Discussion 1: Character

The main character is a young girl named Liesel Meminger. In the beginning of the book, she is quiet, timid, and lives through a horrific event. She witnesses her brothers death and then has to leave her mother who was the only other family member alive. Liesel is then forced to live with a foster family. During the first few months, Liesel starts having nightmares of her brothers death and wakes up terrified and screaming. Her foster father, Hans Hubermann, comes to comfort her and read. Although she has been through a lot, I think Liesel becomes less timid and more confident as she starts meeting new friends like Rudy and becoming friends with Hans. She also is made fun of at school but beats up a kid for bullying her which shows some of her new confidence. Liesel begins to look up to Hans and they build a stronger family relationship as she starts opening up to him. Hans begins having "midnight classes" with her because Liesel is illiterate and is put into kindergarten. She begins working hard on her reading and writing skills and is then moved up to the grade she should be in. I don't think I can relate to Liesel because she has been through different  experiences than me, although I tend to be quiet like she sometimes is. 

Discussion 1- Character

Death, is the narrator of the novel, The Book Thief. The narration is my favorite part of the book so far, because it is in a view that I have never read before. It is very interesting and different to read from the view of Death because it isn't in contact with the other characters, but knows about them and watches them. Death's job is also very weird and makes you look at death in a different way. In the book, his job is described to take the suffering away from the dying, and "handing souls to the conveyor belt of eternity" (pg. 23). It is also a very strange character, because in the introduction, it talks about different colors and their meanings. So far, Death is my favorite character because it is really easy to see his view of things and his views of the characters. I also like how there are side comments on what something might mean, or just a random comment. Death is a very twisted and strange character who really adds to the book. The Book Thief is a really good book so far, and all of the characters are very interesting, even though Death is my favorite.

Week 1- Character- Max

I am page 258, so if you aren’t around there you might not want to read this!

Max as a character doesn’t show up until later in the story, not until part 3. We are introduced to him even before Liesel meets him. Death, our very interesting narrator, starts to tell us about Max, while he is in hiding, so we get to read all about Max’s entire journey to the Hubermann’s kitchen. Max used to be a “Fighter”, even though he would often lose, until he was forced to go into hiding. Max at the beginning is just shut down in the basement and we he is just the family’s big secret. It isn’t until Max is allowed to spend the nights sleeping by the fire upstairs that we get to see Max and Liesel interact. Liesel and Max are connected with words and nightmares. She would spend her time in the basement reading, while Max would be in the basement hidden reading Hitler’s book or the newspaper that Liesel would bring him. This connection improved when (SPOILER) Max made Liesel a book. This showed me a lot about Max as a person. He is so grateful for everything that Liesel and her Family are doing for him that he decides to make Liesel a book, and the book was autobiographical for him, telling her his story. Max used to be a “Fighter”, even though he would often lose. They both also have nightmares, Max dreams about leaving his family and that aweful moment when he left them all knowing that they would not make it, and we all know that Liesel has her nightmares about her brother dying on the train. Max as a character isn’t just the man living in the basement but slowly he is becoming a friend of Liesel and a part of their family.

Discussion Post One

The most interesting character in this book so far is the narrator, Death. In the first chapter, Death proudly introduces himself as neither evil nor nice, but agreeable, amiable, affable, etc. This allows us, as readers, to come to terms with Death’s open personality and his narration. Death, a very distinctive character, is also able to tell the story of the book thief unlike anyone other human could. With the view point of a bystander, Death describes the story through his personality, faintly cheerful in the dark times of war. He is indifferent to all the deaths in the story, and just goes about his own business, taking the souls of dead people. It is a matter of coincidence that he chooses to tell the story of Liesel Meminger, the book thief. Taking time from his normal schedule, Death describes the life of this girl who basically likes books. Liesel could just be the emotional warmness Death needs, since he has such a gruesome profession. This is most likely why he chooses to interfere and tell stories of humans, to experience the warmness of life.

