Liesel meminger as a girl with a mountain to climb liesel meminger is the main character of the book the book thief. She is 9 years old at the beginning of the story, when after the death of her brother she is taken in by the hubermann family. Liesel has been sent to live with hans and rosa huberman, presumably for the small stipend theyll receive. Liesel meminger quotes 15 quotes goodreads share book. According to death, liesels book, the book thief, is divided in this way as well. Get free homework help on markus zusaks the book thief.
She is fostered by the hubermanns when her father and mother, both communists, are most likely sent to dachau concentration camp although the book leaves its readers to make their own assumptions pertaining to the fate of liesels biological parents. Liesel justifies stealing the book with the reasoning that the hermanns have more than enough and they deserve a bit of punishment. For her performance in the film, she won a genie and a jutra award for best supporting actress. Her foster father has taught her to read, and she shares the books with max vanderberg, a jewish refugee the family is hiding in the basement.
The protagonist of the book, liesel is also its moral center. However, people, even death, perceive him as a normal or barely visible man. Liesel meminger is the protagonist in the novel, the book thief. Though the events around her soon cause liesel to lose her rosy view of the world, she maintains her kindness, doing her best to ease the suffering of those around her, german and jew alike. The character of liesel meminger in the book thief from. As a last name meminger was the 111,988 th most popular name in 2010. However, max vandenburg and liesel meminger went against this abomination during this time and during their friendship max vandenburg gave many things to liesel. Liesel meminger is the book thief, and werner is liesel brother. Licensed to youtube by wmg on behalf of east west records uk ltd. The death narrates this story, describes main characters and gives us his own opinion about humans.
The meaning, origin and history of the given name liesel. Death narrator page 31 this quote also indicates the time it was in world war 2 19391945 because in. Hans hubermann has multiple talents like painting or playing the accordion. The book thief is a 20 war drama film directed by brian percival and starring geoffrey rush, emily watson, and sophie nelisse. In the book thief by markus zusak, liesel memingers inability to halt her dangerous habits put her and others lives in dangerous situations. There were all different styles and sizes of lettering on the spines of the black, the red, the gray, the everycolored books. He states that the book thief died only yesterday, that she lived a long life in a place far away from munich and himmel street in a suburb of sydney. Liesel meminger is the hardworking, bookthieving, kindhearted star of the. Living with her foster parents, hans and rosa hubermann, outside of munich in 1939, liesel sees the horrors of the nazi regime firsthand. Het decor is molching, een fictief buitenstadje van munchen tijdens. The oldest recorded birth by the social security administration for the name meminger is friday, october 14th, 1932. Many people who have read it wondered if liesel meminger is. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one. She is seen by death one day and catches his interest.
At the start of her story, liesel is without words and cannot read. In the novel the book thief liesel experiences many difficulties in her life. Liesel is the book thief referred to in the title because liesel is fascinated by the power of words. During the air raids, liesel begins reading aloud to the people. The grave diggers handbook, a training book about grave digging, which liesel meminger protagonist found lying in the snow at werner memingers funeral. Liesel stole books from a grave digger, a bonfire and the mayors wife, ilsa herman. According to death, liesel s book, the book thief, is divided in this way as well. So, we think a good way to analyze liesels character. You didnt really want brown eyes in germany around that time.
When was the first name meminger first recorded in the united states. Hans hubermann is the foster father of liesel meminger. She believes the towns wealthy should continue to employ workers during the war. The best world shakers were the ones who understood the true power of words. Amiable, gentle, humble, secure definitely for liesel, who looked for safety and protection, strong character summary. See our topranked characters and read their profiles. Sure, shes a book thief, but shes no ordinary criminal and is more relatable than one might expect. Markus zusaks the book thief, set in germany during world war ii, follows young liesel meminger as she struggles with the loss of her mother and brother and. Elevenyearold liesel meminger is a foster child who has recently arrived in a small town outside munich, germany during wwii. Liesel s little brother, who died suddenly on the train with his mother and sister, while being transported to their foster parents. Her hair was a close enough brand of german blonde, but she had dangerous eyes.
Ilsa allows liesel to visit, read and steal books in her personal library. With one eye open, one still in a dream, the book thief also known as liesel meminger could see without question that her younger brother, werner, was now sideways and dead. Economizing at home makes poor workers like rosa even poorer. As you probably already know, death tells her story in ten sections, each one given the title of a book or story. At first, liesel refuses the book offered by frau hermann because accepting felt wrong. Character profile for liesel meminger from the book thief. She is fostered by the hubermanns when her father and mother, both communists, are most likely sent to dachau concentration camp although the book leaves its readers to make their own assumptions pertaining to the fate of liesel s biological parents. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of the book thief by markus zusak.
