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Humility In The Book Thief

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A smile. A hug. A gift. The smallest things can brighten a person’s day or put a smile on someone’s face. Humility is a virtue that not all people possess. Even if a person is down, it is still important to prioritize humbleness because it can make him find a light in a sea of darkness. The theme people who are hopeless can still be humble is relevant in Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief as shown through Hans, Max, and Ilsa Hermann, who keep this mentality in mind while trying to overcome hardships.
Hans keeps this optimistic thinking in mind from the beginning to the very end. “For Hans Hubermann, this uneasy development was actually a slight reprieve” (Zusak 353). This shows that Hans has had misfortune for a long time. However, on page 89, Zusak mentions Hans giving two books to Liesel for her birthday, buying them with rolled cigarettes. To someone fortunate, that may not seem like much at all; but to Liesel, Faust The Dog and The Lighthouse are thoughtful presents worth more than they may be worth to others. Even though Hans is going through a rough time in his life, he still manages to find a way to put Liesel in front of himself and make her happy. Hans also shows off his courteous personality on page 140 when he risks a great deal to help someone in need. “Not great quality, but hopefully good …show more content…

Optimistic thinking fuels humbleness in the characters during the darkest of times. By clearly displaying kindness, Hans Hubermann, Max Vandenburg, and Ilsa Hermann brought up others as well as themselves. Hans was humble despite being poor and going through hard times. Max was selfless despite having nothing himself. Frau Hermann was humble despite losing a son. For characters surrounding these three modest people, kindness truly acted as a light in the

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