Beauty, by its very definition is a combination of qualities be it shape, color, or form, that pleases the aesthetic, intellectual, or moral sense. In a deeper sense, beauty is simply a feeling, not just a pretty face, or happy ending. Beauty can come from unconventional "beautiful" things, as shown in TBT. Think of Liesel's story. In a conventional world, hers is far from beautiful. Maybe "sorrow", "struggle", and "melancholy" come to mind when considering her losses and lifestyle. Consider the brutality of Nazi Germany.
Punishingly hard or uncomfortable
Without any attempt to disguise unpleasantness
Sound right? Yes.
Yet, TBT does not fully revolve around the idea of unpleasantness...
We know children are the innocent ones in TBT. They are the ones with the smallest bits of joy left. Liesel's innocence, in the face of the brutality of Nazi Germany, bring out the beauty in her story. The subtle moments: Liesel's letters to her mother, the way she stays up with Max as he sleeps, how she kept The Standover Man on her night table even after Max left. Even on a larger scale: playing in the basement as bombs fall on Himmel Street, being with Rudy as he lay covered in ashes. Not only Liesel is the victim of blissful ignorance: Rudy, only imagining a kiss from his neighbor (531), wading into the Amper River for Liesel. "He steps on [Death's] heart. He makes [him] cry" (531). The strength of the relationships between Liesel and Rudy, Liesel and Max, Liesel and her foster parents, prove that even "in the wake of brutality" (Discussion 5), Liesel's life represents beauty in its best form.
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