Companionships can often help us overcome adversities. This is true in Mark Zusak's novel The Book Thief. In the novel, Liesel Memminger is separated from her family due to financial reasons and is moved to the city of Molching, where she settles in with her foster parents. Early on she is very unwilling and isolated because she feels that she is the only one who has dealt with adversity. However, as these companionships are made with other characters in the book she begins to understand adversity is faced by everyone and as a result she finally begins to open up to the world. The most significant companionships made by Liesel are with Hans Hubermann, Max Vandenberg and Rudy Steiner. With these companionships, come many benefits. Among other things, characters overcomes many adversities, connect through past experiences and feel loved and wanted. Therefore, these companionships are ultimately made with other characters, to overcome their adversities that are setbacks.
Liesel's companionship with Hans is important because it helps them both overcome many of their advertises. Hans first helps with consoling her nightmares. Early on, Liesel deals with horrible nightmares of her brother's death and the abandoning of her mother. She feels she is alone, and has nobody to support her. However, Hans learns of these nightmares quickly and begins to console Liesel: "Trust was accumulated quickly, due primarily to the brute strength of the man's gentleness, his thereness. The girl knew from the outset that Hans Hubermann would always appear midscream, and he would not leave" (Zusak 36). This demonstrates that Hans and Liesel have developed a strong and trustworthy relationship early on. Liesel arrives to Molching alone, thinking that nobody will be able understands her pain and relate to her experiences, but Hans is there. He helps her overcome one of her many adversities, and accumulates her trust and love while doing so.
