How Does Liesel Change In The Book Thief

There have been thousands of books written about war, but none are like The Book Thief. In most war novels, the authors focus on either side. Markus Zusak takes a unique approach by focusing on the terror-filled childhood of a small girl named Liesel Meminger. Because the protagonist of the novel is a young girl in Nazi Germany, the portrayal of her childhood drastically shifts the focus of the work from World War II to Liesel’s growth and awakening in spite of the terrible times. As Liesel matures, she learns the power of words, confronts uncomfortable truths, and grows into a confident, brave young woman.
As Liesel matures from a child into a young woman, she learns the value and power of words. This evolution is clear considering Liesel

Originally, she does not realize Nazis are actively persecuting people, but after she meets and grows close to Max, Liesel begins to comprehend the ugly truth of Nazi Germany. Though her closest family members, Hans, Rosa, and Max, do not support Nazi values, other people she grows close to do support the Nazis. For example, Ilsa Hermann, though extremely kind to Liesel, is the wife of a mayor in Nazi Germany and wears swastika-embroidered bathrobes, supporting the Nazi party. She does own books banned by the Nazi government, but never once speaks out against or even mentions their persecution of various peoples. A similar situation occurs with Frau Holtzapfel. Frau Holtzapfel begins the story as an enemy of the Hubermanns, but after Liesel begins to read to her, they grow closer. Even as their friendship develops, Frau Holtzapfel still shows her support for the Nazis, even though it is more for her sons than the actual encouragement of Nazi values. This is clear when Death remarks “Frau Holtzapfel was proud and afraid. Two sons in Russia” (Zusak 388). With both of her sons at the most dangerous front of the war, Frau Holtzapfel has no choice but to support and pray for Nazi victory, for her sons’ sakes. 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

Upon her arrival to Himmel Street, Liesel spoke very little and was plagued by nightmares every night. On one occasion, her nightmares were so troubling that she woke up screaming in her own urine. Horrified with herself, “she tried convincing herself that nothing had happened, but as Papa came closer and held her, she cried and admitted the fact in his ear” (Zusak 63). This moment not only shows her nightly torment but also her insecurity in her pain. She had not yet come to terms with her brother’s death and her mother’s departure. Hans understands this and comforts Liesel in her time of need, showing her that the emotions she feels are acceptable. Her progress from this moment is evident when, at the beginning of the book, there was a reading progress test at school. Liesel failed miserably ending up in tears, but afterward, when a boy called her an idiot for her poor performance, she had the courage to kick him “as hard as she could in the vicinity of the groin” (Zusak 78). Though this was not the wisest decision she could have made, it shows her confidence and new ability to defend herself that she did not have before. This is also one of the first occasions that she acts out, which shows her increasing security within her family. Earlier, she would have been worried that her new foster family may not want her because of her rebellious actions.