At the beginning of The Book Thief, Death complains about the survivors, the experts at being left behind. He says, "Which brings me to my next point. It's the leftover humans. The survivors" (p.5). These are the people whom he needs constant distraction from because he feels sorry for them. Death says, "You see? Even death has a heart" (p.242). I wonder why he uses those words instead of just saying survivors? Maybe it's because the survivors have lost everything important to them, especially their friends and families. These leftover people are Liesel, Hans, and Max. Each of these people, in their own way, has been left behind.
The first person on my list who has been left behind is Liesel Meminger. She has been left behind by her whole family. Her father was taken away by the Nazis for being a communist. Her mother was also taken away for the same reasons. Finally, her brother died on the train to Munich. When her brother died, Death notices that she can't believe that he's gone. He says, "Still in disbelief, she started to dig. He couldn't be dead. He couldn't be dead. He couldn't-" (p. 23). When she gets in the car, even though there are people around her, she is completly alone.
The next straggler on the list is Hans Hubermann. He was in the first World War, and Death mentions he will be in another. In the first war, he was the only person in his group that wasn't killed. Death describes Hans Hubermann's story: "'It's true,' people will mutter. 'I don't care if you don't believe me. It was that fox who saved my life' or, 'They died on either side of me and I was left standing there, the only one without a bulled between my eyes. Why me? Why me and not them?' Hans Hubermann's story was a little like that" (p.174). Hans was literally left alone with no one but himself.
The last person on my list is Max Vandenburg. He and his familly, being Jewish, were hunted by the Nazis. On Kristallnacht-the night of broken glass, his family gave him all the money they had and told him to leave so he could save himself. Instead of being taken away like the rest of his family, he was left behind to survive. Death says, "They left, without looking back. It tortured him. If only he'd turned for one last look at his family as he left the apartment. Perhaps then the guilt would not have been so heavy. No final good bye. No final grip of the eyes. Nothing but goneness." All Max had after that was his friend, and he left Walter to hide in the Hubermann's house.
Each person I've mentioned has ben left behind. Leisel and Max by their families, and Hans by war. They've all been completely alone one time or another. What interests me the most is that all three of these excellent survivors are all curently under the same roof. I wonder if this happened with or without Zusak doing so. But in the end this is a perfect trait to have when another world war is starting and I think this family will do very well in these times of trouble. This family of survivors.
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i agree with you kwong, on the note that the survivors are experts at being left behind, and they feel worst because they lost their loved ones. i would like to add though, that i think they become stronger because of it. each family member of these 3 people died/ left for a reason, so that these characters would all end up together. They all become stronger for it, and this way they can face what is about to come.
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