Bravery
On page 469, Marie-Laure says, “When I lost my sight, Werner, people said I was brave. But it is not bravery; I have no choice. I wake up and live my life. Don’t you do the same?” He responds, “Not in years. But today. Today maybe I did.”
Consider...
- What comment do you have on this moment in the book?
- What characters do you see as brave?
- How do you define bravery?
I think I definitely see Werner and Marie as brave, Madame, Frederick, Marie's father, and Etienne too. All the people that followed their morals despite how it put them in danger I would classify as brave. I liked that part of the book because someone who is brave will never see themselves as brave. Bravery is truly blind—get it haha. It is following your heart, doing what is right absent the threat of repercussions. And someone who does that will never see it as them fighting back or being courageous. They just see it as being true, real, honest, morally right. Unfortunately, not everyone in the world has strong morals. If they did, things like this wouldn't happen. So when someone does have a good heart, sometimes it's hard to understand that not everyone does. It is hard to classify yourself as brave, even if you are, because one would think everyone would do the same thing as you. But they don't. And that is what makes you brave. Because you do what everyone knows deep down they should be doing no matter what the consequences are.
ReplyDeleteI see Werner and Marie both as extremely brave characters. I really enjoyed this moment in the book because we finally are able to see Werner doing something for himself without the fear of someone watching over him. He has finally broken away from the system that has oppressed him and his ideals for so long. While Marie does not see her every day life as an act of bravery, I do. Her ability to not give up and give in is extremely brave and I commend her character for learning how to navigate life while living with blindness. I also see Madame as extremely brave for her efforts to fight against the Germans in even the littlest of ways. She knew that what she was doing was dangerous and she did it anyway because she believed she could make a difference. To me bravery is doing what is best for you and those around you even if there is a possibility of backlash. Bravery is taking the step to better yourself even if it is scary.
ReplyDeleteThis section of the book makes my list of my favorite portions, as it emphasizes the power of individuals to choose their own path despite the world around them. In what is arguably one of the book’s most important scenes, Werner tells Marie-Laure that she has been brave, yet she does not see it as such. You start to see Werner finally do something rather than choosing the easy way out or playing ti safe. Although Marie-Laure denies her own free will, Werner’s response highlights that she has been refusing the easy path and fighting with the resistance. Both characters display bravery in the novel. Bravery to me is to push yourself to do something that may not be simple or easy, even if it scares you or there may be possible backlash.
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