Lines of Courage

“Papa was the bravest man he knew, but what good was one person’s courage against a war as big as the entire world?”

Felix’s rhetorical question conveys his fear and anxiety about the upcoming conflict, and characterizes him as a fearful young boy at the beginning of the novel. This sets up the narrative’s theme of Finding One’s Courage, with the protagonists all eventually discovering ways to act courageously and selflessly.

“Felix lowered his head, ashamed of himself. His father could not know him at all, to believe he was capable of such courage.”

At the beginning of the novel, Felix is characterized—or perceives himself—as fearful and anxious. This foreshadows his character growth as he gradually learns to act bravely, leading to him earning a medal at the book’s end.

“Papa reached into his pocket. ‘I brought this out here for you.’ In his hand was an old medal. It had a red cross set on a round gold background, hung from a bright red triangular cloth with a pin on the back. One edge of the cloth was torn, but otherwise it was still in perfect condition.

‘Do you know what this is?’ Papa asked.

Felix nodded. It was called the Golden Cross of Merit.”

The Golden Cross of Merit is one of the main symbols throughout Lines of Courage. All the main characters come into possession of the medal at some point of the story, which ties into the themes of Finding One’s Courage and The Intersection of Collective and Personal History.

“‘I won’t accept what I haven’t earned.’

‘That was a very courageous thing to say.’ Papa slid the medal into the pocket of his coat. ‘Sometimes we must grow into our bravery. It’s there, Felix, even if you don’t feel it yet. When you need your courage, trust that you will find it. Before I come home again, I believe you will have earned a medal of your own.’”

This passage introduces the theme of Finding One’s Courage as Sergeant Baum explains that courage is developed through adversity rather than it being an innate quality. This sets up the protagonist arcs, and particularly Felix’s, who believes that he is not brave. Additionally, it emphasizes the idea that bravery is not determined only by heroic acts, but also encompasses individual actions and moral principles.

“He searched deep inside himself for the smallest spark of courage, anything really. And somewhere deep down, there was a spark, but that’s all it was. Just a spark. He had no idea how to push back against the insult.”

This quote illustrates the first time that Felix attempts to be brave, suggesting that he is Finding One’s Courage. The metaphorical “spark” of courage equates courage to a growing fire, thus marking the rise of his character arc.

“There’s a lot of anger in you, boy. That is good. Anger is the fuel of war and you will need plenty of it to survive. But you will not show anger against me.”

This quote by Captain Garinov in response to Felix’s refusal to help the Russian invaders introduces the theme of Anger Versus Empathy in Times of Conflict. Captain Garinov embodies the negative aspects of letting one’s anger dictate one’s behavior, as he is authoritative and ruthless.

“There is a fire within each of us. If you fuel that fire with anger, it will burn all your happiness. But if you fuel it with courage, then the fire will give you strength to do difficult things. Captain Garinov was wrong, Felix. Anger will not get us through this war. Anger is the war.”

Building upon the previous quote, this passage juxtaposes Captain Garinov’s anger with Felix’s mother’s compassion. This adds to the themes of Anger Versus Empathy in Times of Conflict, as well as Finding One’s Courage, with courage being likened to fire again.

“Felix knew that he would pay for those words, but he didn’t regret saying them. Papa would have done the very same thing. Felix had told his father he wanted to earn his own medal of courage. Perhaps he just had. He was afraid, absolutely afraid. But he was also proud of himself. Better still, he knew Papa would be proud of him too.”

At the beginning of the book, Felix feels a responsibility to make his father proud and follow his advice. As he is Finding One’s Courage, the young boy gradually gains confidence and independence. At the end, Felix earns his own medal, which parallels his earlier refusal to borrow his father’s.

“Kara’s heart pounded while her hand gripped the handle of the car door. ‘Stay here,’ Mother had said.

But Kara already knew she was going to ignore the rule. She just needed enough courage to pull on the handle.”

