ipl-logo

The Theme Of Milkweed

611 Words3 Pages

Milkweed - Theme Essay The Holocaust is a name given to the execution of approximately 6 million Jews by the Nazi party during World War II. The novel “Milkweed '' By Jerry Spinelli is about this tragic event that occurred during World War II. Although it focuses on the darker topic of the Holocaust, the theme of this novel is hope. This is extremely relevant and important to the story because as the theme develops throughout the book, many different characters and events are introduced to help and support the people in the ghetto. This symbolizes the persistence of human nature and the willingness to stay alive even in the harshest situations. This theme is heavily supported throughout the novel. The largest supporting detail of the theme being hope is on page 143, when the author stated, “‘Look.’ A milkweed plant was growing by a heap of rubble” (Spinelli 143). This is extremely meaningful towards the theme not only because the milkweed is …show more content…

The cow represents a possible existence that seems real to everyone. Multiple people report hearing the cow, which could be symbolism for the characters acknowledging that they still have a tangible desire to continue staying alive and to not give up or surrender. This cow may also represent the people’s desire to believe in something to have faith in. This is supported by when the author explains that “The cow had become something to believe in or not to believe in” (Spinelli 115). The cow also symbolizes the ghetto’s hunger, as illustrated by the author, “the cow seemed to materialize from the very hunger of the people” (Spinelli 115). The cow is eventually found in the ghetto, but it was burned alive by the Nazis. This could have been a real cow all along, or it could have been symbolism for the Nazis crushing the Jews’ hope and beliefs. This shows itself numerous times throughout the novel, depicting the author’s desire to show the struggle the Jews went

Show More
Related
965 Words | 4 Pages

Misha Milgrom, also known as Misha Pilsudski and Stop Thief, is a character from the book Milkweed. He is the protagonist in Milkweed. At first, Misha is an unnamed boy until he meets a band of thieves, where his thieve friend Uri gives him his name. Liesel Meminger, daughter to Rosa and Hans Hubermann, is the protagonist in The book Thief. Liesel, a book lover, is the book thief herself.

Read More
255 Words | 2 Pages

Milkweed is a book about a young boy who does not really no who he is. He is an orphan growing up in Warsaw, Poland in the time of the holocaust. He does not know is he is a Jew or a Gypsy. He steals thing from people to survive. While stealing he meats a man named Uri who is also a thief.

Read More
686 Words | 3 Pages

Imagine you were substantially harmed by people or a society. You look over and see those people or the society asking for your forgiveness. What would you do? Simon Wiesenthal’s “The sunflower” is a story of Wiesenthal’s experience as a Jewish prisoner in a concentration camp. A Nazi soldier, Karl, who had participated in the execution of Jewish people and who had been wounded during the close fight, is dying.

Read More
1626 Words | 7 Pages

A Comparison of Emotion through the Holocaust Through its duration, and for decades following, the Holocaust has been a topic of literary work that has ignited emotion globally. Many countries, especially those in Eastern Europe were directly impacted by the work of Hitler and his followers, all of whom felt the weight of the tragedy. Though most impactful to those who felt it firsthand, the death of millions also fell onto the shoulders of many by proxy. Night by Elie Wiesel expounds on the gruesome firsthand experience many Jews faced during the Holocaust that negatively impacted the emotional state of its victims, while Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep by Mary Elizabeth Frye illustrates the positive support those not directly inflicted

Read More
473 Words | 2 Pages

Drew Hayden Taylor’s “Motorcycles and Sweetgrass” contains numerous examples of symbolism, many of which pertain to the plot and themes of the story, and are important to be aware of when reading. Throughout the novel “Motorcycles and Sweetgrass” by Drew Hayden Taylor, symbolism is demonstrated through the relationships between humans and animals, along with symbolisms found within objects that recur within the story. The interactions John has with animals plays a large role in the symbolisms within “Motorcycles & Sweetgrass”, with raccoons symbolizing a trickster figure through many indigenous cultures, and crows being symbolic of cunning and intelligence throughout Anishinaabe beliefs. At the beginning of the novel, when John arrives at the

Read More
684 Words | 3 Pages

But understanding the symbols and patterns is what makes the progression of the book more interesting. But in the story, a certain theme is present throughout the pages and that is the symbol of not giving up on what you believe in. As the story continues, we understand that Jews did not give up their faith even if it cost them their lives. Which shows the relentlessness of the Jews in their faith. Another symbol that is present in the book is the care the Jews have for other Jews.

