The Book Thief Essay

Mariam Sossouadouno

Mr. Kenigsberg

English 2A

1 September 2013

Love, Suffering, and Courage

In life, we all go through love, courage, and suffering; unfortunately, Liesel Meminger experiences all of them through her childhood. Markus Zusak’s novel The Book Thief is about a young girl Liesel Meminger living with her two foster parents during Nazi Germany. In the book love, suffering, and courage is explained throughout the novel. In many ways, we see people suffering in the novel, but the people are the Jews. The main way, courage is shown when Hans agreed to let Max stay in their basement. Characters in the novel are learning to love each other even if they are in the face of hatred. Three themes that Zusak explains so perfectly with the novel.

Love is shown in many ways, from childlike romance to family simply family love. Liesel loves Max all through the novel, and never forgets about him. The novel says, “They hugged and cried and fell on the floor.”(548). This moment at the end of the novel Liesel and Max reunite still with love in their hearts. Unlike Max, it took Liesel too long to realize how much she loved Rudy. This quote says, “He must have loved her so incredibly hard. So hard that he would never ask for her lips again and would go to his grave without them.”(303). When Rudy dies is keeps Liesel and Rudy from discovering their love for each other. Even since, Liesel came to Himmel Street Hans was the main person that loved her the most. Hans says, “’You know Liesel? I nearly wrote you reply and signed your mother’s name. […]But I couldn’t. I couldn’t bring myself.’” (115). Hans demonstrates that love just means telling the truth; his love for Liesel makes him shield the fact that her mother’s dead. Liesel loved Rudy, Max, and Hans; they also loved her considering their environment.

We notice suffering from the first page of the novel. Cold, hunger, emotional and physical abuse, guilt, and the battlefield. Death is the main person who...