Summary and Analysis
Part 2: The Shoulder Shrug:
The Joy of Cigarettes
Summary
Liesel and Hans finish reading The Grave Digger's Handbook a week before Christmas. She tells Hans that her brother's name was Werner, and he says, "Yes." Liesel doesn't expect anything for Christmas, but receives two books: Faust the Dog and The Lighthouse. She finds out that Hans traded cigarettes with gypsies in order to get the books. Rosa is upset, so he trades for eggs the next time, which makes her happy.
Analysis
Through her action with words, Liesel reveals how much she's come to trust her Papa by telling him her brother's name. When he responds, "Yes," he indicates that he already knew Werner's name, that he, too, has thought about the loss of this other child, thus sharing in this loss with Liesel. This chapter again highlights the relationship between Rosa and Hans, how Rosa can be gruff but Hans can easily win her over. The chapter also alludes to other moments in Hans's life when cigarettes have proven quite helpful.