Duty In Mary Thorp's If I Were In England

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Another key element to what Mary Thorp views as British is the adherence to one’s responsibility and duty. One of the best examples of this from the book can be seen in Thorp’s diary entry on March 6th 1917 where she states, “If I were in England, how glad I should be to volunteer for the civil service, in such great need just now; still I feel I did my duty in remaining at my post & trying to make good men of the three boys” (100). This quote is interesting as it examines two aspects of duty which Thorp’s is clearly aware of and values. First, a person has a duty towards their country. This can be seen in Thorp’s desire to volunteer for civil service if she were in Britain. However, Thorp’s also views it as a person’s duty to live up to the …show more content…
This value that Thorp put on a willingness to sacrifice for the betterment of the nation is displayed both in her own thoughts and in her view of people who were unwilling to sacrifice for their nation. One of the best examples of Thorp’s willingness to sacrifice can be seen in her desire for an honorable peace agreement. Throughout the piece Mary Thorp emphasizes a desire for peace. This peace would rescue her and her friends from their situation in occupied territory during a war. However, despite the benefits and safety that peace would have provided Mary Thorp, she did not desire a peace at any cost. Rather she desired an “honorable” peace which would check Germany’s military expansion and restore freedom to the nations and lands captured by the Germans. This view can best be seen in her response to Marquis de Villalobar who argued that the allies were blocking the way to peace, “I replied that if the Allies had not & did not still hold out, Belgium would have finally to submit for good to German domination in one shape or another” (185). This quote clearly expresses that Thorp would prefer to continue to live in danger rather than accept German gains. While not as pronounced as the sacrifice that the soldiers faced on the front line, this willingness to risk her life for the greater good is an important part of what Mary viewed as British. Mary’s strong

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