A Lesson to Be Learned From Liesel by maggie

A Lesson to Be Learned From Liesel by maggie - October 2021 Scholarship Essay

“She knew how powerless a person could be without words. That’s why she would climb higher than anyone else. She had desire. She was hungry for them.” (Zusak). The best lesson I have ever learned from the many books I have read has to be from The Book Thief. The story is told from death’s perspective, telling the story of a girl named Liesel. Liesel is made out to be an incredibly intelligent, strong-willed girl. She is the kind of girl I liked the idea of being as a kid.
Liesel found a love for words because of her foster father. He read to her and with her night after night. If you have ever read the book you know that one of the many books Liesel steals is from the night Nazis took and burned all books that were from authors against Hitler’s views; knowing that the books are considered illegal, she still steals one. Liesel cares more about knowledge and the power words give her than she does about her life. It is an important message, a lesson I took to, quite quickly. Sometimes things are worth so much more than the risks they pose.
Knowledge is power, and there is a strength to recognizing that. There was something inspiring about what lengths she would go to to get her hands on another book so that she could soak up more words. Liesel taught me that there comes a time when you have to be willing to sacrifice, to risk yourself, for things that truly matter. She was willing to destroy her life, and she loved the thrill her stealing brought her. The Book Thief gave me a confidence I didn’t have before reading it, and it helped educate me on how lucky I was to have hundreds and thousands of words at my disposal. Liesel showed me how to take risks for the things that matter to me, and it has served me well.