Abandonment And Guilt In The Book Thief

Words: 661
Pages: 3

How does abandonment and guilt involved in the world? Lots of people feel these emotions and it’s involved in many things. In Markus Zusak’s novel, The Book Thief, set in 1940’s Germany, involves lots of emotions, including abandonment and guilt. Abandonment and guilt play out in the novel because it’s involved into the characters, such as Liesel, Hans, and Death’s actions, thoughts, and what they say in the story.

Liesel feels abandonment and guilt in the novel when things happen to her or when she does something. Liesel watched her brother, Werner, die in the train car when they were going to their foster parents’ house. It says in the beginning of the story “ For Liesel Meminger, there was the imprisoned stiffness of movement and the staggered onslaught of thoughts...this isn’t happening. This isn’t happening.”(21) When Liesel’s brother died, she felt in shock that it happened, and that she would all be by herself, without anyone she knows. Liesel also feels abandonment when her mother leaves her with her foster parents after her brother dies. She then finds out her mother left because of him. It says “I hate the Fuhrer!”(115). Liesel is angry that the Hitler took her mother away from her and that she feels lonely in her absence. Liesel feels abandoned by what happens to her like her
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Liesel feels abandonment because of her brother dying and her mother leaving. Hans felt guilt because of Liesel’s fake letters and Zucker’s death. One final character that experienced guilt in the novel is Death because of the people who survive death and have nothing left and Liesel when she was in the bombing. The way these characters felt abandonment and guilt is how most people in the world feel because of so many reasons. Everyone feels abandonment and guilt but no one else really knows. But they reach forgiveness and support from other people eventually. Everyone is forgiven and