When I think of a person who steals books, I think of someone that doesn’t originally own many books, but likes to read, and so have to find them somehow. Or perhaps an international criminal who breaks into museums to steal books specifically. Not necessarily a bad person, I always just wondered why someone would bother stealing books. I mean, we have library’s, so either they don’t have access to those, or they want to be rich through books specifically.
Now, in terms of Liesel, I have to say that she was in a position were she didn’t have access to books, and so had no choice but to steal them. However, her reasoning behind it will be more important than just “wanting to read”. So yeah, her reason is different, but still fits the character of the first one.
Next is a description of how messed up a kid will get when someone suffers from the things Liesel did. To be exact, not knowing your father, your mother abandoning you, your brother dying in your hands, with the only way to remember them being a photo and a book. And then being left in the care of some foster parents that you have never met before. Basically, anyone would of went near insane from that kind of suffering, right? Like, how do you deal with all that. As a child she would be withdrawn, with constant mental suffering and nightmares, never able to find a distraction from her memories, which will be constantly fading as she gets older(and would you want your only memories of your family to fade?) Now then, her goals will be at first to find her mother, try and get her back. After that fails, then read the book, which is her only memory of her family. So, yeah, like how the book goes. Oh, or she could of become depressed and not survive beyond a couple of years. I mean, with that kind of suffering how do you not?
And problems in the future will be dealing with nightmares from the past. Or the many, many, traumas she will face.
First off, Han’s, you are amazing. You brought back a young girl from the brink of insanity. Like, I understand Liesel is a strong minded girl, since she did manage to get through all of that stuff, but still. You used a single book to save Liesel. Next, books are important to Liesel for a few reasons. I have explained each individual book before, so lets put this simply, and connect it to what I already said. Books are the tool for keeping Liesel sane. If you have something like that, then you will want to keep a hold of it. I mean, why get rid of the thing that kept you sane? And also, something to do with words can be used for good and evil. I think that was from when she began to notice how the words other people use can hurt people, or save people. Some words destroy everything, and other words keep someone sane. Perhaps around the book burning time? That was the time she realised many different things.
Rudy! He is a good kid, going to miss him. Even Death will miss him, that’s how good of a kid he is. Anyway, he is the best friend of Liesel Meminger, and one of three people who didn’t care how stupid she is(Han’s, Rosa, and Rudy, Max isn’t there yet). They became friends, and did everything good friends would do with each other. And of course, to Liesel, this would of been great. This is somebody who treats her as a kid in her childhood. You know, she gets a thing in her life that matches everyone else’s. But then, who would’ve thought that Rudy would want a kiss from Liesel. And for Liesel, well, why?! Why would she want a kiss. With everything that just happened in her life, there is no way she would want to have romance at that point in time. And so, this would affect her in the way that she will never want to have any sort of romance with such an insensitive person. So she vows she will never kiss him as long as they both live. And her vow does become true, too, so you know she is serious to her vows(Just kidding, that was a bad joke. ALthough she can keep a promise surprisingly well for a young person like her.)
Oh, and if they weren’t friends, then we would be reading the story of a depressed, withdrawn, teenage girl later on in the book. She would always be at home, with next to no good memories. I mean, okay, so that is the case, she is withdrawn, and she doesn’t truly trust anyone. But, you know, at least she went outside, right?
Max Vandenburg, someone from a group of people who all suffered things even worse than what Liesel had suffered, from one point of view. And so, when Liesel meets Max, she discovers the fact that her life isn’t the worst. This would of been a shock, as it will show to her that there are other people out there, who are still alive, and sane, who have went through even worse situations than her. And so, after learning about the suffering that Max goes through, it will help Liesel go through her own suffering, as she knows if it is only this much, it can be dealt with. Oh, and Max is someone she can confide even more of her thoughts too, unlike Rudy or something. The reason being that, well, who is Max going to tell? He will understand what Liesel is going through better than anyone else, so of course Liesel will use him to unload all of her concerns, and the same for Max too. And that will lead to a very good friendship, were you both suffer together.
Why does Liesel steal more and more books? Is it because she finished her last book, and wants to read another? Is it because she just likes stealing? Or maybe it is because she knows how powerful words can be, and so wants access to more. Like when Hitler took control of a country through the power of words, and convinced them to go to war with the rest of the world. So yeah, after witnessing something like that, of course she is going to want more words in the form of books.
And Liesel, somehow, got a good ending. She lived in Australia, with children, and grandchildren(If you view that as a good thing), and she even got to see Max again. She lived a successful life, with probably a few more problems along the way, but that is just how life is. And so, assuming she did live a good, fulfilling life; what does this teach us, the reader? Well, it teaches me about how even people who go through a terrible beginning can have a good life in the end. And it also proves that happiness is a thing everyone can have if they survive for long enough. I don’t know what it teaches other readers though. Maybe that childhood sucks, but other people had it worse, but still didn’t let it hold them down? Or maybe that Death likes colours, with a chocolate brown sky being one of the best, and with a clear blue sky being another good one. Or perhaps all you got from this book is that you thinks the ending ruined it. Well sir/madam, I say, this book is great. Really shows you how life can get better even from the worse point, as long as you survive. And if you dislike that ending, then you disagree with that point of view.(Just kidding, if you dislike the ending that is your problem, not mine.)