Discussion 1- Character

The main character in this novel is Liesel Meminger. She has gone through a lot in the first couple of chapters with the death of her younger brother and being forced to move in with a foster family. But even though she has gone through so much, she learns from her experiences and becomes stronger. At first, Liesel would have nightmares about her brother's death which showed she is still young and weak, but she also is able to beat up boys at her school that bully her. Liesel is both strong and weak and i can easily relate to her and her actions. At times, i can be very strong and not let anything get me down, but other times, i let one comment get to me and i break down. Liesel collects books that she finds that remind her of experiences she has faced and they keep her entertained while she is learning to read. The character that helps Liesel learn to read and really cares a lot for her is her foster father, Hans Hubermann. Hans Hubermann is a good role model, who i think has a huge affect on Liesel's life and the way she acts. Overall, i think Liesel is a very interesting character and i can't wait to read more into the novel and see what more experiences she will go through.

Discussion Post One

My favorite part of The Book Thief so far is the narration. It's a very interesting twist that the novel is narrated by death. I also think it's rather interesting how "Death" is neither a cold or evil narrator. In fact he has a rather dry sense of humor and treats that fact that he collects dead peoples' "souls" as more of an unfortunate necessity rather than something he enjoys. Liesel on the other hand I find to be a far less interesting character. She does nothing very spontaneous and doesn't have many interesting or dynamic character traits. That's not to say I don't like Liesel, I just don't find her very captivating. It's much more interesting when Death narrates about his thoughts and there is less dialougue between Liesel and the other characters.

Discussion 1- Character

I think that the narration by Death is a very interesting twist in the book.   I don't quite understand the whole color thing yet, but who would have thought to narrate the book by something so eerie?  The color thing is, I am not sure, but maybe his reading of emotion, but I am still trying to figure it out.  Death is quite an interesting character, and the fact that he wanders around, trying not to notice people that are alive and just picks up dead people's souls is pretty darn creepy.  Also, it is compelling to think that Leisel is around death three times in her life and all three times, Death seems to notice her above all else.  I wonder what is so compelling to him about her.  In any case though, Death seems to sympathize with Leisel and her life.  He is especially interested in her book, that he, in turn, is recounting to us.  I think that Death wishes he was alive so he could experience more that just colors, but emotions.  Maybe that is why he is so interested in Liesel, because he wishes he could feel what she could feel.  

Discussion 1: Character

One thing that makes this novel especially unique is that it's narrated by Death. Death really is personified: the descriptions it uses about itself are very similar to that of a person. For example, Death describes itself carrying souls away in its arms, and at one point, says it likes the statement Max makes about punching Death in the face. These human-like characteristics have resulted in me picturing Death as a black shadowy gas with the figure of a person, sort of like someone's shadow or shillouette. However, this is only when Death is actually mentioned. The character is in a way inconsistant. Sometimes as I'm reading I forget it's Death narrating at all, and instead think of it as your average third-person narrator. When Death is mentioned, or makes a referrence to itself, I get a sudden wham of realization. Oh yeah, Death's narrating. Still, the idea is very interesting and it's fun seeing the sort of sarcasm and bluntness Death brings to the story.

Discussion Post #1

Liesel, the main character in The Book Thief, is quiet and shy at first, but with time she gains confidence and determination. When Liesel first arrives at the Huberman's home, she refuses to take a bath for weeks, perhaps because she is unable to adjust to the new environment. It is also difficult for her to adjust to her brother being dead. Liesel imagined him sleeping in his bed as she laid awake at night. Though Liesel is illiterate in the beginning of the story, she insists that Hans reads her the one book she has. Her determination promotes her to the grade her age group is normally in. Liesel is smart, and she learns how to read with persistence. She also is logical enough to not argue with Rosa's commands, but simply reply "Yes, mama." Liesel is impulsive, as shown by her grabbing the gravedigger's book, insisting on being goalie for Rudy's penalty kick, and trying to do the reading test when she was exempt from it. Liesel is very sensitive, especially when the kids in her class laugh at her. Her new-found aggressive nature causes her to beat up a kid severely. Liesel is competive, another reason why she wanted to prove herself by doing the test. Liesel is tolerant, probably from being around Hans so much. Liesel doesn't seem to judge Rudy or Rosa, accepting them for their unique personalities.

