The Book Thief- Blog Entry 2

   The characters from The Book Thief and Sarah’s Key are very different, but they have some similar traits. The two protagonists grow up in two very different worlds, on opposite sides of the war. Liesel grows up in Germany, although she does not share the extreme views on Jews that many Germans share. Sarah is a victim of the Vel d’ Hiv roundup of Jews in Paris. Both Sarah and Liesel grew up in families who were considered threats to Nazis and Hitler. Sarah grew up in a Jewish family. Liesel’s parent(s) were communists and her father and mother were most likely kidnapped or killed. Another experience Sarah and Liesel share is that both their brothers are dead.

   Liesel and Sarah are both 10 years girls who matured too fast; they both have lost their families due to the Holocaust and war. Before the war Liesel and Sarah were innocent children. When the Holocaust began, they were forced to deal with adult problems at a young age. Furthermore, both protagonists are both courageous and daring. Liesel takes a big gamble every time she steals a book and when she steals food from farms. If she is caught stealing books from a book burning of Jewish literature, the consequences could be dire. Sarah takes an unimaginable risk when she flees the concentration camp. If she were to be caught by German soldiers or an anti-Semitic individual she would most likely be brutally murdered. Another shared characteristic of the two protagonists is that both are willing to die to save their families; they are both infinitely loyal.

   Liesel and Sarah share some of the same characteristics, but are not necessarily motivated by the same things. Liesel is motivated to steal books by her love for learning and knowledge. The first book she steals, The Grave Digger’s Handbook, serves as the last link to her mother and brother. Her book thievery serves a small rebellion against the Nazis for possibly taking her mother and father away. Sarah’s recurring motivation throughout the book is loyalty her family. When she is at the concentration camp and in the Vel d’ Hiv all she can think about is her brother. Michael is her motivation for escape from the concentration camp; she can’t bear the thought of losing him. When Sarah grows up she doesn’t tell her new family the truth about her childhood out of love for them.