(pg 35). Hans exudes kindness in every way . He is a gentle soul and an extremely loving and fatherly individual. Liesel is able to see this through his eyes upon first meeting him. Death narrates their meeting in saying, "Liesel observed the strangeness of her foster father's eyes. They were made of kindness and silver. Like soft silver, melting. Liesel, upon seeing those eyes, understood that Hans Hubermann was worth a lot" (pg 34).
Hans showcases his fatherly character every night when he comforts Liesel and helps her learn how to read. When she experiences night terrors flashing back to the death of her brother on the train Hans rushes in to console and reassure her. These late night moments are when Hans teaches Liesel how to read, every night slowly working through "The Grave Digger's Handbook" helping her to complete her goal of finishing it and being placed in the class with kids her own age.
I really like Hans as a character and I think that the "father-daughter" bond that he shares with Liesel adds another dimension to the storyline, his kindness making him a lovable character that the reader can appreciate and become attached to.
Hans' displeasure and dislike for Hitler begins to show when he reads the news paper proclaiming "Hitler takes Poland" and he is described as "slumped into a chair" (pg 74). Being the gentle soul that he is, I predict that as the novel progresses, his discontent will grow and he will attempt to save the Jews from the Holocaust in any way he can.
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| A picture from the film adaptation of The Book Thief of Hans teaching Liesel how to read. Image From: p43-book-thief.png |
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