Read More
949 Words | 4 Pages

Ethan Saiewitz October 19, 2015 English 4: Holocaust Literature Ms. Beal Dehumanization and Poetic Language When one word or image is unable to describe the indescribable events of the Holocaust, many authors turn to metaphors, similes, and other figurative language to draw comparisons between the horrific acts and something readers might be familiar with. In Survival in Auschwitz, Primo Levi uses figurative language to convey how the Nazis dehumanized the prisoners and to make the traumatic experiences more relatable to the reader. Levi often draws comparisons between the prisoners of Auschwitz and animals. For example, in describing a fellow prisoner, Levi states: “He is Null Achtzehn. He is not called anything except that, Zero Eighteen, the last three figures of his entry number; as if everyone was aware that only a man is worthy of a name, and that Null Achtzehn is no longer a man.

Read More
879 Words | 4 Pages

The Holocaust, the event in which Hitler’s policy of anti-Semitism led to the murder of over six million Jews, was a horrific tragedy that to this day is a symbol of Man’s Inhumanity to Man. As such a large-scale event, it was inevitable that it would become the subject of many literary works that depict both the cruelty of the perpetrators and the heroism of those who fought for justice. “A Spring Morning” by Ida Fink is a short story about two parents desperately trying to find a way to keep their daughter alive, only to be met with the despair of her death. The events of this story take place during the late 1930s during the rise of Hitler and Nazi Germany before the family is actually taken to a concentration camp. “Rescue in Denmark” by

Read More
704 Words | 3 Pages

Someone 's identity defines who they are. There are no two identities that are the same. , Everyone is unique in different ways. Finding oneself may take time and might not be exactly what you are expecting. In the novel “Milkweed” by Jerry Spinelli, the protagonist Jack assumes many identities but ultimately does not know who he is.

Read More
548 Words | 3 Pages

Ezra Jenks Mr. Delgado English 10.7 31 March 2023 Horrors that convey the holocaust The atrocities of the Holocaust have left scars not only on the victims but also on the collective history of the world. One of the most poignant testimonies of these atrocities is Night, written by Elie Wiesel. A first-hand account of his experiences in the concentration camps, this book is a testimony to the resilience of the human spirit and the unspeakable horrors that humans are capable of inflicting upon each other. Elie Wiesel's Night effectively conveys the horrors of the Holocaust and its lasting impact on survivors and society.

Read More
406 Words | 2 Pages

In the novel Prisoner B-3087, the author, Alan Gratz, uses both symbolism and first-person narrative voice to convey the themes, "Never give up, even when times are tough," and "Always make the most of your life, because you never know what might happen next." In the novel, Gratz uses both symbolism and first-person narrative voice to help develop a theme. They use bread as a symbol of life because bread is one of the few foods they had to eat. " Bread.

Read More
752 Words | 4 Pages

The novel has two themes displayed through the novel. One theme is to never give up. Another theme is when an individual is scared to do something they can overcome

Read More
337 Words | 2 Pages

This theme is important because it can relate to a person from an everyday perspective. This book has more in-depth lessons than people can get from just reading it. This makes the ending good because it rounds out the theme. The ending is good because it shows

Read More
710 Words | 3 Pages

Very few books illustrate the suffering endured in World War II concentration camps as vividly as Elie Wiesel's Night. It is a memoire that will leave disturbing mental images of famine, anti-Semitism, and death such as infants being shoveled as

Read More
704 Words | 3 Pages

The part of the short story that shows the theme with symbolism is when the house is being described “The house came out from behind the rain. The house stood alone in a city of rubble and ashes” (Bradbury 88). Another passage later on in the story also helps convey the theme while describing the house even more “The entire west face of the house was black, save for the places” (88). The symbol of the story is the house along with it’s walls that have the silhouettes of the dead on them. All of the human race is destroyed and all that is remains is one house, which is the main focus of the story.

Read More

More about The Theme Of Milkweed

Related Topics

Open Document