hubermann family for a few months now, hiding from all the danger and fear in Germany. They have shown a huge amount of hospitality towards me, despite myself being a Jew. I sleep in their basement each night, and although it is extremely cold and dark, it is better than nothing.

I heard the inspectors heavy footsteps walking around upstairs and then towards the basement door. My heart was beating fast. More than fast. It felt like it was going to explode. I could feel my heartbeat in my throat and could hear it in my ears. I started to silently hyperventilate and I felt my forehead and cheeks become flushed. My stomach was clenched with terror. The inspectors footsteps thumped, one by one, down the long basement staircase. Each step he took, getting closer and closer to my hiding spot. I prayed that he would not find me, for if he did, I would not be the only one to suffer. Hans, Rosa and even Liesel would suffer dire consequences too. When the inspector eventually got to the bottom of the staircase, he looked around for a while and then headed directly to where I was hiding. I almost died of fear. I glanced around for an object to use in my defence if he found me. At first I saw nothing. I searched again and spotted a small, rusty pair of scissors. They’ll have to do, I thought. I waited in suspense for him to pull the flag off of my cowering body, and for the moment I would have to jab the scissors into him and run. But, to my relief, that moment never came. He inspected the walls and took some measurements of the ceiling levels, and left. I realised that I would live to see another day and suddenly, the invisible weight that had been hovering over my shoulders seemed to float away. My heart settled down into

If I had been caught, and something had happened to Liesel, Hans or Rosa, I don 't know what I would have done. I left my poor mother at home so I could seek safety but putting another family in danger to save my life was never my intention. When the inspector came today, I came to the terrifying realisation that everywhere I go, danger follows. I can’t bear the guilt of putting their lives at risk any longer. Although I must stay put with the Hubermann’s for now, I can definitely see myself leaving Himmel Street in the near future to secure Liesel, Rosa and Hans’ safety. After all, what else would you do if you were in my