Markus Zusak, “The Book Thief” Essay Example

have nightmares for months. She realized that her brother's death was a result of the ongoing war. Given her mother's illness and her father's absence, Liesel saw the Hubermanns as a source of salvation. She later enrolled in school but found herself studying with younger children because she was behind in her education. However, Liesel's passion for books led her to get caught by the mayor's wife, Ilsa Hermann, stealing a book from a book burning. Surprisingly, instead of punishing her, Ilsa invited Liesel to explore her library.

During the book burning, Liesel made a distressing discovery that her father had been persecuted as a communist and there was a possibility that the Nazis had also killed her mother for the same reason. Additionally, at school, Liesel faced difficulties as she was taunted by other children for her inability to read. These challenges caused great sadness for Liesel due to her failed attempts at reading and the tragic deaths of both her brother and parents, resulting in tears streaming down her face.

In Huns basement, Liesel's enjoyment of her teenage years was constantly disrupted. The interruptions came in various forms such as parades of Jews passing through town or bombings that posed threats to their safety. Ultimately, these bombings destroyed Himmel Street entirely. Amidst all this chaos, Liesel's activities with Rudy were consistently interrupted.

As time went on, Liesel's habit of stealing became increasingly frequent. Alongside Rudy, they joined a group of boys who regularly stole vegetables and apples. This act of stealing food indicated just how hungry they both were.

Her habit of stealing began when she picked up a book that had been dropped at the graveyard,

and it evolved into stealing books from the library. This deliberate act of theft earned her the nickname "book thief". Additionally, when the Hermanns decided to no longer allow Rosa to do their laundry, it made Liesel feel helpless and added complexity to her life. Hans agreed to hide a Jew named Max Vandenberg in his basement, and later Max and Liesel became friends. Max wrote two stories for Liesel about their friendship.

Hiding Max in his basement put Hans's family and Liesel's family at risk because Max was Jewish. The air raids in Germany were increasing in severity and frequency, forcing Max to leave the basement. The Hubermanns had to maintain a double life, pretending to be law-abiding citizens to friends and neighbors. As the war intensified, Liesel publicly expressed her hatred for Hitler. In response, Hans slapped her and warned her about her behavior in public. Later, Liesel witnessed Max being taken to the Dachau concentration camp, causing her to lose hope and develop a disdain for written words. Watching Max leave was especially difficult for her because he had been like a caretaker to her, helping her learn how to read and write.

Liesel miraculously survived the air raid that killed Rosa, Rudy, Hans, and everyone on her block. This devastating event left her feeling hopeless and powerless. Eventually, she discovered that Hitler's propaganda was responsible for the war, her parents' deaths, and the Holocaust. However, Ilsa encouraged her to write, providing a source of motivation. In the basement of the Hubermanns, where she had survived the air raid, Liesel wrote the story of her life.

Work cited

1. Zusak, Markus. The book thief. Black swan, 2007.