Analysis Of Markus Zusak's The Book Thief

The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, has caused me to have multiple reactions, to the story, characters, and themes. They have made me feel mad, sad, upset, happy, but most of all surprised; throughout the recent readings every night more gets added to the story and more just surprises me. What completely shocked/surprised me was when Liesel fought back against Ludwig Schmeikl and what followed afterwards. However, there has been far more things than just that, that have surprised me. A couple include Liesel receiving two books for christmas, Hans Junior leaving, and how Rudy has reacted to Liesel throughout the entire passage, In November 1939 in the story Liesel was learning to read with her Papa’s help, every night at around 2 A.M. without Rosa’s knowledge. One day in school there was a reading test for all the students, except for Liesel, which Rudy being Rudy brought it up to Sister Maria, so Liesel did end up trying to read from the book. However, Liesel completely froze up and started to quote from
However, the Hubermanns are too poor to pay for something extra like a book for Liesel, so Liesel getting a Christmas present was completely out of the question. Even though Papa wanted to get Liesel a book, “the Hubermanns were essentially broke, still paying off debts and paying rents quicker than money could come in” (88). After Liesel, Rosa, and Hans got back from church on Christmas Liesel sees something wrapped under the tree in newspaper addressed to her, even though it is from Saint Nicholas she knows her Papa got it for her. When Liesel got the gift it completely surprised, that she even got a gift, at that a book, when her family couldn’t even afford it, without going further into debt. Also the way Hans got the books surprised me, making cigarettes and trading them to a