How Different Characters Express Love
A young woman sits in a rocking chair, newborn baby enveloped peacefully in her arms. The child is wrapped warm and tight in fresh blankets, soft asleep. The only sound to be heard is the infant’s slow, rhythmic breathing and the creaking of the weary rocking chair. Nothing would dare interrupt this seemingly infinite moment, this harmony, this love so pure that it could only come from the very depths of one’s soul. Throughout the The Book Thief, Liesel encounters many unique characters with different ways of expressing affection. Narrated by Death, The Book Thief, written by Markus Zusak, is a story about a young German girl named Liesel Meminger, who is given up by her parents to live in the town of Molching …show more content…
you have something in common with Rosa Hubermann. Readers can agree that Rosa has an odd way of showing fondness, but it is nonetheless love. The narrator, Death, introduces Liesel’s new foster parents to the readers: “She possessed the unique ability to aggravate almost anyone she ever met. But she did love Liesel Meminger. Her way of showing it just happened to be strange. It involved bashing her with wooden spoons and words at various intervals” (Zusak 35). In this excerpt of the story, Liesel has just arrived at Himmel Street and she is clearly intimidated by her foster mother who is the polar opposite of her foster father, Hans. Her rough exterior and downright abusive behavior makes for a terrifying first impression. In the quote above, Zusak informs readers that Rosa does love Liesel despite her facade of constant exasperation and criticism, which gives valuable insight to the readers. In a way, dramatic irony is used because the readers know that being callous and using vulgar language is Rosa’s way of showing affection. As a result, swearing could almost be considered propaganda because she is trying to convince others that she does not care but the opposite is usually true. All things considered, Rosa’s way of showing love might be a bit unconventional and confusing at times, but as Zusak stated “she had a bigger one [heart] than people would think” (Zusak …show more content…
Unlike Rosa, Rudy’s love for Liesel has always been evident and only strengthens as the book progresses. At the end of Part Five, Death explains Rudy’s thoughts as he steps out of the frigid river: “He must have loved her so incredibly hard. So hard that he would never ask for her lips again and would go to his grave without them” (Zusak 303). In this scene, Rudy rescues Liesel’s treasured book, The Whistler, in a fearless act of love and bravery. Viktor Chemmel, the infamous theft, threw it into the Amper River as revenge. This is also the last time Rudy asks for a kiss, and he takes noticeably different approach in his request. In previous attempts, Rudy was playful and teasing, radiating boyish charm and confidence. However, this time around Rudy is wary like there is a part of him that knows he won’t be able to take another refusal from the girl he loves. Perhaps the reason the legendary kiss never took place was to preserve the true nature of Rudy and Liesel’s relationship. From the very beginning, when the first snowball sailed through the air and exploded onto the face of its victim, the essence of their bond has been pure, unadulterated friendship and innocence. He lightens the horribleness of the events that take place with his humor. Because Rudy died so young, he will always represent their friendship and Liesel’s
A young woman sits in a rocking chair, newborn baby enveloped peacefully in her arms. The child is wrapped warm and tight in fresh blankets, soft asleep. The only sound to be heard is the infant’s slow, rhythmic breathing and the creaking of the weary rocking chair. Nothing would dare interrupt this seemingly infinite moment, this harmony, this love so pure that it could only come from the very depths of one’s soul. Throughout the The Book Thief, Liesel encounters many unique characters with different ways of expressing affection. Narrated by Death, The Book Thief, written by Markus Zusak, is a story about a young German girl named Liesel Meminger, who is given up by her parents to live in the town of Molching …show more content…
you have something in common with Rosa Hubermann. Readers can agree that Rosa has an odd way of showing fondness, but it is nonetheless love. The narrator, Death, introduces Liesel’s new foster parents to the readers: “She possessed the unique ability to aggravate almost anyone she ever met. But she did love Liesel Meminger. Her way of showing it just happened to be strange. It involved bashing her with wooden spoons and words at various intervals” (Zusak 35). In this excerpt of the story, Liesel has just arrived at Himmel Street and she is clearly intimidated by her foster mother who is the polar opposite of her foster father, Hans. Her rough exterior and downright abusive behavior makes for a terrifying first impression. In the quote above, Zusak informs readers that Rosa does love Liesel despite her facade of constant exasperation and criticism, which gives valuable insight to the readers. In a way, dramatic irony is used because the readers know that being callous and using vulgar language is Rosa’s way of showing affection. As a result, swearing could almost be considered propaganda because she is trying to convince others that she does not care but the opposite is usually true. All things considered, Rosa’s way of showing love might be a bit unconventional and confusing at times, but as Zusak stated “she had a bigger one [heart] than people would think” (Zusak …show more content…
Unlike Rosa, Rudy’s love for Liesel has always been evident and only strengthens as the book progresses. At the end of Part Five, Death explains Rudy’s thoughts as he steps out of the frigid river: “He must have loved her so incredibly hard. So hard that he would never ask for her lips again and would go to his grave without them” (Zusak 303). In this scene, Rudy rescues Liesel’s treasured book, The Whistler, in a fearless act of love and bravery. Viktor Chemmel, the infamous theft, threw it into the Amper River as revenge. This is also the last time Rudy asks for a kiss, and he takes noticeably different approach in his request. In previous attempts, Rudy was playful and teasing, radiating boyish charm and confidence. However, this time around Rudy is wary like there is a part of him that knows he won’t be able to take another refusal from the girl he loves. Perhaps the reason the legendary kiss never took place was to preserve the true nature of Rudy and Liesel’s relationship. From the very beginning, when the first snowball sailed through the air and exploded onto the face of its victim, the essence of their bond has been pure, unadulterated friendship and innocence. He lightens the horribleness of the events that take place with his humor. Because Rudy died so young, he will always represent their friendship and Liesel’s