The Book Thief Analysis Essay Example

The Book Thief is a novel that successfully conveys how one relationship can emerge and significantly affect one’s life. Here in this novel, the main character Liesel is first introduced as a very distrusting character. Her biological parents abandoned her, making her feel as if there was nothing left in her life. When she meets her new foster parents, she could only wish that they will love her and won’t end up leaving her like her other family did. 

Her foster father, Hans Hubermann, has a very special relationship with her, if not the most important relationship in the book. Hans is a man who lived through the First World War, going through a series of many life events. He would share his stories to Liesel, and also play the accordion for her. According to Liesel, this was a way for Hans to express his love, and associated the accordion with safety. Due to the absence of Liesel’s mother, Hans became Liesel’s main source of security. Though we can see that Hans isn’t perfect, he puts Liesel before anyone else, and does his very best to fill the father figure gap in Liesel's life. As for Liesel, although she was very poor at expressing love, that does not stop their relationship from growing. One day, Hans was drafted into the Nazi’s military in which meant he’d be separated from Liesel. This caused an absolute heartbreak to Liesel as she knew he may never come back. She feared losing another person in her life, a person she finally started loving and trusting. The conversation that went on between Liesel And Hans before he left was a handful of heartache, in which Liesel starts saying, “‘Don’t go, Papa. Please.’ Her spoon-holding hand is shaking. ‘First we lost Max. I can’t lose you now, too.’ In response, the hungover man digs his elbow into the table and covers his right eye. ‘You’re half a woman now, Liesel.’ He wants to break down but wards it off. He rides through it. ‘Look after Mama, will you?’ The girl can make only half a nod to agree. ‘Yes, Papa.’” This passage is truly the moment where you realize the extent of their relationship.

A second relationship in this novel that has a significant impact is Max and Liesel. Earlier in the passage, I mentioned how Liesel said “first we lost Max.” Max is a Jewish man that the Hubermanns hid in their basement. During the time that Max stayed with the Hubermanns, he developed a very close relationship with Liesel. They both had many things in common, from stories, nightmares, to even their love for books. They spent days together and never failed to find a topic that they both were interested in. As you read further in the book, we can see how they have a brother and sister relationship, which provides a strong sense of safety from one another. Sadly one day Max takes a leave, but to show Liesel how much she means to him, he writes her a book about the strength she gives him to run from the Germans and to persevere. As for Liesel, she never got the chance to express her gratitude for him, but she later does realize that without him, she’s struggling.

Overall this book is absolutely well written. It’s both tragic but also beautiful. We’re able to see a little girl who goes from trusting no one, to a girl who deeply loves and cares for the people who entered her life. All of her relationships between each character played a huge role for who she became by the end of the book, and the way she thinks is far beyond how she used to.