Ruth's Flashbacks In After The War

There are many reasons why “sometimes even living is an act of courage” is a major theme in the novel After the War. After the War is an interesting novel about a young girl named Ruth who joins an underground organization called the Brichah. The Brichah is a group of Jewish holocaust survivors who are trying to travel to Palestine, or Eretz Israel. The theme is evident in many sections of this novel, but clearly shown in Ruth’s flashbacks, Sarah’s Story and in Jonathan’s story.
First of all, Ruth’s flashbacks vividly describe some of the things that Ruth had experienced. Two of these flashbacks recounts a time where Ruth did not want to be alive. One was during the time she was in the hospital being comforted by American soldiers and she tells a soldier that better people than her have died. Another flashback described a time …show more content…
They escaped a roundup, but a guard soon shot at them. His mother, father, and older sister were killed so Jonathan grabbed his brother and ran away to the countryside hiding in barns. His brother became sick, so he received milk from the Polish to feed him, and eventually he became better. Jonathan was only 8 years old at this time, so, it was a great act of courage to take care of the baby, although he risked their lives by being sick and making noise. Eventually, Jonathan had to flee to the forest because a farmer found them in a barn and reported them to the Nazis. Then, he had seen all of the Jews lined up in a forest- his cousins, his grandparents, his friends, and their parents all included. He watched them all get shot and killed, their dead bodies falling into a pit behind them. Jonathan missed his parents very much, but he courageously continued living, although he was alone, in hopes of making it to Palestine and getting his brother back after he had been adopted by another