Post Reading: Code Name Verity

2. "Truth...this above all, be true to thine own self."

No matter what situations we are faced with, we should always stick to what we believe and never go against our principles. Code name Verity gives several examples of people who put truth above all and those who didn't.

In the beginning of the novel, the author gives the impression that Julie is a coward and continues to give up secrets to avoid torture and death. We later find out that she did not give up secrets. She stayed true to her code name even at the price of pain and death. If someone found out that she was lying and giving false information she would have to suffer the consequences. Julie wanted to protect her country and the people close to her who could also get in serious trouble. Maddie is another example staying true to yourself. Even though she did not plan her stay in France after finding out that Julie had been captured, she immediately did everything in her power to save Julie. Maddie believed in loyalty and she followed through even to the point of killing Julie at her own request.

Von Linden is a perfect example of not being true to yourself. He lied to his daughter about his true work. His true work required telling others how to torture enemies who were found  behind enemy lines. I don’t think he truly believed in what he was doing as it is showed in the end of the book when he commits suicide. He didn't stay true to himself above everything he faced.

The resistance refused to follow the Germans in France and did everything in their power to terminate any kind of activity that the Germans used to hurt others. Even when they were faced with the choice to accept the German beliefs, they chose to stand in what they believed. They were against the Fascist Germans and did everything they could rebel without getting caught.

Even today’s society we have all fallen victim to going against our beliefs in an effort to fit in with everyone else. Whether it be going to a party you know is bad, or even little things like accepting a dare that you know can get you in trouble. I personally have experienced peer pressure where I gave in and violated my own beliefs.  

Julie, Maddie, and the resistance were all put in hard situations where they had to choose to give up or stand up. Fortunately, they chose to stand up, but people like Von Linden and myself didn't. We have to all make the decision to stay true to ourselves even when we are faced with bad situations such as peer pressure all the way to dictatorship.  

Code Name Verity: Pre-Reading Post

3. Discuss the difference between what makes someone a coward and what makes someone a hero.   

  

    A coward, in my eyes, is someone who, when put in a difficult problem, abandons all their beliefs for fear of consequence. A hero, if put in a difficult situation, stays true to his or her beliefs no matter what the consequences.  You can tell what a coward is through the book Code Name Verity when the author keeps giving up secrets to the Nazis during WW2 all because she is afraid of punishment. 

     We would all like to think that, if we had a strong belief we would stick to it, even if the repercussions were extreme. If we stand by our beliefs and do not throw them away because of fear, then we are heros, but if we are crippled by fear and choose to forget everything we once believed in, then we are cowards.  A coward, in my eyes, is someone who, when put in a difficult problem, abandons all their beliefs for fear of consequence.  

    In Code Name Verity the author gave up secrets that were vital to the well being of other people just so her life would be easier. She is a coward, because she dropped her beliefs in morality, her country, and herself. She didn't stand up for what she believed, unlike the other prisoners who, even though they were beaten and harshly interrogated, stayed true to themselves, their country and their morality. They are heros because they suffered for their beliefs. 

     The other prisoners in the book did not only stay true to their beliefs but also to the other people whom they saved. By keeping their secrets, they, in essence, protected the ones who would have gotten hurt. They were selfless and suffered for others like any hero would. Even the fake heros that we read about are faced with a difficult situation, overcome their fears and fight for people's lives. Cowards, on the other hand, are only worried about themselves, not other people. They fight for themselves at the expense of others, which is selfish. The villains that we have made up want something, whether it be money, power, or control.  They hurt people to achieve their selfish goals. That's what the author did in Code Name Verity. She risked people's lives so that she could survive and not be beaten. She wanted safety, and she hurt people to get it. 

     Situations, fears, and our selflessness or selfishness decide if we are a coward or a hero. Do we stand up for our beliefs at all costs or do we give them up to protect ourselves? We all have the tendency to be scared and selfish but fighting those feelings are what truly makes us a hero.