Similarities Between Liesel And Max In The Book Thief

Imagine harboring a fugitive in your own home. The man is a stranger, but the desperation on his face as he asks for entrance into your home is so intense it’s almost palpable. By allowing him in, you accept the reality that the remainder of his stay will be days filled with paranoia and fear. This is exactly the fear the Hubermanns experienced whilst hiding Max Vandenburg, a Jew, from the Nazis. Following the story of Max and Liesel Merminger, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak tells the tale of their struggle surviving Nazi Germany together. Along the way, the relationship between Max and Liesel grew immensely, and ultimately helped them survive the war. In order to explore this topic, the similarities between Liesel and Max, their personal demons, and how they gave each other purpose throughout the novel must be addressed. …show more content…
Max is a 22 year old, rough looking Jewish street fighter, whilst little Liesel Merminger is a young German girl. In appearances, they are complete opposites. Yet, they share more common ground than any reader could have expected. Both of them came from a similar background due to the fact that they both lost their families due to the war. Liesel’s sorrows included her brother’s death from sickness, her father’s disappearance and the fact that her mother had relinquished custody of her in hopes that she could find a better life elsewhere. As for Max, he lost his father to the war and had no idea as to the whereabouts of his mother. Almost as though fate had commanded it, both of them were adopted into the Hubermann