Liesel's Growth In The Book Thief By Mark Zusak

Troubles and Setbacks, unlike humans, do not discriminate. Regardless of our creed and culture, kin or gender, we all face problems ranging from significant to insignificant, through our lifetimes. These problems aid our formation and development in who we are, which lead to the creation of the saying, without conflict there is no growth. Liesel Meminger, just like the rest of us is faced with problems throughout the story, The Book Thief written by Mark Zusak. Two ways Liesel grows as a result of the problems she faces are through the growth of her skills and the growth of her personality.

One way that Liesel grows as a result of conflict is that she develops a variety of skills. A very apparent skill that she acquires from the beginning

Over the timeline of the book, Liesel becomes mature. When Max Vandenberg comes to stay with the Huberman’s, Hans explains the situation to Liesel. “If you tell anyone about that man… They’ll take you away from me. Do you want that?... He unleashed his quietest words so far… ‘Do you understand me?’” (page 203). The severity of the situation of Nazi Germany and giving refuge to a Jew is represented in the explanation. This is of vital importance as Liesel learns to understand and deal with her opinions and manners in a fascist Nazi Germany setting. The Hubermann family’s livelihood heavily depended on this. As, if Liesel let the information that Max, A Jew, was taking refuge in their basement, there would be a huge price to pay, possibly their lives. Her development of her maturity later leads to her at making decisions that impact their safety. An example of this is when members of the NSDAP were inspecting each and every house in order to see if their basement was a good enough candidate to create a shelter for the air raids. She fabricated a scene where her father would need to be present to inform him about the inspections and hide Max accordingly. The selflessness and sense of responsibility that Liesel feels in ensuring the safety of her family is evident through the progression of her skill of maturity. Furthermore, as a continuation of Liesel skill of literature, she gains confidence. When the Hummel street community were taking shelter in the fielders basement during the air raid, Liesel read to them. “... and soon, a quietness started bleeding through the crowded basement… she could feel their frightened eyes hanging on to her as she hauled the words in and breathed them out… The youngest kids were soothed by her voice.” (page 381) Liesel read to the community in a time of fear, which helped soothe them. This is consequential, because it is a result of her confidence