Sacrifice In Liesel's The Book Thief

After Max Vandenburg leaves the Huberman’s home, Liesel is consumed with thoughts of his whereabouts. Death, the narrator, tells readers earlier in the story about the parades of Jews in which the prisoners were forced to march into Dachau. It is not until chapter eighty that she finally figures out what happened to her friend, and the verdict is one that can put anyone on edge. When she spots his “...hair like twigs and swampy eyes and a kindling beard.” (Zusak 509), Liesel runs out into the mass conglomeration of Jews to reach Max. She risks being sent to a camp just like Max. This sacrifice of running into the parade of Jews and being whipped demonstrates that Liesel genuinely cares for and loves Max. The word choices of Death demonstrate the severity of this moment. “The whip sliced her collarbone and reached across her shoulder blade.”(Zusak 513), this quotation shows how dangerous her actions really were. It adds to the magnitude of her sacrifice because she was willing to get whipped and lashed if it meant that she could see Max and talk to him again. Death also uses phrases like “Never had a heart been so definite and big in her adolescent chest.” (Zusak 509) to reaffirm Liesel’s overall joy to see Max. The words and visual techniques used to describe the whipping and manhandling of Liesel all are added by the author so that one can …show more content…
This event acts as the catalyst that moves Liesel to tell Rudy the truth about the Jew that hid in their basement. It strengthens Liesel and Rudy’s friendship and places a temporary hold on the friendship between her and Max. Although they do meet again, a reader is not aware if Max and Liesel will meet again, so one can be led to believe this is their last meeting. Liesel also just made the deplorable mistake of showing the people watching the parade how she truly feels about Jewish people which is dangerous in that