Final answer:
Rudy and Liesel's food stealing reflects the dire circumstances and need for survival depicted across various literary and historical contexts. Stealing often became a necessary action for those grappling with extreme poverty and hunger, highlighting the human response to desperate situations.
Step-by-step explanation:
Rudy and Liesel begin stealing food as a means of survival. In times of desperation and scarcity, people often resorted to stealing both to feed themselves and to cope with the emotional toll of hunger and poverty. Their actions are reflections of the broader context of destitution and the struggle for survival that many faced during difficult historic periods. Such actions are depicted in various literature, showcasing how individuals would pillage early in the morning from village to village, or how desperate times led them to consume available food without restraint, ignoring the consequences of later hunger.
The harsh realities encompassing hunger and theft are also highlighted through descriptions of rogue elements within society, such as Maria Macapa, who saw an opportunity in stealing valuable items when in need. Likewise, the passages illustrate scenarios where people experienced the anguish of leaving their homes with nothing but the essentials, indicating the impact of calamitous conditions on human behavior. In historical contexts, like during the Great Depression, survival mechanisms included eating sparingly, to the extent of taking turns to eat within a family.
These instances underscore the drastic measures that individuals take when faced with extreme hunger and financial distress. The act of stealing, while morally compromised, becomes an understandable response to situations where access to food and resources is direly limited.