In the time depicted in this book, grief was an all-pervasive feeling, which could greatly change people and affect their future actions. One such effect could be the change in a group’s situation when someone affecting them dies. An example of this in this book is the Vandenburg family: “He was nearly two years old when his father died, [...] When he was nine his mother was completely broke. She sold the music studio that doubled as their apartment and moved to his uncle’s house. There he grew up with six cousins who battered, annoyed, and loved him”. The loss of Max’s father likely had little direct emotional effect on him due to the early age at which they were separated, however the loss of his father likely contributed to their change in …show more content…
The grief she felt for the loss of her brother still shows through to her present time in the form of dreams. One more effect of grief is the denial of what happened, and the refusal to move on from their loss. An example of this is Ilsa Hermann, and the loss of her son. She chose to let grief overcome her, as opposed to trying to move past it. As said by Death in the novel after Liesel asked about Ilsa’s son’s death: “The point is, Ilsa Hermann had decided to make her suffering her triumph. When it refused to let go of her she succumbed to it. She embraced it.”. This shows her non-willingness to move past, and her attachment to the past. Her grief has fundamentally changed her, reducing her to spending time wallowing in her sorrow. In conclusion, grief can be one of the most powerful emotions, but people can push past it. However it can also be all consuming if one does not try to move on, instead of simply prolonging the suffering for themself and everyone around