The Book Thief Character Changes

Liesel’s Catastrophic Trauma Transformation of Change
Change is an important part of life. It is very interesting to see how one can change their personality and their beliefs. It is also very fascinating to see how one can realize that this world is not the world that you thought of. In the novel, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Liesel undergoes many changes both as an individual and a character in the story. The protagonist, Liesel evolves from a powerless and meek character to a powerful and more defiant character. Firstly, Liesel transforms from a helpless character to a strong character that is capable of helping others. Furthermore, Liesel evolves from a character that was illiterate to an intelligent character, who understands the power
of words. Lastly, Liesel evolves from a lonely character that had nobody to a character that creates many incredible bonds with her new family and friends. Therefore, Liesel experiences an astonishing change throughout the novel. She evolves from a feeble character to a very prevalent character.
Liesel transforms from a naive and helpless character to a strong and brave one that is capable of helping others. Although, Liesel and Ludwig Schemikl are not friends, Liesel still helps him out when Ludwig is lying on the ground with a bloody ankle, crying for help. After she helps him, “he held his ankle and found Liesel Meminger’s face. “ Thanks”, he said... “And”... “I’m sorry- for, you know”’ (Zusak 112). At this moment, even though they were not friends, they put their differences aside and worked together to get to a safe place. Liesel understood the feeling Ludwig went through, because she faced the same problem. This shows that not only Liesel have a good heart. She also knows how Ludwig feels. Also When Rudy sets out to kill Adolf Hitler for taking his father away from him, Liesel encourages Rudy to stop and turn around. When Liesel asked Rudy where he is going, “I want to kill the Fuhrer” (Zusak 425). Liesel decides to help Rudy not just because they are best friends but because she knows how Rudy feels. Liesel knows the feeling of losing somebody because she has lost her brother, her mother, her real father, Hans, and Max. In addition, Liesel transforms from a naive character to a strong character that helps many of her friends and family. Liesel helps out her enemy, Ludwig, when he is lying on the ground bleeding because she knows what it means to be helpless. Liesel also persuades Rudy to turn back when he sets out to kill Adolf Hitler for taking his father because she knows what it means to lose somebody.
Furthermore, Liesel was not only helpless but she also could not read; Therefore, Liesel evolves from an illiterate character to an intelligent character, who understands the power of words.
Liesel realizes how words can be good and evil. She learns that words and reading can bring families and communities together. When she is reading at the shelter, “Young kids [are] soothed by her voice, and everyone else saw visions of the whistler running from the crime scene... they [are] distracted now, by the girl with the book” (Zusak 381-382). When she reads at the shelter during the bomb raid, it gives the audience a sense of comfort and distraction. Because of her reading in the shelter, Frau Holtzapfel stops her grudge with the Hubermanns, and asks Liesel to read for her. Liesel realizes that words also have a good side, where the words have the power to bring people together. Liesel also comprehends that Adolf Hitler uses words to manipulate German citizens to carry out horrific facts, which cause a lot of deaths and suffering. So Liesel decides to create her own novel, so she can spread the good in words. Her last line ends with, “I have hated words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right” (Zusak 528). This shows how the power of words has impacted Liesel in good and bad ways. She shows that she wants to use the words for good, rather than evil. The fact that Liesel was illiterate and now she is writing a book to spread awareness is very impressive. In
addition, Liesel evolves from a girl who was illiterate to an intelligent girl who understands the power of words. She realizes that words can be used for good, and how words can bring people together. She also realizes that words can also be used for evilness, like how Adolf Hitler uses words to manipulate Germans. So Liesel writes her own story about how words can be used for good.
Finally, she was not only an illiterate, but she also had nobody because her brother died and her mother left her.
Therefore, Liesel evolves from a lonely character that had nobody to a character who creates many incredible bonds with her new family and friends. Even though Liesel has a hard time trusting and allowing herself to vulnerable, she easily starts an incredible and amazing bond with her foster father, Hans Hubermann. When Liesel was getting to know him, “Liesel observed the strangeness of her foster father’s eyes. They were made of kindness, and sliver... Upon seeing those eyes, understood that Hans Hubermann was worth a lot” (Zusak 34). No one has ever played her music, and no one has ever taught her how to read till Hans came along. No one has ever cared for her like Hans has. This is why Liesel loves Hans the most out of everybody. Liesel also starts an amazing and a heartwarming relationship with Max Vandenburg, who is a Jew surviving in Hubermann’s basement. “You could say argue that Liesel Meminger had it easy. She did have it easy compared to max Vanderburg... anything was better than being a Jew.” (Zusak 161). Liesel was a lost girl who had nobody till her new family found her. Max has also lost his family but he is also by the Nazis. Liesel and Max are both broken people living in a broken world. They both have lost many important things in their lives, this is what makes them bond really easily. Liesel did not care that Max was Jewish; they still create
an incredible friendship. In addition, Liesel evolves from a friendless and lost character to a character that creates many incredible bonds with her new family and friends. Liesel starts an amazing bond with her foster father, Hans Hubermann. Then she starts a heartwarming and emotional bond with Max Vanderburg.
In conclusion, Liesel transforms from a helpless character to a strong character that helps out many of her friends and family. Liesel also evolves from an illiterate girl to an intelligent girl, who understands the power of words; she realizes that words can be good and evil. Finally, she transforms from a lonely character that had nobody to character that creates many incredible bonds with her new family and friends. Therefore, in the novel, The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, the protagonist Liesel evolves from a powerless and meek character to a powerful and more defiant character. It is very interesting to see how Liesel changes from an insignificant character to a significant character. Even though, Liesel did not have an impact on the whole world. She impacted the ones closer to her in ways she could not imagine.