This quote is the first mention of Kara’s own way of Finding One’s Courage. While Felix struggled to feel brave, Kara is sometimes afraid of the consequences of her actions, but she is not afraid to act. This passage, for instance, foreshadows Kara going against the rules to help an enemy soldier, and losing her position as a result.

“Finally, Kara understood her mother’s warnings: Nothing about war was exciting, or glamorous, nor could she ever be fully prepared for whatever was coming next.”

At the beginning of the story, Kara is characterized as an enthusiastic, driven young woman who dreams of helping with the war effort. However, she is naïve about the true horrors of war. Her shock at seeing the wounded soldiers for the first time sets up her character growth as she starts gaining a more realistic and mature perspective.

“Kara helped them all, fed them all, and quickly learned that nothing she did mattered more than showing kindness. Especially to those whose wounds went deeper than bandages could heal.”

This quote ties into the theme of Anger Versus Empathy in Times of Conflict. In addition to balancing out the destructive side of anger, Kara notes that compassion has healing effects on those affected by the war.

“Sister Mary turned to her, as if shocked at her words. ‘The Red Cross has no business deciding who is worthy of care and who is not. Our only job is to save lives. Let God and the generals decide the rest.’

Kara nodded, and she decided in that instant to adopt the same attitude. Her only job was to save lives.”

Adding to the theme of Anger Versus Empathy in Times of Conflict, this passage reinforces the novel’s focus on exploring various perspectives and moral dilemmas during WWI. It also foreshadows Kara later breaking the rules to help Sergeant Baum, as well as the eventual coming together of all the protagonists to save Major Dressler.

“If there was a list of rules for Red Cross nurses, she had probably broken every single one of them.

With one exception. It was the rule Sister Mary had taught her, that every life mattered, regardless of where the person came from, their race, or their rank. This man’s life mattered just as much as any other man’s.

Didn’t it?”

In this passage, Kara reflects on the morality of her orders and her subsequent actions, a dilemma which highlights the themes of The Intersection of Collective and Personal History and Anger Versus Empathy in Times of Conflict. In addition, Kara’s courage is defined by her ability to distinguish between unfair rules and just moral principles.

“That first shell was only a prelude for the symphony of destruction that followed, and in its own way, that’s exactly what it was. In one trench was the German orchestra, with the British in the other. Their generals were the conductors who waved their arms, directing the soldiers to create the battlefield melody.

Every explosion was the crash of cymbals separated by the rhythm of rifle fire. Orders were shouted in trumpeted waves, and the calls and cries of soldiers completed this tragic tune of war.”

This passage uses the metaphor of an orchestra to describe the sounds of war. It evokes loud, disjointed sounds and an organized chaos dictated by the generals of each army. This conveys Juliette’s fear and confusion as she is hiding in an abandoned house, unable to leave or see what is going on outside.

“‘You asked how your father changed me? He simply challenged me to do what was right rather than to do as I’m told, and I promised him that I would.’ He looked back across the river again, then with a sadder tone to his voice, added, ‘The truth is that I no longer believe that Germany is on the right side of this war. I will do my duty to my country, but I will not harm an innocent. So I cannot take your medal.’”

Major Dressler’s words to Juliette illustrate his character arc through the novel; beginning as a proud general in the German army, he gradually learns to fight for peace and justice. This ties into the theme of Anger Versus Empathy in Times of Conflict, as Major Dressler learns to prioritize compassion for all men. It also incorporates the them of Finding One’s Courage, as bravery is required on Major Dressler’s part to think beyond the orders he is given and act according to his personal morals. However, like Felix, Dressler also refuses the Golden Cross of Merit because he believes that he has not earned it.

“‘What a terrible battle that has been. Perhaps nowhere in the world has been as awful as Verdun.’

‘But we are winning?’

‘It’s better to say that we are no longer losing.’”

