Liesel's Relationships In The Book Thief

One of the most important recurring themes throughout The Book Thief was Liesel’s relationships with all of the people in her life. She grows close with several different people, and trusts, loves, and cares for them all differently but equally. Three of those relationships will be explored more deeply; Liesel’s relationship with her foster father, Hans Hubermann, the Jewish man her family takes in, Max Vanderburg, and her best friend, Rudy Steiner. Liesel’s relationship with Hans is one of the most important, if not the most important, relationships in the novel. Hans is the first person Liesel trusts, and the person who stays with her and loves her until the end. But Hans and Liesel’s most touching moments were when they

Their relationship dominates the middle section of the book, as Max comes to Himmel street just as part three starts, and Liesel thinks about him almost constantly as soon as he arrives. Consequently, the first quote I chose for them was when Liesel first catches a glimpse of Max in the kitchen. “She lingered a moment before her feet dragged from behind. When she stopped and stole one last look at the foreigner in the kitchen, she could decipher the outline of a book on the table” (Zusak 186). In this scene, Liesel sees Max’s book, and this is the start of the two of them and their connection with words that appears continuously through the rest of the novel. The second quote comes from a very sweet scene in which Max asks Liesel to cut his hair. “He carried his own scissors and came forward, handing them not to Hans or Rosa but to the twelve-year-old girl. She was the calmest option. His mouth quivered a moment before he said, ‘Would you?’” (Zusak 245). In this scene, Hans and Rosa are arguing, and Hans remembers the girl’s comment about his hair being like feathers, so he asks her to cut it for him. It shows a trusting between Max and Liesel for one of the first times, after a while of awkwardness and quietness. The third quote I chose was “‘Often I wish this would all be over, Liesel, but then somehow you do something like walk down the basement steps with a snowman in your hands’” (Zusak 313). Max is speaking to Liesel and telling her that, even though his life is incredibly hard, some people make it worth it. Just a few little things someone does can make it all worth it, to keep living, like bringing someone a snowman. The final quote I chose for Max and Liesel is another moment of closeness for them. It happens just after Max wakes up from being sick and asleep for days and days, and he confides in Liesel. “Trepidation found its way onto his face and he made a