Liesel’s Character Growth in The Book Thief

Marcus Tullius Cicero once said, “A room without books is like a body without a soul.” This is true to Liesel, the main character in The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak, because her body is as if it does not have a soul since she does not know how to read… for long. Liesel’s character growth is noticeably different from the beginning until the end of the book, and many outside forces impact and shape her into who she becomes.

Being that Liesel grows up in Nazi Germany, she has never been fully educated. Books and literature are foreign to her, and she does not understand its real value. This is only until she steals a handbook from her brother’s funeral and is later taught how to read by Hans, her foster father after she is taken to live with him and his wife. Reading leads to writing, which gives her the power to change the world with her literature. When Liesel didn’t know how to read, it separated her from the world in ways she never even imagined. Now that she has learned from Hans, she learns to appreciate its value and become a part of the world. Liesel knows that words can be used in bad ways as well. She sees this in Hitler’s book, Mein Kampf, and is disturbed by the power Hitler’s words have over his followers. Sometimes Liesel resents words and wishes they never existed since they are the reason her parents died. Words become of great power to Liesel, who uses it as a verbal weapon. “Blood leaked from her nose and licked at her lips. Her eyes had blackened. Cuts had opened up and a series of wounds were rising to the surface of her skin. All from the words. From Liesel’s words.” Liesel goes from being a vulnerable child at first to a confident and brave adult. Her growth in appreciation of literature and words is highly significant because, without it, she never would have written The Book Thief, which has made an impact on others too.

Apart from objects, such as books, some characters make an important impact on Liesel as well. For example, Hans creates a dynamic for her where she feels safe and comfortable around him. He teaches her how to read and write, staying up with her until very late at night. They enjoy each other’s company and Hans gifts her with valuable knowledge that she hadn’t known before. “After three weeks, he held her. Trust was accumulated quickly, due primarily to the brute strength of the man’s gentleness, his thereness. The girl knew from the outset that Hans Huberman would always appear midscream, and he would not leave…. Each morning, he was a few feet away from her, crumpled, almost halved, in the chair.” Hans demonstrates paternal love to Liesel and acts as her father figure. Hans is caring, patient, kind, and gentle, and remains that way throughout the book. He is even strict with her sometimes. Not out of irritation, but solely because he wants to protect her and for her to learn from her mistakes. Hans is a great role model for Liesel because he allows Liesel to think for herself. Liesel looks up to Hans and sees his self-determination. She wants to be like him because he helps her how to think for herself. Unlike other leaders in that time, like Hitler for example, Hans never degrades Liesel’s abilities, which turns her into a strong, capable and wise woman by the end of the book.

The last thing that impacts Liesel’s character is a library. Frau Ilsa Hermann, the wife of the mayor, allows Liesel to use her library whenever she wants because Ilsa knows how much Liesel loves reading. The library becomes a sentimental place in Liesel’s heart. She is appreciative of Ilsa for giving her this gift because it allows Liesel to have access to countless books. Ilsa also leaves her other small gifts like cookies and a dictionary. Liesel’s love for the library makes her passion for books even stronger. “ She ran the back of her hand along the first shelf, listening to the shuffle of her fingernails gliding across the spinal cord of each book. It sounded like an instrument or the notes of running feet. She used both hands. She raced them. One shelf against the other. And she laughed…She walked over and did it again, this time much slower, with her hand facing forward, allowing the dough of her palm to feel the small hurdle of each book. It felt like magic, like beauty, as bright lines of light shone down from a chandelier. Several times, she almost pulled a title from its place but didn’t dare disturb them. They were too perfect.” The library shapes her into her intelligent, passionate character that we see by the end of the book. The library gives Liesel a warm feeling and always leaves her longing for more time there.

From the beginning until the end of the book, Liesel shows a significant change in her character. Reading leads her to write, enabling her to create her novel, which was said to be The Book Thief about her life. Death, the narrator takes the book from her when she dies. Hans acted as Liesel’s outer force of impact because without him she wouldn’t know how to read, let alone write. One can see that Liesel’s distrusting 9-year-old character transforms into a caring and brave woman who values and loves her family and friends. 

Works Cited

1. Zusak, M. (2006). The Book Thief. Knopf Books for Young Readers.
2. Cicero, M. T. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved from https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/marcus_tullius_cicero_100011
3. Johnson, C. (2012). The Book Thief: Novel Study Guide. Total Class Notes.
4. Zipfel, F. (2014). The Book Thief: Analyzing the Power of Words. Bright Hub Education.
5. Mergen, B. (2016). The Book Thief: A Reader's Guide to the Markus Zusak Novel. Progeny Press.
6. Zusak, M. (2018). Words and Power in Markus Zusak's The Book Thief. Literary Hub.
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8. Peters, J. L. (2014). Understanding Markus Zusak's The Book Thief: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents. Greenwood.
9. Evans, M. (2011). Stealing Words: The Book Thief and the Power of Language. The Reading Teacher, 64(1), 70-73.
10. Zusak, M. (2013). Markus Zusak on The Book Thief. Random House Teachers & Librarians.