The Nightingale, By Krisin Hannah

In The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, there is a common theme of sacrifice throughout the whole novel. The occurrence of these sacrifices is very significant to the development of the characters and the progression of the plot throughout. The Nightingale is the story of two sisters who go through the struggles of war and their perseverance. The different perspectives show the different sacrifices and their true morals, motivations, and fears. Not only did the main characters have their sacrifices, but the supporting side characters also had their sacrifices. These sacrifices shaped the relationships between characters and contributed to the novel as a whole. Vianne went through many sacrifices throughout the book and this shaped her as a character.

She had to keep Sophie safe until Antoine came home, and then he would handle this unpleasantness”(Hannah 102). During the war, Nazis lived in civilian houses, one of these houses was Viannes house with Vianne, Sophie, and Isabelle. Vianne had to sacrifice the comfort of her own home to keep her daughter safe and try to keep her house until her husband gets back. For someone to come into your home who is seen as the enemy by everyone and live with your family, is a big sacrifice of not only comfort but safety and your image. Not only did Vianne sacrifice her family's safety and comfort, but she also sacrificed her own body. It says “‘If you look at me, Daniel stays.’ She turned her head and slowly opened her eyes. ‘That’s better.’ She gritted her teeth as he yanked down his pants, shoved her legs further apart and violated both her body and her soul. She did not make a single sound. Nor did she look away”(Hannah 476). Vianne sacrificed her own body and dignity to protect the children in her home and make sure that they are safe before anything else, no matter what is done to her. Vianne sacrificed so much during wartime to protect herself, her family, and everyone she