The Book Thief Essay

“The Book Thief,” by Zusak, Markus is a story set during World War II. Liesel Meminger, the protagonist of this book, is a foster girl living outside of Munich who just can’t resist books. With the help of her accordion-playing father, she learns how to read and eventually shares her stolen books with her neighbors as well as with Max Vandenburg during bombing raids. Max is a Jewish man hidden in her basement. Max was marched to Dachau, with Liesel. Rudy stops Liesel from following Max any further, and possibly saved her life. Liesel decides to give up books and Ilsa Hermann 's library. She begins writing the story of her life in her basement, called The Book Thief. Himmel Street was bombed and she drops her book. Liesel had nobody left in

Her mother takes Liesel and her little brother Werner by train to live with foster parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann. Unfortunately, Werner dies on the train and before Liesel arrives in Molching (where the foster parents live), she attends her brother’s burial in a snowy graveyard. This is when she first steals The Grave Digger’s Handbook from the cemetery after it falls from a grave digger’s coat. However, Liesel can’t read. At her foster parent’s house, her foster father, Hans, begins to teach her to read. Then, we get to know that Liesel isn’t really aware of what it means to be living in Nazi Germany. The book burning was organized by the Nazis to celebrate Adolph Hitler’s birthday on April 20, 1940. She hears a Nazi spokesman calling for death to the communists as well as Jews, and she remembers when her father was accused of being a communist. She realizes this may be the reason behind her father’s disappearance, her brother’s death, and her mother’s recent disappearance. Liesel then steals her second book, The Shoulder Shrug, from the burning pile. We find out that Eric Vandenburg, a Jewish man, had saved Hans 's life during World War I, giving up his own life. Erik’s son, Max, is now twenty two and is running from the Nazis. Liesel becomes friends with Max, along with the mayor’s wife, Ilsa Hermann. Apparently, Ilsa saw Liesel steal The Shoulder Shrug, and pays Rosa to do her laundry. When

In this case, how Liesel relates to the books are symbolic, not the books themselves. After her brother dies, she is on her way to be delivered to a foster family. She is powerless at this moment, and unable to read the book she picks up. She struggles to read in front of the class and is mocked by Ludwig Schmeikl, and begins to feel powerless again. Liesel begins to learn how to read and write, and begins to gain power over books. She starts to become more mature, emotionally, and becomes kinder and more understanding of those around her. She forms a friendship with Max, and becomes his caretaker. She often reads to him, using books as a way to comfort him. Frau Ilsa Hermann stops using Rosa to do her washing. Liesel feels impotent to do anything, and begins stealing books from the Hermann library, wanting to retrieve the power she feels was taken from her and her family. Liesel begins using books to comfort the people in the shelter by reading to