The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak

884 Words2 Pages

Towards the end of the book, the narrator says, “I am haunted by humans” (Zusak 550). Being narrated by Death, The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, is a novel about an orphan, named Liesel Meminger, who moves in with the Hubermanns in Himmel (Heaven) Street. While she is there, she plunders books from libraries and book burnings during the horrors of World War II. Liesel Meminger’s desire to read helps her deal with the incidents around her and gain insight about the power of words, while her insecurity helps her create connections with the beneficent people. Besides stealing and reading words, Liesel Meminger made constant bonds with people. Being moved from place to place and relying on people who ended up leaving her made Liesel not able to trust anyone as quickly as others. Her insecurity sent many other people away but the people who truly loved her. In the text, it said: The seat in front was flung forward… She would not move. Outside, through the circle she made, Liesel could see the tall man’s fingers, still holding the cigarette… It took nearly fifteen minutes to coax her from the car… There was the gate next, which she clung on to. A gang of tears trudged from her eyes as she held on and refused to go inside (Zusak 28). The tall man was Hans Hubermann, her foster father. After that, she has always trusted Hans Hubermann and knew that he would always be there for her unlike the other people previously in her life. When she blocked Rudy’s kick in soccer, he hit her with a snowball and ever since then, he would always follow Liesel and make sure she was okay. He never gave up on her even when she would be annoyed and they ended up being best friends and partners in crime. Finally, Rosa Hubermann, Liesel’s foster mother, wo... ... middle of paper ... ... Liesel change was Max. Max was the son of Hans Hubermann’s dead friend who is wanted for being Jewish. While Max hides in their basement, he writes his own books that were called The Standover Man and Word Shaker. In the Word Shaker, Max wrote about Liesel and how Hitler realized that words have an effect on people. He also wrote that the people on top are the ones that fully understand words. She benefited from the friends she had. Liesel learns how to read from Hans Hubermann and steal what she loves with Rudy. As Liesel Meminger concludes her narrative, she says, “I have hated the words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right” (Zusak 528). Like Liesel, we need to make sure that we use our words properly, whether it is to our advantage or for others. Works Cited Zusak, Markus. Book Thief. United States of America: Alfred A. Knopf, 2006. Print.

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