Helen Keller Quotes

The quote by Helen Keller "Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved," retains prevalence in the character development of Liesel in The Book Thief and Odysseus in "The Odyssey." Within this quote, Helen Keller conveys the concept that character becomes developed through trials and overcoming adversity. In addition,through prevailing over obstacles, and aspirations are created. Furthermore, without friction and turbulence in life, one will not develop the intestinal fortitude necessary to achieve success. The message of this quote establishes its portrayal in a plethora of ways in The Book Thief and in "The Odyssey."

After the loss of her mother and brother, Liesel must overcome yet another trial, nightmares and emotional scaring from her losses. However, from these trials comes an opportunity for Liesel to learn to read, in addition to a desire to drag herself away from her recent hardships through formulating aspirations. Death narrates the following; "The excitement stood up in her. Visions of a ten-year-old reading genius were set alight" (Zusak 65). Though Liesel has just suffered a nightmare and a humiliating bed wetting experience, she still feels grounded by the thought of her aspirations. Similarly, with every trial Odysseus overcomes, his ambition and resolve to return to Ithaca gets strengthened. After Odysseus's men eat the sacred cattle of Helios and are killed by Zeus, despite Odysseus's warnings, Odysseus gets left alone, without a ship. Though many would give up at this point, Odysseus had overcome so many obstacles that he was able to retain faith that he would overcome this obstacle as well, and he did, reaching Calypso's island where there were more trials to come. In a word, without overcoming the trials they faced, Liesel and Odysseus would not have acquired the ambition and resolve that helped them to continue striving for their