Ilsa Hermann: A Life of Solitude
Parlato
AP Language and Composition
Word Count: 496
Ilsa Hermann: A life of Solitude
Words have a dramatic effect on what we know, how we interact with people, and the decision we ultimately make. Words change everything! Words easily have the power to influence us, inspire use, or bring us to tear. Words change our relationships, our demeanor, even our entire system of beliefs. The words “I love you” or “I hate you” have a majorly different meaning behind them. Words have a powerful and undeniably overwhelming influence on us – for good and, at times, for bad.
Ilsa Hermann, the mayor’s wife, is a mysterious women who rarely talks or does much besides wearing matching robes and slippers. She is known as, “Absolutely crazy” (42), and is depressed for the loss of her son. Ilsa’s son died in war, her only true happiness, she lives a life of coldness and darkness, described by Death as “A women with startled eyes… and the posture of defeat” (42).Ilsa views Liesel as an image of herself- broken, dejected, and naïve. “A smile appeared on her paralyzed lips…she(Liesel) returned to the lady behind her, whose smile gave an appearance now of a bruise”(135) As Ilsa watches Liesel, she can’t help but be brought out of her stony state, she smiles, a real smile. The black negative space- that fills Ilsa’s heart- shouldn’t belong to the little girls. With Liesel provocative behaviors Ilsa can’t help but feel sorrow and a need to fix her before Liesel ends up in a stony state of regret and solitude. Ilsa may be thought as crazy, but when you look there is a caring, sympathetc women, she isn’t just a cold-hearted mute.
Ilsa watches Liesel steal the book after the BDM burning party (120-1), something clicks in her head that she can save this little girl from becoming what she has become. She feels the need to prevent her from becoming another unknowledgeable person, who is blinded from the truth. “When she stood with an impossibly frail steadfastness, she was holding a
AP Language and Composition
Word Count: 496
Ilsa Hermann: A life of Solitude
Words have a dramatic effect on what we know, how we interact with people, and the decision we ultimately make. Words change everything! Words easily have the power to influence us, inspire use, or bring us to tear. Words change our relationships, our demeanor, even our entire system of beliefs. The words “I love you” or “I hate you” have a majorly different meaning behind them. Words have a powerful and undeniably overwhelming influence on us – for good and, at times, for bad.
Ilsa Hermann, the mayor’s wife, is a mysterious women who rarely talks or does much besides wearing matching robes and slippers. She is known as, “Absolutely crazy” (42), and is depressed for the loss of her son. Ilsa’s son died in war, her only true happiness, she lives a life of coldness and darkness, described by Death as “A women with startled eyes… and the posture of defeat” (42).Ilsa views Liesel as an image of herself- broken, dejected, and naïve. “A smile appeared on her paralyzed lips…she(Liesel) returned to the lady behind her, whose smile gave an appearance now of a bruise”(135) As Ilsa watches Liesel, she can’t help but be brought out of her stony state, she smiles, a real smile. The black negative space- that fills Ilsa’s heart- shouldn’t belong to the little girls. With Liesel provocative behaviors Ilsa can’t help but feel sorrow and a need to fix her before Liesel ends up in a stony state of regret and solitude. Ilsa may be thought as crazy, but when you look there is a caring, sympathetc women, she isn’t just a cold-hearted mute.
Ilsa watches Liesel steal the book after the BDM burning party (120-1), something clicks in her head that she can save this little girl from becoming what she has become. She feels the need to prevent her from becoming another unknowledgeable person, who is blinded from the truth. “When she stood with an impossibly frail steadfastness, she was holding a