Author Markus Zusak sums up the story of protagonist Liesel Meminger, a young girl residing in Nazi Germany, in his fictional novel The Book Thief. Narrated by death himself, the novel highlights significant events from the perspective of a usual being. The story develops an awareness to the struggles of the girl. This includes how her character progresses in light of the traumatic events she experiences throughout her young life. By the end of the novel, it is apparent in the growth of the child in not only her physical acts, but the way she thinks and processes things. The story opens with Liesel on her way to Munich, Germany. There she is going to meet her new foster parents, in respect of her mother’s decision to take them to a location of more safety. Also, Liesel’s mother cannot afford taking care of them any longer. On the train to Munich, Liesel wakes to the news of her brother’s death, due to a cough. It is at this point that Liesel experiences death for the first time. In addition, Liesel lives up to her nickname given by Rudy later in the novel, “The Book Thief”. She achieves this by finding her first book, an instructional on gravediging, at her …show more content…
In this, the smart boy excels. Max gets sick from the brisk cold in the basement, and while he falls unconscious Liesel collects thirteen separate gifts for him. Another book, The Dream Catcher, is stolen from the mayor’s house as well as two hours. The fourth is found leaning against the window with a letter regarding Ilsa’s forgiveness to Liesel for her behavior. Bombings become a concern for the people of the area, and Max’s capture is barely avoided as the Nazi’s come to inspect basements for air-raid shelters. Rudy faces Franz Deutscher at the Hitler Youth carnival and wins three of the races, disqualifying from the fourth on