Juliette’s conversation with a stranger highlights the terrible consequences of war, as the woman paradoxically does not equate “winning” with “no longer losing.” The narrative suggests that everybody loses in a war, which conveys the characters’ despair and hopelessness during this seemingly endless conflict.

“‘I did it!’ But her excitement quickly faded as she turned and saw the line itself. The man stepped aside, revealing a series of circles and bends and starts that pushed backward through the snow before continuing on again. ‘No, that’s a terrible line.’

‘How is it terrible? That line got you to where you wanted to go.’

‘It would have been straight, had you not been in my way.’

‘Yes, because that is life. Mademoiselle, something will always be in your way. So draw your line around it and keep going. You will find your family again, but it will come at the end of a long and crooked path.’”

In this passage, Juliette is having a conversation with an old man who teaches her not to let obstacles or her own hopelessness overwhelm her. By using the metaphor of life being a crooked line rather than a straight path, he encourages her to stay hopeful and keep looking for her family, which marks a turning point in Juliette’s character arc.

“Until now, the sky was the one thing war had not taken from him. These trenches that he lived in blocked his view of the land, isolating him within a small world of mud, soldiers, and the fetid air they tried not to breathe in. But no matter how bad things were, he could always look up and see sky. He especially loved the nights, as a reminder that the trenches were barely a dot upon a big world in a universe he could not begin to comprehend.”

In this passage, Dimitri reflects on the last bit of peace and freedom that the war has not taken from him. This foreshadows his desire to free himself and his family, as well as his hopelessness when falling shells later “take” the sky from him, and symbolically take his last bit of freedom. It juxtaposes the tranquility of the vast natural world with the violent, small world created by humans.

“‘Be careful of any leader who promises everything,’ his father had said. ‘Either they are lying, or they will first take everything away so they can give it back again.’”

Dimitri’s father’s words highlight the influence of propaganda during WWI. While he is specifically talking about Lenin, who promises to bring freedom to the Russian people, this can be applied to the other world leaders trying to gain power and authority over their own nations during the war.

“Dimitri had never liked the trenches, but something about those few days with Juliette had changed him. Now the monotony of the trenches had become pure misery. His whole life had existed in a trench, he realized that now. Back in Russia, there had never been much choice for what he might do or who he might become. You were born into one trench and expected to remain in it, never to wonder what might be possible if only you climbed the ladder to look out.”

In this passage, Dimitri reflects on his definition of freedom. He likens his family’s condition in Russia with his situation in the trenches, metaphorically describing them as being trapped at the bottom and unable to climb out (socially or physically). His time with Juliette was so starkly different and represents his understanding that there is another, brighter life awaiting him.

“Dimitri’s eyes traveled lower to a brilliant sunset. The warm colors lit up the sky in oranges and reds—this time not the colors of war, but the colors of peace and comfort. The first star of the night was already visible, and it took on the same red tone, so beautiful now.

He reached into his pocket and slid his thumb along Igor’s red star. He was finally free. Free from control, free from the war, free from the dreams that had haunted him for so long.”

Dimitri’s recurring connection to the sky as a symbol of his freedom is concluded here as he is set free by Major Dressler. It is reinforced by the allusion to Igor’s Red Star, another symbol of freedom and hope in the novel.

“It is beginning to feel like the old times again. This is not the last of troubles for the Jews here in Germany.”

The Jewish man’s words to Elsa after the rioters run away from his store allude to the already present, but increasing hatred toward Jewish people during WWI. Historically, this also foreshadows the horrors of WWII, which a reader may infer from the man’s prediction.

“Medals are given to those who show exceptional courage. But do you know? Most of the people who receive them will claim they are not courageous at all. They will only say they were in a terrible situation and made the best choice they could.”

The symbolism of the Golden Cross of Merit is concluded at the end of the book when Major Dressler explains its meaning to the five young protagonists. He reiterates the importance of Finding One’s Courage, which does not always consist of loud heroic acts but rather of small, individual actions.