Once a reluctant soldier during world war i, he is a house painter and accordionist. Her soul, like her papas, sat up when death came for her, and as she went she thought of her three children, her grandchildren, her husband, and the many loved ones from her past, especially. Liesel meminger is the main protagonist of the bestselling book the book thief and the 20 film adaptation. Faust the dog, written by mattheus ottleberg, a christmas gift from hans and rosa hubermann to liesel meminger. After frau hermann fires rosa, liesels opinion changes. When he was set upon, he was slapped and clawed and obliterated by a girl who was utterly consumed with rage. Some less common occupations for americans named meminger were carting and housewife. The story itselftold from deaths unique perspectivefollows 9yearold leisel meminger, the book thief, from the day of her baby brothers death as her mother is taking them to be cared for by foster parents hans and rosa hubermann at the beginning of wwii. It was one of the most beautiful things liesel meminger had ever seen. Markus zusaks supernatural historical fiction novel the book thief concerns the life of liesel meminger, adopted daughter of hans and rosa hubermann. The book thiefcharacter development overcoming adversity. Like many of us, liesel doesnt have an easy time reading, at least not at first. Liesel meminger is the hardworking, bookthieving, kindhearted star of the novel. Hij al zou het ook net zo goed een zij kunnen zijn vertelt het verhaal van liesel meminger.
She steals it out of anger, after the hermanns fire rosa because they cant pay her anymore. A song in the dark is the book liesel stole from ilsas library,before liesel received the duden dictionary and thesaurus. The book thief, by markus zusak, is told in the firstperson point of view of death as he narrates the unforgettable story of liesel meminger. A young, tomboyish preadolescent girl and the protagonist of the book thief. For 12yearold liesel meminger, books keep her going. He is telling us here the book is about liesel, her books, hans, erik and their shared accordion, the nazis, max eriks son, and the books liesel steals. In het boek wordt een deel van het leven van liesel meminger verteld door niemand. They ignore the reality that a new version of the same old problem will be waiting at the end of the trip.
Before you read the book thief, what did you imagine a person who steals books to be like. Three main examples of liesels dangerous activities are when she steals books, when she demonstrates kindness at improper times, and when she disrespects others for her own selfish reasons. The the book thief quotes below are all either spoken by liesel meminger or refer to liesel meminger. Liesel meminger character analysis liesel meminger is the main character of a historical novel the book thief by an australian writer markus zusak which is his most popular work. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. She only stole books on what she felt was a needtohave basis. Faust the dog, written by mattheus ottleberg, a christmas gift.
The book thief printables, classroom activities, teacher. Sophie nelisse was born in windsor, ontario, but moved to montreal with her family when she was just age four. Liesel meminger character analysis essay sample your. Not much is known about a song in the dark except that she stole it without rudys help, and she picked the book because it was green. Having lost her father because of his communist sympathies, and soon thereafter her brother and mother, she understands the pain of loss, and these experiences inform her actions and attitudes towards the other characters. Hans hubermann papa liesels foster father and husband of rosa, hans is a former german soldier during the first world war, accordion player, and painter. Liesel meminger is the hardworking, book thieving, kindhearted star of the novel. In duitsland in het jaar 1938 wordt liesel meminger sophie nelisse door haar moeder afgezet bij haar adoptieouders hans en rosa hubermann omdat haar.
Apr 25, 2014 in the novel, the book thief, the setting is the year 1939 in the newly founded nazi germany. There is more than meets the eye with the protagonist of the book thief, liesel meminger. Liesel meminger quotes quotes tagged as lieselmeminger showing 115 of 15 after another ten minutes, the gates of thievery would open just a crack, and liesel meminger would widen them a little further and squeeze through. She begins the story sent to live with foster parents, hans and rosa hubermann.
Jun 11, 2012 liesel meminger is the hardworking, book thieving, kindhearted star of the novel. So, we think a good way to analyze liesel s character. The idea of a jewish male and a german girl becoming good acquaintances is an unimaginable, punishable thought in the time that the book thief is written. In the novel, the book thief, the setting is the year 1939 in the newly founded nazi germany. The film is about a young girl living with her adoptive german family during the nazi era. Each wall was armed with overcrowded yet immaculate shelving. He starts off in the novel as a tenyearold boy with bony legs, sharp teeth, gangly blue eyes.
Meaning, origin and history of the name liesel behind. Warner chappell, ascap, latinautor warner chappell. The book thief had struck for the first timethe beginning of an. As he died on their way to their new foster parents. Liesels emotional journey through the book thief literature. She began her career at the age of seven in commercials, then made her movie debut at age 10 in the 2012 frenchcanadian film monsieur lazhar. She reads with her papa and visits frau hermann in her library, one of the greatest places liesel has ever seen. Death, as the narrator of the novel, dedicates his spare time during a certain time period to talk about those said experiences of liesel. The protagonist of the story is an adopted girl on the verge of adolescence, with blonde hair. Death explains why liesel steals frau hermanns book. The setting was on a train on their way to their foster parents in january 1939. Zusak, 20 liesel was on her way to her new foster parents house when her younger brother died.
The novel was an international bestseller and is now considered to be a modern classic. After hans is caught giving bread to a jewish man, max is forced to flee, causing liesel considerable desperation. The reason being because she didnt own any books whos covers were green. Having lost her father because of his communist sympathies, and soon thereafter her brother and. The book thief study guide contains a biography of markus zusak, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Liesel has a falling out with ilsa hermann and begins stealing books from her. The whistler is the first book liesel reads during the air raids, and it helps liesel notice that her passion for words and books can help others around her. The film is based on the 2005 novel of the same name by markus zusak and adapted by michael petroni. This is the first book that liesel steals from ilsa hermanns library. She understands that there is great power in words, though, and she hungers for them. Markus zusaks the book thief, set in germany during world war ii, follows young liesel meminger as she struggles with the loss of her mother and brother and must go to live with foster parents, hans and rosa hubermann.