Liesel’s thirst for the meanings of words intensifies as she enrolls at a school. Her classmates frequently taunt her, as she is unable to decipher difficult words. Teachers avoid asking her to read words, as they assume she would not know what they mean. She even went as far as reciting part of The Grave- Diggers Handbook she possesses, to show that she is not as inferior compared to her other classmates. She gets in fights with other students, and is advised by her father to avoid such confrontations. Her knowledge of understanding the words increased as her father tutored her in their basement. “Papa would say a word and the girl would have to spell it aloud and then paint it on the wall, as long as she got it right.” After a month, the wall was recoated. (72)”. As Liesel continued to be tutored by Hans, she gained the courage to learn new things. Unfortunately, her curiosity of learning words were not all that present at Himmel Street.

 

As mentioned before, the power of Adolf Hitler’s books were very powerful indeed. The majority of Germans were very much convinced of the propaganda the Nazis were spreading against those who they deemed unworthy. This is evident, as even one of Liesel’s classmate’s father seems to consider he is better off without Jewish businesses contending against him in the tailor business, therefore proving the effects. Nazi presence increasingly spreads, as Germany enters the Second World War. To push their influence even further, the Nazis order the burnings of books they saw demoralized the German people’s interests. On the Führer’s birthday, Hitler youth, a division meant for adolescents were supposed to throw all books in a bonfire. As Liesel witnesses the atrocity, she notices that one book did not suffer the fate as the other books. As Death noted, with anger and hate fueling her, Liesel cunningly stole The Shoulder Shrug. Her anger against the Führer, made her do such deed. Due to her love for literature, she risks her life by stealing a book, defying Nazi policies.

 

Later, as she continues to steal books during burning sessions, she realized that the book she tucks inside her shirt is now burning her chest. “Beneath her shirt, a book was eating her up)” (83). This symbolizes that the power of words can “burn” into someone’s mind by making them commit certain actions. Hans J.R for example was brainwashed by Nazi ideology, that it caused him to strain his relationship with his father, as his father did not agree with it. Liesel’s relationship with books further develops when she meets Max, a Jewish man who is hiding in the Hubermann’s basement. During his stay with the Hubermanns, Max writes stories on the blank pages of Hitler’s biography Mein Kampf. “From a Himmel Street window, he wrote, the stars set fire to my eyes”(256). Max writes about the stars he witnesses on Himmel Street, as he is unexposed to the outside word. Liesel, who originally was reluctant to talk to Max, makes friends with him, as reading and writing is something they both have in common. Reading stories gave Liesel joy, as it allowed her to collaborate with other individuals.