Liesel Character Analysis

The first character trait of Liesel is how she is brave/strong. Liesel faced so many conflicts in her life. Her mother gave her away, she barely knows her father, and her brother died on the way to their foster home as shown when Death says, "Somewhere in all the snow, she could see her broken heart..." (24). This displays Liesel's heartbroken mood. But, she chugs through the difficulties and lives a fulfilling life, even with all the grief. Liesel is also brave/strong because she stands up for what she believes in. This is shown when she stands up to Frau Hermann. Hermann decided to stop Rosa from doing her laundry for money, which causes little Liesel to stand up. She says, "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) in order to give Hermann a piece of her mind.

The second character trait of Liesel is how she is curious.

Being young, Liesel is always wondering about the things in life. But, these thoughts cause her to do some risky actions such as taking a book from a fire. In the novel, Liesel's eyes are drawn by the fire of books. She couldn't resist the urge to go in and grab one (119-120). This displays her curiosity because she just couldn't ignore the fire and it's treasures, even if it means burning herself in the process. Additionally, Liesel displays her curiosity when she asks Frau Hermann about Johann Herman. She says, "Johann Herman," she said. "Who Is that?" "(145). Even though Liesel knows it is never polite to ask about someone without them being brought up first, she couldn't resist because she's seen his name in almost every book in Hermann's

library.

The final characteristic of Liesel is how she is a loving person.

This is shown when she accepts Max, a Jew, as her friend, even though Nazi Germany tells her otherwise. She thinks of him as a human being and not vermin the Nazi's are making them out to be. Additionally, Liesel is loving because she risked her well-being to see Max for a couple of minutes. This is shown when Death says, "She raced through the files of face after face, trying to match them to the Jew who wrote The Standover Man and The Word Shaker"(509). Liesel knew the repercussions, but didn't care because she loves Max. Her love is also shown when she wrote, ""...and I know a small piece of the summer of 1942 belonged to only one man. Who else would do some painting for the price of half a cigarette? "(354-355). Here, Liesel displays her love through enjoying the small things in life. She is writing about Hans as a way to appreciate the things he does for

her.