Later, Liesel finishes The Dream Carrier and returns to the mayor’s house by herself to steal A Song in the Dark. She enjoys the feeling of stealing. Another day, Rudy comes to get Liesel to show her what’s in the window of 8 Grande Strasse. It’s a book — a dictionary and thesaurus. Liesel doesn’t know if it’s a trap or if it’s been left there for her on purpose. Regardless, she steals it from the window and finds a note inside from Ilsa Hermann apologizing for firing Rosa and telling Liesel that she knows she’s stealing the books. Frau Hermann says that since Liesel takes only one at a time, she won’t stop her. Frau Hermann also tells her that she hopes that Liesel will start coming to the front door again.

Analysis

Death hints that Rudy’s success at the races will come into play later in the novel; he has displayed his superior athleticism for all to see, particularly the Nazi Party.

Ilsa Hermann’s actions demonstrate her affections for Liesel. She wants to have Liesel as a guest in her house, and she even leaves the gift of a dictionary for her to find, essentially giving Liesel the gift of words so that Liesel can possess them. Frau Hermann recognizes how she and Liesel share this love for words, and she realizes how important it is for Liesel to continue pursuing these words.