Throughout history, human nature has been shared among everyone as it identifies the characteristics, feelings, and behavioural traits of mankind. In Markus Zusak’s novel The Book Thief, he reveals the reality of how the inevitable experiences made by human beings manifests their true capabilities of good and evil. Through the several aspects of traumatic experiences, the temptation of taking risks and the development of experiences using words, the novel brings out the dynamic forms of characters, conflicts, settings, and symbols. First of all, the traumatic experiences that many characters encounter in the duration of the novel provide the opportunity to discover a true identity, whether the experiences are used as motivation or regret. Firstly, Rudy’s conflict with Franz …show more content…
Likewise, Max Vandenburg’s experiences as a Jew in the time period was traumatic as he was always in fear of death at any given moment. While Max lived with his mother, he was given the chance by his friend, Walter Kugler, to take Max under his protection and was obligated to leave his entire family behind otherwise, it was very likely that he would die. Max finds it very difficult to live with the knowledge of the possibility that his family might be dead and his regret for leaving his family lasted for a long time. Although Max’s family may not be safe, Max is capable of staying alive due to the fact that he is hiding and also because of the trust he has on Walter. Moreover, The Grave Digger’s Handbook illustrates a symbol of Liesel’s traumatic experience which was witnessing Werner’s death. Every time that Liesel held the book in her hands at night, the only thought that came to her mind was that it was “The last time she saw her brother [and] the last time she saw her mother” (Zusak 38). Liesel eventually comes to realize that she has a new family now and although death is a traumatic experience for anyone, Liesel uses The Grave Digger’s Handbook as a memory for the