Forge By Laurie Halse Anderson

“Let me tell you the secret that has lead me to my goal. My strength lies solely in my tenacity.” -Louis Pasteur. Forge, written by Laurie Halse Anderson, is about Curzon, a boy that turns into a young man as he faces the hardships of Valley Forge in the winter. Curzon’s tenacity is seen when he is determined to save Isabel’s life, save his own life, and even tries to find a plan to steal food in order to survive. Curzon is determined to save Isabel’s life even if it means risking his own. They are both in the house when Bellingham comes into the room and puts Isabel at gunpoint. Curzon takes a few steps toward Bellingham and, as planned, Bellingham points the gun at Curzon. Curzon walks towards Bellingham, “A third step and I[Curzon] was only four paces away from him, close enough to make him nervous. He pointed the pistol at my belly, as I had hoped. ‘Run Isabel’” (275). Curzon is very determined to save Isabel through this whole, chaotic time even if it means giving up his life for Isabel’s.

Although his plan is risky, he follows through with it by taking the key while Bellingham is showering and by making an indentation in an old wax candle. He hopes that he can make a makeshift key to open the lock on Isabel’s collar so that they can escape together. When Eben offers an escape plan to Curzon, Curzon refuses because he knows he has to escape with Isabel; so he says to Eben, “‘Even if you made the best of plans, I couldn’t go. Bellingham has a maid, a friend of mine. I have not yet convinced her to run away, I can’t leave her behind, and if I run, she’ll be mistreated’” (221). Even though Curzon wants to save Isabel and bring her with him when he escapes, he also has to try to survive while he is trying to