Markus Zusak's The Book Thief

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The Book Thief written by Markus Zusak is a novel that pictures the life of a young German girl in the 1940’s and the many struggles she faces. For Liesel Meminger the kindness that is present in those surrounding her triumphs the propaganda and conditioning enforced by Hitler and the Nazi Party. Actions either big or small has affected Liesel into following what is right versus what is wrong. What helps Liesel recognize her own morals and values is the humble kindness in her Papa Hans Hubermann, the warm heart of the brooding Rosa Hubermann, the innocence of Rudy Steiner, the generosity of Ilsa Hermann and the companionship of Max Vandenburg.
Hans Hubermann “Papa” was the first person Leisel trusts, he sets an example for her with his …show more content…
He comforted her by reassuring she would do better than Rosa and himself for they had never completed school. “He left school in the fourth grade” “She left in school in the third grade”(39), this helps Liesel, and when the topic of reading comes up, she feels comfortable because “ ‘To tell you the truth,’ Papa explained upfront, ‘I am not such a good reader myself.’ ’’ (65). Hans went the ‘extra mile’ and taught Liesel the meaning of words and how to read, starting by learning a word for each letter of the alphabet to reading entire books and writing, this knowledge would be the best thing she could ever have gotten from Hans. Once Liesel learned the meaning of words and how to read and write, the world was a lot easier to understand, but it also gave her a clearer view on the anti-semitism, which included burning books, attacking Jews and communist. She learns about her communist family and could not forgive the Fuhrer, for he was the reason she was abandoned by her …show more content…
He was a mystery at first, but she soon realized why he was there, Max was a Jew looking for shelter and the Hubermann’s basement had soon became his sanctuary. He and Liesel got to know each other and realized they had more in common with each other than they previously thought. They both had nightmares about their pasts, had a fascination with words, shared a history of fist fights and viewed Hans and his accordion as a source of safety. Max and Liesel became great friends and he wrote her The Word Shaker in gratitude, a book that showed Liesel how her words gave him the ability to cut down a forest of hate. Max wrote her a picture book, The Standover Man, the story describes Liesel as the best standover man he had ever known. When Liesel discovered another drawing by Max, one of two people holding hands on a mountain of corpses looking into a swastika sun, she was taken aback and frightened, but it broadened her mind at the severity of what was going on around her. After Max left because of the risks of being found, Liesel missed him and went to look for him. She found him in one of the ‘parades’ and chased after him, they met up, but soon after a German soldier yelled at her “ ‘I said get out’ He ordered her, and now he dragged the girl to the side and flung her into the wall”(511), Liesel did not stop there, she refused, and the soldiers continued yelling at her “she closed
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