Character Analysis: The Book Thief By Markus Zusak

Friendship is the medicine for a wounded heart and the vitamins for a hopeful soul. In The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, a girl named Liesel suffers through many losses. She is taken to a new home where she developed friendships that helped her heal her wounds and survive World War II. Friendship is portrayed through her connections with Hans, Rudy, and Max and it is learned how essential these friendships are to her survival.

“It’s just a small story really, about, among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist fighter, and quite a lot of thievery…” (Zusak, pg. 5)

Human relationships break or develop depending on the circumstances. The values that creates a stable relationship may vary on historical setting or the characteristics of each person. The novel, “The Book Thief” written by Markus Zusak shows justice, love and humanity through the friendship Liesel and Max developed during the time of the Holocaust.

a."She raced through the files of face after face, trying to match them to the Jew who wrote The Standover Man and The Word Shaker"(509). - Liesel, knowing the outcome of running through a stream of Jews, wanted to find Max and see him for the last time before he would disappear for years. She wanted to see him and thank him for everything he 's done for her; the stories, the fun times they 've had. She willingly put herself in a bad situation because she loves him, and she knows that he loves her too. She knew that if Max saw her, it would make him the happiest

One of the most important recurring themes throughout The Book Thief was Liesel’s relationships with all of the people in her life. She grows close with several different people, and trusts, loves, and cares for them all differently but equally. Three of those relationships will be explored more deeply; Liesel’s relationship with her foster father, Hans Hubermann, the Jewish man her family takes in, Max Vanderburg, and her best friend, Rudy Steiner.

Change is an important part of life. Change could mean a lot of things. It could mean how the character changes their personality or attitude or it could mean how the character learns from their mistakes. In the novel, the book thief, the change that Liesel undergoes as a dynamic character is fascinating. After moving into a different town, she makes a lot of new relationships, also she shows her determination and passion towards books, she also starts understanding the power of words. Firstly, after moving into a different town, she makes a lot of new relationships. In the beginning of the novel, Liesel starts having a hard time trusting and allowing herself to be vulnerable

No single person is free from the toil of this world, or the hardships associated with it. This comes as brutality towards the ill-fated. These people cope with brutality in order to function. To cope with brutality, many find beauty to be their escape from pain by finding distractions from this brutality. On Himmel Street, the characters of The Book Thief share the hardships of their past and current situation, along with the necessity to cope with it. In the novel The Book Thief, Marcus Zusak exemplifies beauty appearing within the wake of brutality, as well as the resilience of spirit in times of hardship with Max, Liesel, and Death

Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Hans Hubermann stood strong through moments of adversity. He stuck to his beliefs and personal opinions under the unrelenting reign of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. In The Book Thief Hans Hubermann displayed his morals, a comforting essence, and trustworthiness under horribly negative conditions.

The theme of this book is learning to love and care for the people around. How I came to this conclusion is by how Liesel acts towards Max, her foster parents, Rudy, and her neighbors. Liesel cares for people even if they weren't like her and she doesn't understand why there is hatred in this world. She wanted the world to be a happy place for everyone including Jews to be friends with one another. On page 426 in ‘The Book Thief’, when Rudy’s father went to war Liesel could relate to Rudy because “her mother. Her brother. Max Vandenburg. Hans Hubermann. All of them gone. And she’d never even had a real father.” 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.

What is a friend? A common response to this question seems to be someone who accepts another for who they are. Another less used response to the same question is someone who leave another better than they once were. These two half definitions of friendship come to gather to explain that friend is someone who takes another how they already are and leaves that better than their previous state. True friendship often adds loyalty to ones character resulting in acts of courage. One of the strongest examples of the previous statement in found in the friendship of Liesel Meminger and Max Vandenburg in Markus Zusak’s writing, The Book Thief. Through her friendship with Max, Liesel’s rebellious behavior changes and she becomes more loyal, resulting

Although humans may originally behave due to innate reasons, much of literature argues external forces shape character and possess the power to influence the way societies behave. Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief exhibits how individuals may react in times of discrimination, and demonstrates the love and hate accompanying war. Difficult times challenge morality, and tests one’s limits; Liesel Meminger perseveres through arduous events, namely due to her identity as a creative and brave adolescent. Liesel’s identity is shaped and ultimately strengthened by outside forces.

To Heal and to Hurt: The Importance of Words in The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

You truly don’t know what you have until it’s gone. Everyday things are taken for granted. In “The Book Thief” It shows incredible examples of how loss transforms you for the better. “The Book Thief” Written by Markus Zusak is a novel based on Nazi-Germany during post World War 2. It Features the scary truth along with harsh humor, The story is told through the eyes of brave, Jewish girl named Liesel. The story shows how you should always be thankful for what you have because it could be gone within a second. Growing up underprivileged definitely teaches you things that you would not have learned or viewed in that way if you were middle class/upper class. Growing up poor can have a huge effect upon yourself, but you learn, develop and become

The power of words in “The Book Thief” and the endless strength they carry is a prime topic throughout the book. “The Book Thief”, a novel narrated by Death about Liesel, a young German girl who is given up for adoption to live with the Hubermann’s shortly before World War II. Liesel discovers the power that words, written or spoken, have to transform people, relationships, and lives. In the novel, Mark Zusak uses the relationship between characters to signify the power of words. Within “The Book Thief” the author suggests that words hold much power and have a major role in crafting the relationships between the characters.

Change is an inevitable aspect of life; however the most significant changes occur when an individual develops a sought after skill or learns imperative information. In the novel The Book Thief the novel’s main protagonist Liesel Meminger encounters numerous moments which help define her characterization as she grows as a character. Firstly one of Liesel’s most poignant moments occurs once she pieces together her vague past and during the same process discovers her reason for loathing Hitler. When Liesel heard the word communist being mentioned in a negative connotation at the book burning, she became stricken with fear as this word was all she knew of her past life. Liesel’s desire for answers on her Mother’s disappearance leads to her asking Hans if Hitler was one