Max and Liesel formed a very close relationship with each other, providing a strong sense of safety and belonging for both of them. Although very different, both Liesel and max were in a similar situation as they had both been separated from their families as a result of the war. Liesel lost her father, mother and brother, and Max didn’t even know the whereabouts of the family he left behind. For both Liesel and Max, the loss of their family haunts them enormously. They both share a mutual need to belong; together they help create their own sense of belonging through the solid relationship which they share. Liesel and max both share a love of words which again brings them closer together. They spent time in the basement writing or reading together,
8. Hans’ Compassion Liesel witnesses Hans trying to give bread to a Jew. Not only does Hans and the Jew get whipped but now the Nazi’s become suspicious of Hans and search his house. Max is no longer safe in the basement and must leave. Liesel now has another loved one taken away from her.
Throughout life, many of our journeys leave us feeling despondent and unwanted. It is when we travel with another human soul that we are not left feeling so austere. In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, George and Lennie are two wandering souls, both very different in stature and appearance, yet very alike in spirit. It is in this relationship that the true foundation of companionship is expressed.
Miloš Forman and John Steinbeck in their texts One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) and Of Mice and Men (1937) heavily use and explore the key ideas of ambition and companionship explored throughout their texts, primarily through the use of characterization but also through imagery and symbolisms. Alongside techniques, Forman and Steinbeck utilise other themes and ideas to further develop and convey their ideas, exploring the effect and power of ambition and dreams alongside belonging and individuality being used to explore themes of companionship.
Liesel's friend Max lives in fear every day, and hopes to see the sun rise just one more time, clearly demonstrating hope. As well as this, Hans and Rosa, who foster Liesel, always want what is best for her, and hope they provide a better reality and home for her. On the other hand, there are Liesel’s books, which bring her just as much hope as any human ever could. Without hope there would be nothing to help one keep their head up during tough times, when one is in need of motivation. When feeling stressed, one would look ahead to the next day, and hope it gets
When readers first meet Liesel Meminger, she is a young girl standing quietly with her mother and brother on the train. At this time, she seems confused and a little bit afraid. She doesn’t know exactly
In a way, Liesel and Max give each other purpose. Max needs Liesel to brighten his life with stories from the outside world and to bring him the energy of youth. Liesel benefits from Max because she learns a lot about suffering and he is someone with whom she identifies. They both rely on each other for comfort, friendship, and trust. They quickly become good friends. They share their nightmares because they are the only ones that can relate to one another,. Max has left his family and Liesel has lost her brother. Sharing their misfortunes the two become connected through sharing their souls and the printed word. Liesel teaches Max that he can express his scrappy personality through words "I have hated the words and I have loved them, and I
Liesel Meminger, who was a very sympathetic young girl which her words were used from her warm heart towards people. Frau Holtzapfel had lost both of her sons, so for her to be happy, Liesel would read to her a lot, which also made Frau Holtzapfel feel comforted. Also when Max was taken in by the Hubermann’s, he was a Jew, which meant he wasn’t allowed to see the outside world. Liesel would go outside and tell Max the
Relationships often have a huge influence on our lives. Whether it’s family or close friends. Relationships can shape the way we walk through life and how we see or view the people around us. Especially if we share the same experiences. Experiences can either strengthen or dismantle even the closest of friends. Relationships with stories can also be just as important. As they can show us that, although each person has a different story to tell, we all live in the same society. In Toni Morrison’s “Recitatif” and George Saunder’s “Puppy”, the reader is given a glimpse into the lives of two people. Marie and Callie in “Puppy” and Twyla and Roberta in “Recitatif”. Both stories show similarities and differences between the two sets of characters in each story.
