The Book Thief Research Paper

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The Influence of Values on Our Decisions Our beliefs can play a huge part in the way we may think, act or make decisions. Different circumstances and situations shape us and contribute to who we are and how we perceive this world. Beliefs and values are developed throughout the course of our lives and can impact them in positive and negative ways. In Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief, Liesel matures and ages through the pain and loss of losing her loved ones constantly in her life. The experience teaches her to value justice, and strengthens her resolve to achieve what seemed impossible before, knowledge. Zusak shows in The Book Thief that the beliefs and values are the things that make our decisions, and define us as humane. In William Shakespeare’s…show more content…
Juliet gradually starts to value her love, and justice for the right to be with her love, even if it means eventually leading to her own undoing. Shakespeare describes in Romeo and Juliet that often one even can lead to another, which eventually sets off a chain reaction of other events. Thus showing that one’s beliefs can impact decisions in positive and negative ways. Especially when concerning with one’s personal values on justice, knowledge, and love. Justice has many differing views and opinions depending on one’s personal concept of what they deem to be morally correct. For many it can be based upon equity and fairness. In The Book Thief, Zusak uses Liesel to demonstrate that justice is about equity and being fair to others no matter the race. When Liesel with the help of Rudy place bread on the road for the hungry and starving…show more content…
However, love can come in many forms such as friendship, the relationship between two siblings, a child and a parent, and between families. Loving and understanding someone requires trust, and once that trust is gone, insecurity and distrust begin to form. In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Juliet lost in her love with Romeo makes the decision to test him to see if his love is true. “If that thy bent of love be honourable,/ Thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow,/ By one that I’ll procure to come to thee,/ Where and what time thou wilt perform the rite.” (2.2.150-153). By mentioning marriage, Juliet shows her new trust in Romeo, even if she is uncertain of the outcome. Blindly and unconditionally trusting Romeo shows she values her love, even if her trust just may end up killing her. Conversely, in Zusak’s The Book Thief, Liesel loses her trust in love and others around her after losing her original family and is put under foster care. “The fact was this: Liesel would not get out of the car.../ A gang of tears trudged from her eyes as she held on and refused to/ go inside.” (Zusak 28). Liesel after recently dealing with family issues and feeling abandoned refuses to come out of the car, and meet her new foster family. Liesel shows that she is slow to trust her new family, being careful about who she befriends, and puts herself through pain and suffering without being

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