Humanity is always engaged in an eternal power struggle between good and evil, and the well-being of society often is in the balance when such forces collide. This presence of good and evil in humanity is a central theme in The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Liesel Meminger is a young girl in Nazi Germany during World War II; lives with a foster family in a poor area of ​​Munich. Throughout the novel, Liesel sees the great horrors of life in Germany during World War II, but she also finds herself among very empathetic and kind people, as demonstrated by three episodes in the book that illustrate the perseverance of good over evil. First, the bond between Liesel and Max over the trauma they experienced exemplifies the good in the face of the tremendous evil they experienced. Second, Han's tireless goodwill toward German Jews demonstrates kindness despite the evils of Nazi Germany. Finally, Rudy's extraordinary efforts to help and comfort those in need further exemplify good over evil. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The relationship between Liesel and Max demonstrates true friendship even when they are in trouble. Additionally, Liesel and Max bond incredibly despite being extremely different personalities and under a great deal of stress. Max gave Liesel a handmade book as a belated birthday present, which Liesel was very happy about because she loves books. Liesel read the book and then went to the basement to thank Max. “The first part of him she saw was his shoulder, and through the thin crack she slowly, painfully, stuck her hand until it stopped there. His clothes were beautiful. He didn't wake up. She could feel his breathing and his shoulder moving up and down slightly. For a while she watched him. Then he sat down and leaned back. The sleepy air seemed to have followed her. The scribbled practice words stood beautifully on the wall near the stairs, jagged and sweet like the childish ones. They watched as the hidden Jew and the girl slept, hand on shoulder. They were breathing. German and Jewish lungs. By the wall sat The Standover Man, numb and gratified, like a beautiful itch on Liesel Meminger's feet” (Zusak 238). Liesel shows her growing bond with this gesture towards Max. Despite being polar opposites within their shared society, their bond through literature eludes the oppression imposed on them by Nazism. The Standover Man, the book Max made for Liesel, is a metaphor for what is happening in Germany during World War II. The book was made up of pages from Mein Kampf painted with white paint and then filled with the story of Max's struggle. The creation of this book symbolizes the changing of something evil into something good. Additionally, Max and Liesel also bond over the trauma that has been inflicted on them by the society they live in. Liesel witnessed her brother's death on a cold winter night in a train yard and because of this she constantly has nightmares. Max similarly has nightmares about fighting Adolf Hitler. One night shortly after Max's arrival at Liesel's house this dialogue occurs: “The girl: 'Tell me. What do you see when you dream like this?' The Jew: ”...I see myself turning and waving.: The girl: ” I also have nightmares. The Jew: "What do you see?" The girl: “A train and my dead brother”. The Jew: Your brother? The girl: “He died when I moved down the road here.” The girl and the Jew, together: “Ja --yes.”” (Zusak 220). Both Liesel and Max have suffered a tremendous amount of traumaemotions inflicted on them by others. The trauma that was inflicted on Max and Liesel looms over them throughout the book and has a very negative effect on their lives. Thanks to Max and Liesel's discussion about what haunts them at night, Liesel was able to overcome the nightmares without the help of her adoptive father. At this point the nightmares begin to have less of an effect on Liesel and she begins to sleep for longer periods. Liesel's bond with Max after the trauma transforms a horrific experience into a deep personal connection. Although many unfortunate events befall Liesel and Max, together they are able to use the evil around them to create a lasting friendship. Secondly, on several occasions Hans Hubermann showed great empathy and kindness towards Jews in the harsh social climate. of Nazi Germany. One such occasion was when Jews were marched through the Hans Quarter in Munich. Although he faced harsh punishment if captured, Hans gave bread to an old and feeble Jew as they marched. “The Jew stood before him, expecting another handful of derision, but watched along with everyone else as Hans Hubermann held out his hand and offered a piece of bread, as if by magic.” (Zusak 394). This simple act by Hans shows great empathy for his fellow man, despite later facing intense punishment and scrutiny for this action. Hans takes the evil of the Holocaust and provides an example of how other human beings should be treated. Hans also shows empathy and kindness towards the Jews by welcoming Max Vandenburg into his home. Max is the son of a Jewish man who sacrificed himself to save Hans in World War I. Because of this history, Hans takes it upon himself to hide Max in his house for the duration of the war. “He was not an educated man or a politician, but if nothing else he was a man who valued fairness. A Jew had once saved his life and he couldn't forget it. He couldn't join a party that antagonized people like that. Furthermore, just like Alex Steiner, some of his most loyal customers were Jewish. As many Jews believed, he did not think the hatred could last, and it was a conscious decision not to follow Hitler. On many levels it was disastrous” (Zusak 180). Hans felt indebted to Max because his father had saved his life. Hans is able to see beyond people's religion and judges them based on their strength of character and morals rather than labeling them. Because of this, Hans takes it upon himself to help Max in his time of need, despite the difficulties of hiding it, and the great punishment if Hans is found to be helping Max in any way. Han's actions in risking his life to save Max exemplify the rise of good over evil in Nazi Germany. Likewise, Rudy Steiner treats the people under him with the utmost respect and dignity they deserve in the face of the horrors of war and human cruelty. After a bombing of Munich, Rudy and Liesel discover a crashed plane with an English-speaking pilot still on board. Rudy ran to comfort the dying man and placed his teddy bear on the pilot's shoulder. “Carefully, he climbed onto the dying man. He carefully placed the smiling teddy bear on the pilot's shoulder. The tip of her ear touched his throat. The dying man breathed it in. He spoke. In English he said, “Thank you”” (Zusak 490-491). Even though the pilot belongs to enemy forces and is terrorizing Munich, Rudy treats the dying pilot with respect in his final moments faced with the horrors of war. Another example of treating people with respect and dignity in the face of unimaginable evil comes when Rudy shows dignity to Tommy Müller in Hitler Youth. Tommy is hard of hearing and is constantly scolded,.