Chapters:
The Wrath of Rosa (197)
Liesel's Lecture (199)
Liesel knows her foster parents. Hans is the father who will always be there. He is gentle, kind, calm, and stays by her side in the early hours of morning. Rosa is harsh, strict, as well as soft and motherly at times. What will Liesel think when the roles have been changed?
The Wrath of Rosa:
Max has arrived at the Hubermann home, and Rosa feeds him pea soup. "Her plump figure [glows] with worry" (197). Yet, in the same chapter, when Max refuses the soup, "Rosa order[s] him [to move]" (198). We see two sides of Rosa. She is worried, yet is quickly and easily angered.
Liesel's Lecture:
For the first time ever, the kitchen and Mama were dormant. It was a kind of bemused, inaugural silence. To Liesel's relief, it lasted only a few minutes.
...
"Is that clear, Saumensch?"
That was better.
The girl nodded.
Clearly, Liesel is not used to Rosa's newly improved behavior. And, this raises a question. What exactly is Liesel used to? Can she only accept a person's personality for what she first sees? Liesel appears to rely strongly on first impressions...
In the same chapter, Hans warns Liesel to never "tell anyone about [Max]" (203). For the first time, Liesel sees the harsher side of Hans. He threatens her. He will punish her. "They'll drag [Max] away, and maybe Mama and me, too -- and we will never, ever come back" (204). Hans is drastic, somewhat exaggerated, yet still telling the truth. Liesel is broken down to tears, and we see Liesel becoming very attached to her foster parents in a short period of time.
For me, her foster parents give Liesel a feeling of belonging; she has something. But she loves what she first saw. When they change, she, and I, wonder "Who [are] these people?" (198).
To answer your question, I believe that Liesel has the aptitude to see past the initial personality of Rosa and Hans.
ReplyDeleteShe does rely on first impressions because that is the only impression she has seen since her arrival on Himmel Street.
Reacting the same way anybody would, Liesel must allow time for reality to sink in get used to another side of the same person. She may wonder at first "who [are] these people?" (198), but I believe she will learn to realize that a person is not always the same all around.
I disagree with the statement that Leisel relies on first impressions. Instead, I find that because she has been burnt and hurt so many times in the past, Leisel has the personality of someone who has been wounded emotionally beyond capacity. Therefore, she is more apt to deal with the sudden changes that may be presented by Zusak in both Hans and Rosa's personalities. In essence, Leisel is experienced with hardships beyond her years, and with said maturity, she is emotionally proficient to deal with new aspects of her foster parents.
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