Nightmares/Friendship

Max and Liesel both have nightmares about their past and suffer from their own survivor’s guilt. Zusak describes how Max’s nightmare is like, “A checklist. Isaac. Aunt Ruth. Sarah. Mama. Walter. Hitler. Family, friend, enemy. They were all under the covers with him, and at one point, he appeared to be struggling with himself” (205-206). For Max and Liesel having nightmares like that has made them closer. The first moment Liesel watched Max sleeping was the start of their friendship. Death was quoting their conversation about them swapping nightmares:

            The girl:”Tell me. What do you see when you dream like that?”

            The Jew:”…I see myself turning around, and waving goodbye.”

            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 here, on the way?”

            The girl and the Jew, together: “JA-yes.”
            (Zusak 220).

 At the end when Max and Liesel both said, "yes" it made them know what exactly what they were going through. In spite of their age difference Max and Liesel could still relate to each other. I think everyone has nightmares, but it just depends where they are from. I can relate to having nightmares, but I cannot relate to the kind of nightmares that Max and Liesel have.

Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief. NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. Print.