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
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