How Is Guilt Shown In The Book Thief

Guilt is one of the most powerful emotions ever, it has the power to control and can be a huge burden for many. It’s as if there’s a voice inside your head that won’t leave you alone and pressures you into feeling bad for something that you have done or could have done better.
In Markus Zusak’s novel, The Book Thief, guilt is a haunting aspect that affects many people in the book. Guilt is majorly experienced by Max Vandenburg, Liesel Meminger and Hans Hubermann in the book through many things, some through survival and loss, while others through betrayal. Max Vandenburg, a young Jewish man who is kept hidden in the basement of 33 Himmel Street for 2 difficult years, experienced extreme guilt throughout the book. “They left, without looking back. It tortured him. If only he’d turned for one last look at his family as he left the apartment. Perhaps then the guilt would not have been so heavy. No final goodbye.” (Zusak 193) The fact that Max left his family to save himself tortures him. What made Max feel even more guilty was when he was brought the terrible news of his family’s disappearance “Walter checked on them occasionally, as inconspicuously as he could. One afternoon, when he visited, someone

else opened the

At the start of the book. Liesel is nine years old and due to her mother being sick, she’s given up for adoption. Liesel is then taken in by her foster parents, Hans Hubermann and Rosa Hubermann. On the way to 33 Himmel Street, which is where the Hubermanns live, Liesel’s younger brother died. “With one eye open, one still in a dream, the book thief -- also known as Liesel Meminger -- could see without question that her younger brother, Werner, was now sideways and dead.” (Zusak 20) Liesel couldn’t believe it at first and was haunted every night by the fact that he was dead. “Every night, Liesel would nightmare. Her brother’s face. Staring at the floor.” (Zusak