Post #1 - Character

Leisel Meminger is the main character in The Book Thief. She seems to be a brave girl when she wants to be, but very quiet and weak other times. After Leisel's brother dies, she has nightmares every night about her being left alone with the Hubermanns, which shows her weak side. Although this continues to happen, she also stands up for herself against kids at her school who tell her that she is stupid. The two closest people to Leisel are Rudy Steiner, her best friend, and Hans Hubermann, her foster father. Hans is one of the biggest influences on Leisel when she settles in and helps to teach her how to read and write. When Leisel first goes to school, they realize she does not know how to read and write and is therefore sent back to kindergarten. Hans stays up with her every night after she is woken up by her nightmare and they what they call "midnight class," where they read and find out which words Leisel does not know. Eventually, Leisel is back with her class, although she still is not the best at reading or writing. Leisel's character has already changed a lot since she first came to stay with the Hubermanns, but I'm sure we will see her change much more throughout the story.

Discussion Topic #1 - Character

Rudy Steiner is Liesel's best friend since she moved in with her foster family. He's interesting because he doesn't seem to follow the rules of being a child. The book talks about how he makes a point not to be afraid of girls in order to break the mold. This is demonstrated when he tells Liesel that eventually, they will kiss. Even when Liesel says 'no', he's not phased. I thought he was interesting because of the "Jesse Owens Incident" in which he painted himself black with charcoal and ran around a track, in order to be like his favorite athlete. His father got mad at him for trying to stand out. The ease with which Rudy approaches different races and religions makes him one of the rare children of the Nazi party. His father tells him that he has "safe blue eyes" and for that, he should be grateful. Rudy is not grateful, however, to fit in. He shows, by his friendship with a ten-year-old girl in kindergarten, that he's not afraid to stand out. I think this is both an admirable, and dangerous quality in Nazi Germany.

~Eliza

Hans Hubermann

Hans hubermann, Liesel's new foster dad, is a very interesting character. He is a quiet man, unlike his loud and opinionated wife. Him and Liesel share a special bond, starting from the moment she arrives. Hans coaxes her into the house and later is the one who rushes to her bedside when she has her terrible nightmares about the death of her younger brother. Hans seems to be Liesel's escape from the past (her brother dying and mother leaving her) and the present (bieng separated form her family.) He comforts liesel and acts like her real father, since hers is gone with hitler's army. He lets Liesel help him roll his cigarettes and spends as much time as he can with her. He also plays his accordian to ease Liesel's distraught mind. Hans Hubermann is a caring, loving, quiet man who i think will have a significant impact on Liesel's life. So far, this thoughtful man is my favorite character.

1st Discussion Post

In this book, the main character's name is Liesel Meminger. She is a very shy, scarred little girl (not scared, scarred) who acts very calmly around her new foster family. She doesn't speak much, but she communicates in other ways, particularly with her new foster father Hans Hubermann. She relates to him quite well, even early on in the book. I don't really relate to Liesel much because she is very quiet while I am not. Also, she has had very different experiences from me, so I don't know if I could understand how she feels. To fix her mistakes, Liesel needs to be a little more extroverted, but I don't know how easily that will come. Liesel is mainly influenced by Rosa Hubermann and Hans Hubermann, her foster parents. Rosa influences her behavior, while Hans influences her recovery after seeing her dead brother. It seems that Hans influences Liesel more than Rosa does, however. 

Week One!

Welcome to Week 1 of our Discussion. This discussion will last from Monday, February 23rd to Sunday, March 1.

This week's discussion is on Character. Please POST a 10 sentence comment on character. Don't forget to comment on 5 other posts on this blog. You have all week to complete this assignment, but don't wait until the last minute!!!