I found it interesting that Liesel's brother only appears to her when she is at Frau Hermann's house. I think that maybe Ilsa represents what could become of Liesel if she would have stayed in a mourning state after the death of her brother. Ilsa never got over the death of her son, and if Liesel never got over her brother she too would remain cold and sad. Furthermore, the state of Liesel's brother parallels the state of other characters. When Liesel is yelling at Ilsa, Werner is pushed down the steps and his knee is bleeding, as are the symbolic wounds on Frau Hermann's face. After Liesel recieves the letter from Frau Hermann saying that Liesel's stealing has not gone unnoticed but that Ilsa is not angry, Werner's knee is healing, just like the relationship between the two characters. Finally, when Liesel returns the plate as a sign of peace, Werner's knee is completely healed. After this, Liesel only sees him in visions of him peacefully playing in her room. She is not bothered by nightmares of his death ever again. This shows that Liesel has finally learned to cope with his loss, just as Frau Hermann has better adjusted herself and learned to deal with the loss of her son.
Ali B
You're right. I also believe that Werner always appears when Liesel encounter's Isla Hermann because it is a reminder of loss. When Liesel is reminded of the loss of her brother, whom she loved dearly, she is more likely to be empathetic to Isla who has suffered from a similar one.
ReplyDeleteJulia