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Similarities Between Ordinary People And Ordinary People

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Think back to time where a family member or friend did something that was regrettable or could cause guilt in the future. In the two novels, Ordinary People by Judith Guest and, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, a character either wants to embrace their past or wants to move on and forget it. The first story, Ordinary People by Judith Guest, the character, Conrad wants to forget the past and move on because of the guilt that carries with every memory. In the other novel, The Book Thief, the character of Leisel wants to go back to her past and bring it back. Both characters have a different view of their past, which affect their feelings towards it. The theme of the story is developed through these feelings and attitude. The two main examples are, Conrad’s opening feelings in the beginning of Ordinary People, and Liesel's determination to go back to the past. In Conrad's shoes he wants to forget the past, while Liesel wants it back Right as the story of Liesel Meminger opens up, she is on her way to leaving her past behind and starting a new life. The young german girl in the novel, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, is moving from her home with her parents to a foster home in Molching to start a new life. She is leaving her family because they were caught with having communist’s affairs in a time where that was strictly enforced as illegal. Tragedy strikes Liesel as the first sign of her wanting to go back to her past shows, Liesel's brother, Werner, dies on the train to their new home. Later on in the book Liesel has nightmares of her late brother’s passing because she saw Death take the life right out of his eyes. Later on in the story, the Huberman's learn that Liesel does not have the ability to read or write, so they begin to teach her. When she can read and write well enough, she begins to reach back into her past by writing a letter to her mother. But, heartbreak is brought with this later when her parents have to break it to her that the letter will most likely never reach her birth mother. Hans, who has been nothing but kind to Liesel since her arrival, says, “You know, Liesel? I nearly wrote you a reply and signed your mother's name. […] But I couldn't. I couldn't bring myself."(Zusak 16.1). This is

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