Q3 Post: Book Thief

Liesel and Rudy's friendship has continued to grow. They still walk to school together everyday, and he sometimes comes with her when he does the washing. Liesel knows that Rudy wishes that there could be more to thier friendship, but Liesel claims she does not want anything more than friendship. The narrator describes a scene where it seems as if there could be more to it then just friendship "'Saukerl' she laughed, and as she held up her hand, she knew completely that he was simultaneously calling her a Saumensch. I think that's as close to love as eleven-year-olds can get" (145). Liesel and Rudy know each other so well, that they know what they each other is saying, even if they're miles apart. Their minds seem to think in the same way, which is probably why they became such close friends.
On one of her many trips to the mayor's wife's house, Liesel finds out that they had a son who died in WW1. The mayors wife (Isla) feels as if she should punish herself for what happened "...Isla Hermann had decided to make suffering her triumph. When it refused to let go of her, she succumbed to it. She embraced it" (146). Isla does thinks like leave the window open on a winter day, and have to endure the cold. She wants to be uncomfortable, and this makes Liesel pity the mayor's wife. The mayor's wife has so much more money and power than Liesel, and yet Liesel still feels sorry for her. That's just the type of person Liesel is.

Q3 Post: Book Thief

In the next few chapters, Liesel begins to become obsessed with books. Any book she can get her hand on, she instantly wants to read it with her Papa. At Hitler's birthday celebration, the town burned many books. Liesel returned to the blaze to pick up a half burned book called The Shoulder Shrug. There was nothing particularly special about this book, she simply felt obligated to pick it up. After retrieving it, she looks around and sees that the mayor's wife (who's chlothes she washes) had seen her pick it up! Liesel began to worry that the Mayor's wife would get her into trouble. It describes her worry as "every minute, every hour, there was worry, or more to the point, paranoia" (129). Liesel felt that everyone was watching her, and everyone knew. This wasn't true at all, although it was true that the mayor's wife had seen her take the book. Liesel worried about what would happen when she next went to pick up the washing.
When she rang the bell, they mayor's wife answered as usual. Only she didn't have the washing, she had a stack of books in her hand. She led Liesel back to the mayor's library. It had more books than Liesel had ever seen in her entire life. She spent a long time simply looking and touching the books "She ran the back of her hand along the first shelf, listening to the shuffle of her fingernails gliding across the spinal cord of each book" (135). This surreal experience made Liesel even more confused. Just when she thought the mayor's wife was going to turn her in, she shows Liesel a magical library filled with thousands of books. This sight encourages Liesel to read even more.

Q3 Post Book Thief

Most of the section I read focuses on the event of Hitler's birthday. The town has a big celebration where speeches are made, and unsuitable (mainly Jewish) books are burned. This is the first time that Liesel hears that Germans do not like communists. Liesel knows her real family had something to do with communism, but she didn't know it was something bad. Liesel asked her foster father "'Is my mother a communist?... They were always asking her things, before I came here" (115). Liesel misses her real family very much. When she hears that they were possibly doing things Germans were'nt supposed to, it changed her views completely. She had always invisionded her mother as just being sick, and that that was the reason why Liesel couldn't stay with her. But Liesel finds out that they took her mother away.

This information makes Liesel believe that all of the problems that are going on is Hitler's fault. She gets angry, and claims that she hates him. Her foster father Hans slaps her, saying "'Don't ever say tht!"' (116). He then goes on to explain to her that it is fine for her to privately feel that way (and hints that he does too), but for thier family's safety, they must pretend to love Hitler, especially out in public. Hans then makes her stand up, raise her arm, and say "Heil Hitler".

Q3 Post: The Book Thief

It seems like Liesel Mueller is finally getting used to her new life. Although not great at school, she is improving with the help of her foster father. She plays soccer with all the other neighborhood kids. Most importantly, she has met her best friend, Rudy Steiner. The narrator says that "she loved and hated her best friend, Rudy Steiner, which was perfectly normal" (85). They walk to school together everyday, and they get closer and closer every time. Rudy keeps wanting to kiss Liesel, but Liesel thinks this is the most ridiculous idea in the world.
She is also used to her foster parents. It says in the novel "She loved her Papa, Hans Hubberman, and even her foster mother, despite the abuses and verbal assaults" (85). She has different bonds with each foster parent. Liesel is closed to Hans, most likely because he is the kindest to her. He comes into her room every time she has a nightmare, and is even helping her learn to read even though he himself is not very good. Liesel's foster mother loves Liesel too, but has a strange way of showing it. Although Rosa calls Liesel names, Rosa loves Liesel in a way that is attempting to teach Liesel to be strong. Rosa is the type of person who believes that punishment is the best way for someone to learn. Despite their different ways of loving, both Hans and Rosa love Liesel.