The Power of the Written Word in Identity Construction:

Abstract

Growing up in Nazi Germany during Hitler’s control, and coping with the terror of World War II has been one of the hardest matters Germans, specifically, young adults to handle. Interestingly, the Australian author Markus Zusak in his novel The Book Thief (2006), comes to present some of the incidents that really affect their growing up process, coming of age, and adjusting to situations that might define their identity construction. Therefore, the study attempts to address the theme of coming of age in such context with projection of all events that lead to such transition through tracing back the journey and process of growing up of the main protagonist LieselMeminger, and how books, as a medium, helped her in forming her identity and having her own voice. The study makes use of the historical approach to develop a thematic understanding contemporary works seek to project about actual past events. Moreover, a psychoanalytic examination based on the theory of snowball effect to analyze her trauma that shaped and influenced her development is to be held, along with outlining all the phases of her coming of age.