The Environment In Markus Zusak's The Book Thief

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The Book Thief
Our environment is what shapes us into who we are. Our experiences define us. And our demeanor can be used as the shield to protect us from the bad impressions that may arise from both our environment and experiences. In the historical fiction novel, The Book Thief, the author, Markus Zusak, demonstrates how cultural, physical, or geographical surroundings can shape psychological or moral traits in a character through language, location, and the political standing of a country at war.
Leisel Meminger had grown accustomed to the life of privation that accompanied living in Molching, Germany. Followed by the privation was the constant swearing and arguing by her foster parents. She had grown so accustomed to this manner of …show more content…
Himmel Street is where she had met her best friend Rudy Steiner. Although the rest of Nazi Germany was at war with itself, Leisel saw Himmel Street as her safe haven on some level. It was where her new home was for a length of time. The reader can see this as where Leisel held on to her innocence, her morality, and her childhood. As Death narrates: “On Himmel Street, friendships were made outside, no matter the weather” (Zusak, 65). This supports the idea that Himmel Street was, to Leisel, the place where she could go to escape from the thoughts of war, death, and fighting by simply creating or focusing on her friendships. On Himmel Street, the children created a lively scene that could even be used by adults as a distraction from the war. The physical state of Himmel Street had been a general view of poverty. Growing up on the street could eventually change the mindset of a person, no matter the age. Poverty tends to be accompanied with side effects of depression and desperation. But at the same time, living on the street also managed to keep Liesel from being manifested by the
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