Character Analysis: The Book Thief By Tim O Brien

Common sense is that each person changes differently because, he is individual but going to war changes both men and women to mean cold and cruel creatures. To start with war makes each character loses innocence. As they were children approximately 18 or 19 years old they grew “old”. “I mean, when we first got here - all of us - we were real young and innocent, full of romantic bullshit, but we learned pretty damn quick”. People either find or lose themselves.

Being illiterate, Liesel did not have the access to learn from books and writing. She is distressed and clueless, frequently asking herself questions. Liesel can’t comprehend

War is a transformative event due to the people at first believing war is exciting opportunity that they should not miss out but later it seemed to be frightening and gloomy which changed them emotionally as well they may get injured and transform the physically. As said by Stefan Zweig in The World of Yesterday which is about Austrians excitement of going into WWI, “the young people were honestly afraid that they might miss this most wonderful and exciting experience of their lives; that is why they shouted and sang in the trains that carried them to the slaughter”(Document H). At first it shows how excited everyone was but then they experience war which causes them to realise that war is not a great time but it is a horrific event that will

Firstly, Liesel’s understanding of the world is slim, she often is unaware of the tragedies that surround her. Although all of that changes when she moves to 33 Himmel Street. Before being taken in by her foster parents Liesel had little education and understanding of her surroundings. It wasn't until she learned the meanings behind words that she really understood the hidden dangers of the world around her.

War is a conflictive topic because it can be both positive and negative depending on the situation. For example, during the American Revolution, Americans fought a war with Great Britain to gain their independence and freedom. On the other hand, many innocent people were killed because the dead pay the living’s debts. In the novel My Brother Sam is Dead, Tim has to make a decision about which side he believes is right, leaving him caught between his brother and his father. However, in the end, Tim chooses neutrality based on the injustices of Jerry, Sam, and Life’s deaths.

Liesel has realized she must respect the man who was the reason for her and her entire families suffering. She has realized she officially has lost her home, that she is completely isolated from the community. “It was quite a sight seeing an eleven year old girl try not to cry on church steps, saluting fuhrer”(Zusak 115). After losing all of these emotionally wrecking things Liesel learns and understands she needs to keep going forward. She refuses to give up she although times are rough manages to think, it could be worse.

She is brave enough to live with the memories, and rather than thinking of them as a burden, she wears them as a badge of honour. b. "You give me this Saumensch of a book and think it 'll make everything good when I go tell my mama that we 've just lost our last one?"(262). - Liesel is not scared to

War and its affinities have various emotional effects on different individuals, whether facing adversity within the war or when experiencing the psychological aftermath. Some people cave under the pressure when put in a situation where there is minimal hope or optimism. Two characters that experience

Hans is a warm-hearted and compassionate man who was the first that connected to Liesel. When Liesel first arrived at Himmel Street, she refused to leave the car and meet her new family. While it took them quite a bit of time to persuade her to leave, “It was the tall man who did it”(28). The first encounter between Liesel and Hans is a memorable and significant moment because it is the moment that shows how their friendship initiated. If Hans would not have sat by Liesel’s side and coaxed her to leave the car, then she would not have developed that initial trust that transpired through this.

War doesn’t have a good side, whether it’s the side you're fighting on or the side you’re against, they both consist of massacres. Although there are a lot of unfortunate events that happen during war, the overall result - freedom throughout the country - is what makes war worth the fight. All the lives lost in war, have not died in vain. But, what really happens when people are in a first-hand experience with war? In the story My Brother Sam is Dead, Tim is caught in the middle of being a patriot or a loyalist.

The characters in a story. They are hard to bring to life, yet a story would be incomplete without them. I love to write, and I often don’t have troubles creating my characters. But what makes every character stand out is that special thing about each and every one of them. That’s one thing that I loved about “The Book Thief,” by Markus Zusak.

Liesel had no intention of going inside her new foster home on Himmel Street, until Hans spoke with her. Liesel immediately gravitated to the calm air surrounding Hans. Even though she had lost her brother and her mother, Liesel felt comfortable around Hans after a few short minutes. Yet again, this illustrates how Hans exhibited a positive, comforting quality despite living under the horrors of Nazi

Liesel and her father’s relationship grows each and every day they are together. She feels comforted by his presence. “Liesel observed the strangeness of her foster father’s eyes. They were made of kindness, and silver… Upon seeing those eyes, understood that Hans Hubermann was worth a lot,” (Zusak Ch 6).

Markus Zusak has assembled ‘The Book Thief’ using a variety of narrative conventions. These include a unique narrative viewpoint, plot structure and use of imagery, all of which provide meaning to the reader. (33 words) A narrative’s point of view refers to who is telling the story. In this case Zusak’s narrator identifies himself as Death.

At first, Liesel is illiterate, but when she steals her first book at her brother’s funeral, and is abandoned by her mother, she turns to something she