Characters
Death
Death plays a crucial role in this story as he is the one that narrates the events, and often casts the mood of the tale being told. It is he who leads us to the main characters, describes them, and gives an overall perspective of their lives. He also takes time to comment on his job taking souls from bodies, and during the main events of the story, is very busy, as the story takes place during World War II. He describes the color of people's souls as he escorts them away, and the color of the skies when he goes to fetch them. These colors are symbolic of the personalities of the moribund, or of the mood of the world’s events at the time of his arrival.
Liesel Meminger
The main character of the story, Liesel is a nine-year-old girl who has been housed in the home of the Hubermanns, a German couple, because her father is taken away to concentration camps for allegedly having communist leanings. We are first introduced to her as she is riding on a train with her mother and younger brother; her younger brother dies in her arms on the train. This experience is traumatic for her, and she spends the next several years tormented with nightmares of her brother's death. She adjusts well to her new home with the Hubermanns particularly developing a special bond with Hans Hubermann, and learns to read through his patient instruction. The title of the book is named for Liesel, as she tends to steal books on a whim, or in acts of sheer curiosity about their contents. Throughout the story, Liesel demonstrates a strong capability to endure, adapt, and cope with difficult circumstances, despite her vulnerability as she is emotionally affected by all that goes on around her. She also reveals courage and integrity as she demonstrates compassion and acts of human decency toward those around her who are suffering.
Hans Hubermann
Liesel's surrogate father in the book, Hans is a kind, loving, and patient man who often...
(The entire section is 793 words.)