A child's innocence is a shield that protects them from the harsh realities of the world. Eventually, one will inevitably have to face these truths, whether they are willing to or not. Markus Zusak's The Book Thief follows the main character, Liesel Meminger, as she matures and makes meaningful connections while living in Nazi Germany. Liesel's heart-wrenching journey from innocence to experience is characterised by the change in her thoughts, her use of words, and finally, her actions. One of Liesel's first signs of experience is her ability to formulate her own opinions based on her thoughts and observations. Initially, Liesel's views on the world stem from what the people around her think. When Liesel is on the train to Molching, she dreams …show more content…
At the beginning of the book, Liesel's relationship with words is a fearful one, she cannot harmonise with the words as she feels they are working against her. When Liesel starts school, she attempts to read a passage in front of her class. The reading quickly becomes unsuccessful as she looks at the book and reports that "the sentences blurred"(77), and that "she couldn't even see the words anymore"(77). During this reading, the words take power over Liesel in a humiliating and degrading way as she fights for control. Liesel's gained life experience is then shown as she starts to wield the words in a way that gives her the ability to help others through hardships. During Molching's first air raid, the people of Himmel Street are gathered in a basement. Liesel observes their fear and as a result, begins to read out loud. As people start listening to her, they start to feel "soothed by her voice"(381), the words act as a distraction from their situation. This event shows that Liesel has learned that words have power, and she has started to use that power to affect others. Throughout the book, Liesel went from being unable to control words, to having the capability to use them in a cathartic way. This transition represents that Liesel has begun to give up her