Liesel's Relationship In The Book Thief By Zusak

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In most children’s lives, there is a fierce relationship between a father and his son or daughter. Although Liesel didn’t know what this was until she stepped off the train in Molching, her relationship with her foster father may have turned out to be the most important relationship in her life. Hans was important to Liesel not only in the way he parented her, but also in the way he gave her hope for the future. In The Book Thief, Zusak utilizes the mentor/pupil archetype and literary devices such as symbolism and motif’s to enhance the readers understanding of the relationship between Hans and Liesel, and how this relationship changed both the mentor and pupil for the better by the end of the book. Hans helps Liesel get through the difficulty …show more content…

Throughout the book, Hans uses situations and ideas to teach Liesel what is right and wrong, and shows her how she has the ability to give hope and life to those around her. “He came in every night and sat with her. The first couple of times, he simply stayed-a stranger to kill the aloneness. A few nights after that, he whispered, “Shhh I’m here, it’s all right.” After three weeks, he held her. Trust was accumulated quickly, due primarily to the brute strength of the man’s gentleness, his thereness. “ (Zusak 36) When Hans appears every night to comfort Liesel, he is demonstrating how love and care for someone can change their view on a situation, and even influence the people around them. Hans and his “thereness” relieved the terror and pain Liesel felt every night while having nightmares about her brother. After her brother’s death, Liesel feels that she has no purpose with this new family, and feels like her life will be miserable without her mother and brother. However, Hans is willing to step in and provide an honest and truthful man for Liesel to confide in and love. By giving Liesel this backbone to lean on after such a loss, he is also showing her what it means to give others hope, and how she can make a difference in the world even as a small poor girl. “They read through the early hours of the morning, circling and writing the words she did not comprehend, and turning the pages toward daylight. A few times, Papa nearly slept, succumbing to the itchy fatigue in his eyes and the wilting of his head. Liesel caught him out on each occasion, but she had neither the selflessness to allow him to sleep nor the hide to be offended.” (Zusak 86) Reading is an act of love between Hans Hubermann and Liesel Meminger. By reading to Liesel every night, Hans is creating a real father-daughter relationship with Liesel. Hans wants the

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