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Virtues In The Book Thief

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“The greatest virtues are those which are most useful to other persons.” This quote from Aristotle tells many things about how virtues give power to people and how The Book Thief connects to the real world. The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, is taken place at the time of WWII. Liesel Meminger lives with her two adopted parents who have a secret. They are hiding a Jew, which is very illegal. Liesel makes friends with the Mayor’s wife, Ilsa Hermann, who has a library with books that Liesel is allowed to read. Liesel must learn to deal with many arising problems. Virtues, like anger and compassion, give Liesel power to heal Ilsa Hermann and to influence others, specifically Max Vandenburg.
In The Book Thief, Liesel Meminger gains power, through virtues of anger and disappointment, to heal Ilsa Hermann. First, Liesel heals Mrs. Hermann by asking questions about her son, who was in the first World War, by using compassion. Mrs. Hermann does not like to talk about her son and sits around her house in deep thought over him. When Liesel asks Mrs. Hermann about her son, this is how she responds, “The woman’s face did not alter, yet somehow she managed to speak. ‘He is nothing now in this world,’ she explained. ‘He was my…’” (145) Mrs. Hermann goes on to say that her son died during WWI. To make herself feel better, Mrs. Hermann believes that he froze to death. This part of the story shows how Mrs. Hermann is …show more content…

The quote by Aristotle “The greatest virtues are those which are most useful to other persons” connects to the world and to The Book Thief. Liesel used her virtues to grow other people. Those in the real world can do that too, whether you are living in a place with a lot of war and sickness, or you are in a place where good is happening. Virtues are very powerful, are you using your virtues for

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“When Himmel Street was cleared, Liesel Meminger had nowhere to go. She was the girl they referred to as “the one with the accordion,” and she was taken to the police, who were in the throes of deciding what to do with her… It took three hours in the police station for the mayor and a fluffy-haired woman to show their faces. “Everyone says there’s a girl,” the lady said, “who survived on Himmel Street.” Isla Hermann offered to carry the case, but Liesel held it firmly in her hand as they walked down the police station steps… Isla sat with her in the back.

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The death of Liesels brother affected her and caused her to be shy and not want to try and be happy again. This event is one of many events that show how death has affected Liesel as a person.

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This understanding deepens her empathy for others and influences her decisions to use her words for good. Empathy also aids Liesel in overcoming the sadness and loss she encounters throughout the narrative. Liesel's empathy enables her to comprehend and experience some of the sorrow experienced by others as she observes the suffering brought on by the war. Her interactions, especially those with Max and Rudy, provide her with comfort and support because of their shared understanding. Ultimately, the story of Liesel Meminger in The Book Thief serves as an example of how empathy has the ability to transform.

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Liesel has realized she must respect the man who was the reason for her and her entire families suffering. She has realized she officially has lost her home, that she is completely isolated from the community. “It was quite a sight seeing an eleven year old girl try not to cry on church steps, saluting fuhrer”(Zusak 115). After losing all of these emotionally wrecking things Liesel learns and understands she needs to keep going forward. She refuses to give up she although times are rough manages to think, it could be worse.

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An important role model in Liesel’s life is Ilsa Hermann. After seeing Liesel steal a book at the book burning, she gives her the ‘window of opportunity’ (Zusak, pg. 155) inviting her into her library and sharing her own love of books with Liesel. The reader eventually learns that Ilsa is still mourning the loss of her own son many years before. Ilsa takes Liesel into her care after the tragedy of the bombing raids that results in the death of Hans and Rosa leaving Liesel traumatised and

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Growing as a Character Every event in our lives happens for a reason, whether it is to learn from our mistakes or to gain experience from them. In Markus Zusak's novel “The Book Thief,” Liesel Meminger uses her experiences with living in the 1940s to learn life lessons and experience first hand the many terrible things Hitler is doing to people around her. She learns how to deal with the many obstacles that are thrown at her. Liesel grows as a character by following her step-father’s footsteps in being a kind and generous person, going through childhood with her best friend Rudy, and being aware of what is going on around her by learning from Max.

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In the novel, Liesel’s behavior shows justice and love through her friendship with Max. Although her relationship with Max in the beginning of the book was rather awkward, soon her perspective towards Max soothes and their relationship bonds to a friendship. There are some times when Liesel’s actions were unbelievable, especially during the Jew parade. “ ‘ You have to let go of me Liesel.’

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At first, Liesel is illiterate, but when she steals her first book at her brother’s funeral, and is abandoned by her mother, she turns to something she

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Also, when Mama was depressed about Papa going to war, Mama would sleep with Papa’s accordion Liesel acknowledged “that there was great beauty in what she was currently witnessing, and she chose not to disturb it” (Zusak, 429). Finally, when Liesel’s papa gave a Jew bread during the parade and what Liesel did during the parade, she gave Jews bread by placing them in the street. How the author characterized Liesel

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