Throughout <u>The Book Thief</u> there are numerous civil rights offenses, as it takes place during a time where discrimination and intolerance were common. The right to privacy, a safe place to live, and unfair imprisonment were violated often during World War II. The main character, Liesel, experiences life different from many of the Jewish people who were mistreated by Nazis, yet she still experiences hardship. Liesel explores the violations she's felt against her freedom of expression during this story. The beginning of this story gives us a sad, abandoned Liesel that has experienced the loss of her family. Through learning to read with her foster father, Liesel begins to understand the power of words and how they can be used to hurt or to help others. As she witnesses injustices the Nazis deliver and how it affects Jewish people, Liesel seeks revenge on Hitler and wants to take away some of what he is destroying. She changes from someone filled with hate and pain to someone with compassion who finds a positive way to help others and express herself. Liesel writes a book to describe the pain she has experienced and witnessed, which helps not only serve justice to those who have been mistreated but also as an outlet for her freedom of expression.
