Character Analysis: The Book Thief By Markus Zusak

Sebastian Mejia

Mrs. Porter

English 2 Pre-AP/GT – 5th Period

17 September 2015

Part 1 English 2 Pre-AP/GT Summer Reading Assessment – The Book Thief by Markus Zusak 5. Hans gains Liesel’s trust through patience and understanding. Whenever she would cry or wake up from a nightmare, he would be there for her and protect her. He would say “Shhh, I’m here, it’s alright” to console her and let her know that he won’t leave her. (Zusak 36) He would also change the sheets whenever she would wet the bed with no complaints. He also would eventually teach her how to read. I think Liesel is not a substitute for Han’s children because he loves her as if she was her biological daughter. They become very good friends and start to have a close relationship,

It takes immense courage to oppose Hitler, because anybody against the Nazi party in Germany and in that time period was either kidnapped by the Gestapo or executed by the Nazi police. Being able to oppose Hitler under fear of death is a huge feat. Everybody in the Hubermann household is not a coward because of them supporting the Jews, and even keeping one safe. Everybody who lived in Germany knew of the consequences if you went against the Nazi party. When they harbored Max, they were doing something extremely dangerous because if the Nazis found out, everybody who lived there would be kidnapped and killed. Also, Hans gave bread to the Jewish man, even though he knew that the Nazis would punish him, but he had to do what he knew was right. He was not a coward for standing up for the Jewish people. Liesel knew that harboring a Jew was extremely dangerous and against the law, but Liesel and Max both have lost people due to Hitler, so they had something to bond over. Rosa also shows courage by allowing her husband keep Max safe in their basement, and having a soft spot for Max, even though he is a

Liesel had a very tough childhood with her mother abandoning her and her brother dying, plus everybody else she lost. Even though she suffered many terrible events during her childhood, she still prevailed through it by reading books and using her words. Her obsession with stealing books and living in the Hubermann household represented the beauty in her life in the wake of the brutality caused by the Nazi party. She spent quality time learning how to read with Hans, and was amazed how kind and patient Hans was. Liesel bonding with Mas was also a part of the beauty in her life, in spite of the brutality and the despair happening in her life. She read books with Max and spent a lot of time with each other, even writing books together. Their friendship adds to the beauty that Liesel’s life represented, even though Max was a Jew, she still befriended him. Markus Zusak’s poetic writing enhances Liesel’s story by adding imagery and many bold headlines to write important statements. Without these elements, the story would have been overwhelmingly boring and depressing. The bold headline is used as emphasis, such as “I am haunted by humans” to add more meaning to the quote. (Zusak