This story begins to drive the sense of emotion with the very surroundings in which it takes place. The author starts the story by setting the scene with describing an apartment as poor, urban, and gloomy. With that description alone, readers can begin to feel pity for the family’s misfortune. After the apartments sad portrayal is displayed, the author intrigues the reader even further by explaining the family’s living arrangements. For example, the author states “It was their third apartment since the start of the war; they had
Throughout the novels, Of Mice and Men and A Separate Peace, there are plenty of similarities shown from the contrasting themes to the character’s growing personality. In each story, is a set of friends that do everything together and go everywhere together. It is their common hopes and dreams that encourage them to succeed and hopefully achieve what they wish. The characters’ friendships are seem almost inseparable; however, they face many hardships because of physical and mental differences shown within. The predominant themes echoed in the novels, Of Mice and Men and A Separate Piece, are the hopes of achieving the American dream and the values and struggles of friendship.
Throughout The Book Thief, Max and Liesel’s friendship is developed amidst war and suffering. Given the circumstances of the time and Max’s background, they still manage to develop a special bond between the two of them. This is made evident several times in the novel including when Max gives Liesel the book, The Standover Man for her birthday. This story that Max writes himself defines the significance of their friendship, as he says in the story; ‘Now we are friends, this girl and me’. He illustrates and expresses his love and friendship with Liesel by comparing their dreams with each other as they
Hans took Liesel into his home; he showed her compassion and grace from the minute she stepped out of the car. He realized that she was nervous and scared about moving, he was the only one that tried to sit down and help her. “‘Leave her alone.’ Hans Hubermann entered the fray. His gentle voice made its way in, as if slipping through a crowd. ‘Leave her to me.’” (33) Hans recognized that Liesel was having a hard time with moving, he wanted to help. Hans channeled his guilt into acceptance for a girl that was broken and just needed a home. He accepted her as one of his own and helped her through a time of need. Hans felt the need to return the favor the Erik had given him by helping others out.
In “The Book Thief” written by Marcus Zusak, Liesel is a small, resourceful girl, who Death says “Has a mountain to climb”. It is not a physical mountain that Liesel has to climb, rather a emotional mountain full of rocks that tumble down the steep slopes trying to knock her off every time she stops moving forward. All her life she has gone without and been abandoned, but that never stopped her from climbing. Liesel is a very lucky girl to have so many “climbing partners” so to speak, such as Hans, Rosa, Max, and Rudy. Without her partners to help anchor her to the mountain, I am sure she would have perished long ago. Her journey started when she was just a small girl living in poverty with her mother and brother.
After losing her mother and her brother, Liesel’s life and identity is changed drastically many times. It is through books that she discovers and becomes comfortable with this change. When she first meets Hans and Rosa Hubermann, her new foster parents, she does not wish to speak with them or get to know them. However, once Hans discovers Liesel with the book she stole when her brother was buried, The Gravedigger’s Manual, they bond over Hans teaching Liesel to read. Liesle describes the first time her and Hans have a lesson in the middle of the night: “She had done this at school, in the kindergarten class, but this time was better. … It was nice to watch Papa’s hand as he wrote the words and slowly constructed the primitive sketches” (Zusak
Hans is a passionate, caring man who earns his living as a house painter by day and an accordion player by night. Liesel believes his eyes show kindness, and is closer to him from the beginning than to her foster mother. He is one of a few in their village who is not a registered member of the Nazi party, which comes to have serious repercussions on the family as the book progresses. Rosa Hubermann is a stern, strong woman who looks like a “wardrobe with a coat thrown over it” and would be “cute,” but appears perpetually annoyed. She peppers her language with epithets like “Saumensch” and “Saukerl” and “Arschloch”. “Sau” refers to “pig” and mensch is girl and kerl is man, arschloch sounds pretty close to its English equivalent. From the beginning Liesel is “saumensch,” which at first refers to Rosa’s annoyance at taking this girl in, even though it does mean more money for the family. But by the end, it has become a term of true endearment. Liesel’s best friend in the village is a little boy named Rudy, “the boy next door who was obsessed with the black American athlete Jesse Owens.” Rudy is in love with Liesel and always pesters her for a kiss, which he does finally receive, after some pretty serious turns in the story. He is a simple, almost naïve boy, and would do almost anything for her, including jumping into a nearly