The Book Thief Essay

Describe at least ONE character or individual you enjoyed information about in the text(s). Explain why the character(s) or individual(s) helped you gain an idea in the text(s). History and particularly World War Two is a testament to the wave-particle duality of human nature. Jeffery Kluger in an article for pri parole term Magazine reflects on this aspect of human nature. The madness lies in the fact that the savage and the splendid asshole exist in one creature, one person and often in one instant. I enjoyed training about Liesel Meminger in the novel The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Liesel is nine years old and lives in Nazi Germany. In the early chapters of the book we learn that her younger brother has dies, her father is missing ad her communist mother has arranged for her to be adopted by Hans and Rosa Hubermann. It is while Liesel is living in the Hubermanns household on Himmel Street that commentators engage with her rite of theodolite and her witness of the extreme evil and beauty of human behaviour.Liesel is a moral compass, helping the reader to understand the idea that we can previse breathing out and abhorrence with the power of words and acts of compassion. Liesel helps the reader to understand the idea that we can counter loss and offense with the power of words and acts of compassion through her human kind with gunk, a Jew hidden by Hans Hubermann in his basement. Living in a suffocating Nazi era, Liesel unflustered manages to form a harming and secretive friendship with an un give carely Jew that allows the reader to be engaged and feel too the emotions touchd in the midst of Liesel and Max. They were the erased pages of Mein Kampf, gagging, suffocating under the paint as they turned this is an shell of the many counter words of hatred entwined with the words of love. One of the smallest treasures in Liesels life is the power held within her stories and imagination. Max and Liesels friendship takes height when Max gifts L iesel a story created by him called The Standoer Man. The story portrays the image of a weak Jew finding hope in a small girl, the story of Max and Liesel. Now I live in the basement. Bad dreams still live in my sleep.One Night, after my usual nightmare, a shadow stood above me. She said, tell me what you dream of so I did. A further example of the counter hatred and loss is shown when Max asks Liesel to tell him what the tolerate is like outside, in the world above his concrete live. Often, I wish this would all be over Liesel, but then somehow you do something like walk down the basement with a snowman in your hands this quote expresses the life that Max is living and how Liesel can bring him moments of hope and joy and move on optimism for an outcome at the end of this life.As a member of the Hitler Youth, Liesel is taught that Jews are inferior to the German race. This quote is an example of counter hate and teachers the reader of the trust and compassion shared by Liesel and Max despite the dictating Nazi propaganda, Liesel forms her own opinions and allows the reader to follow her example by looking at Max in a positive light and find the true beauty of human nature. Also, Liesels relationship with Hans Hubermann helps the reader to understand the idea that we can counter loss and hatred with the power of words and the acts of compassion.An example of this is shown in the set-back chapters of the story where Liesels brother dies on their dreadful train journey to Mochling. Liesel has nightmares every night about this tragic event and Hans acts of compassion counter the loss in Liesels life. Liesel and Hans share a loving Father, Daughter relationship shared once again between their love of training and imagination. Hans and Liesel share a loving relationship in Liesels time of need and Hans offers countless love and support.From her first arrival at Himmel Street, Liesels relationship with Hans is shown, Hans Hubermann had scantily completed rollin g a cigarette, having licked the paper and joined it up. He looked over at Liesel and winked. She would confine no trouble calling him Papa. Hans is the antithesis of Liesels foster mother, a compassionate being with a calm spectre of voice. After Liesels embarrassing bed wetting incident, Hans role as a passionate Father is shown. Hans and Liesel share a common interest of interpreting and writing and as Hans teaches Liesel to read and write, he teaches himself to advance his reading skills.Liesels incident of loss with her brother in countered when Hans hangs her sheets and says let the midnight class start. Hans teaches the reader than a overlap of common interests in key in a childs development and allowed his relationship with Liesel as her Papa to really progress because they shared a mutual interest in the arts of reading and writing. Further, Liesel helps the reader to understand the ideas that we can counter loss and hatred with the power of words through her actions colligate to books and reading.In life, we as readers find that stories are means of escape imagination is one place we can throw in even the darkest of times. Liesel shares a mutual relationship of loss with Isla Hermann, the mayors wife. Isla lost her son in a fatal incident with a barbed wire fence and uses her library and books as a means of escape from reality. Liesel and Isla share a mutual passion for books and reading and find a friendship forming because of this. Liesel is denied very few joys in life because her familys economic position and she steals books as a means to fulfil her empty void.She however is taken aside when she is shown the massive library located and Isla Hermanns abode and Death narrates it was one of the most beautiful things Liesel Meminger had ever seen Both Liesel and Isla counter loss and hatred with the power of words through her actions related to books and reading. Liesel is most certainly a moral compass, helping the reader that we can counte r loss and hatred with the power of words and acts of compassion.The reader further engages with her rite of passage and her witness of extreme ugliness and the beauties of human nature. Liesel in The Book Thief is a character I enjoyed reading about. She allows the reader an intimate view of one of the most shameful periods in human muniment yet in doing so she reminds us of some of the most compassionate acts in human history. Markus Zusak, like his character Liesel, uses powerful words to manipulate and engage the reader so that we never forget the duality of human nature and the need for compassion in the face of brutality.