The question I have been thinking about involves Liesel's foster mother, Risa Hubermann, is such a cruel woman. Did she have a moment in the past that was just horrible, which made her the way she is now? Or is she just a crabby person on the outside?
I don't really know yet, but i think she's just a crabby person.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
This is a really good question. I think that she probably went though a horrible and traumatic event earlier in her life, and she became bitter after that. It could possibly be something to do with World War 1 or something, but maybe it is something completely different.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really good question! It really got me thinking, and like Emily said, I feel like she probably went through a bad time earlier in her life that took away her open and fun-loving side, and made her into this cranky old women. Nick, I agree that she could just be a crabby person, but Hans is so kind and I don't think he would have fallen in love with Rosa if she had been this crabby and mean when they met.
ReplyDeleteEmily, I like how you brought up WWI, because that war did indeed affect a lot of people who ended up also becoming involved in WWII.
ReplyDeleteSomething tells me Rosa lost someone important to her in WWI, or something happened to her family, because we -do- see a soft side to her every once in awhile when she is talking to Liesel. Or maybe her current economic situation with Hans [that seems to have gone on for awhile] has made her bitter, because there's a part in the book where she says, "I should have listened to my mother, I cannot rely on a painter to provide for me" ectect.
It's hard to say whether or not Rosa's bitterness was caused by something in her past, but it's an interesting idea. I agree that it's hard to think of Hans falling in love with someone so crabby, but maybe Hans likes the harshness in her. Maybe, since he's so kind himself, he likes having someone else be the harsh one instead of him. I think Rosa grew even more bitter over time, due to WWI, their financial troubles, and other things, but was always firm and a little bit crabby to begin with.
ReplyDeleteI had the exact same question when Rosa's bitter personality was introduced into the story. However, I assumed it was a scar of her horrible childhood. She probably was the result of two bad parents. I also completely disagree that she is just a crabby person on the outside. There must have been some event in her life to make her so bitter and irritating.
ReplyDeleteI agree with vic, I believe it was the result of her childhood. Maybe just the way she was raised made her become this foul. Her parents must have been just black and white which in result made Rosa become rude and straight forward.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is probably due to her childhood and she might have been abused. I think it usually happens to be that the mothers who are abusive, come from an abusive family. She could be a crabby person, but she doesn't need to physically abuse Liesel like she does, so I think that she came from an abusive family, to make her abuse Liesel.
ReplyDeleteI think Zusak made her so crabby so that Liesel gets to realize that life is tough, and sometimes you just have to deal with it. I don't know if Zusak wants us to analyze deeper into why exactly she is the way she is, but i would have to say it is to teach Liesel a lesson about life.
ReplyDeleteI agree with a lot that has been said so far. I think that Rosa has probably had a very difficult childhood and a rough marriage. The war is another obvious reason that she is very uptight. I think that she also feels a lot of stress because money is tight and Hans does not make much, so she might feel like it is her responsibility to support he family. All of these things could be reason for her bad moods, but I don't think we will ever know for sure.
ReplyDeleteI think there is definetly a possibility that there was something from her childhood that has made her like this. Although, considering the times they are living in, perhaps she is just stressed, and it comes off as being really crabby and mean.
ReplyDeleteI think that Rosa could have experienced something traumatic in her past which caused her to turn bitter, but I think there is more to it than that. I feel that she is dissatisfied with her life and never dreamed that her life would turn out the way it did which causes her bitter personality.
ReplyDeleteI also think that Rosa could have gone through a traumatic event or had a difficult childhood. Like Emma said, she may just be stressed out from what's been going on lately and therefore takes it out on others. There is that chance Rosa is just plain crabby but I think she's become that way from the events happening now.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think that she is really a horrible person, but I think that she is strict. I also think that it could be because of the times and the goings on of the country that they were living in, you can’t blame her for being stressed out over that. She could also be upset that her children left her, and now her son will not even talk with them anymore
ReplyDeleteI agree with you guys that it was probably a bad event earlier in her life. I also think that she is just naturally a crabby person too. This is because a normal person would be able to get over a terrible event enough not to be such a jerk as Risa is.
ReplyDeleteInitially, I thought that Rosa had an event in her life that made her crabby. Death has explained things like Hans' connection to Max by describing past events. Remembering this, I think if there was a specific reason for Rosa's personality, Death may have told us it. I haven't finished the book, so perhaps Death will give a reason.
ReplyDeleteI think Rosa's bitterness is a combination of the two. Maybe she just doesn't really like kids? It could be that something involving children happened to her and she doesn't know how to deal with them anymore.
ReplyDeleteI think that maybe at one time Rosa was nice but maybe her situation and position made her bitter and angry. She is mad about how she is married to someone she doesn't love and they do not have alot of money. So she takes out her frustration out on her husband and daughter.
ReplyDeleteI think that Rosa used to be very open and extroverted about loving others, but then she got hurt, maybe by a family member (Hans Jr???) and stopped being so trusting. Rosa seems like she's very nice deep down, but she is definitely very guarded about her emotions.
ReplyDeleteI think Rosa is crabby because she has had an incredibly difficult life. She washes other peoples clothes, so she has to look at them and see what she doesn't have everyday. Then her husband is away, even at night. And they're just making enough to scrape by in life. I don't think she has it easy, so I can understand her being in a not-so-good mood all the time.
ReplyDelete