Postcards from No Man's Land Courage Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #1

"Think, my dear. We owe it to these people. They've come to help us. We must do what we can to help them. And think of our daughter. Isn't it natural she wants to play her part? When this horror is over, what would you have her say, that she had to stand by and watch while others took all the risks?" (2.44)

Just when we are expecting Geertrui's mom to shut her down, she goes to bat for her with Geertrui's dad. Courage is something that Geertrui's family gets—even when it's hard. She might be nineteen, but she's allowed to help out, just like her parents and brother.

Quote #2

At first I was squeamish, but I discovered then how quickly you learn to cope with terrible things if you have no choice. And luckily I inherit from my mother a practical view of life. While we worked, the soldiers told us about their homes and families, their friends and girlfriends, and showed us photos. Mostly they were very young, nineteen and twenty, and I think wanted more than anything to be mothered. (2.57)

Sure the soldiers were brave and acting heroically, but Geertrui shows a different side of them too—they also were so young and just want some love from a mom. Our hearts go out to these poor guys who are fighting in a far away land for people they've never met.

Quote #3

I can shake off everything if I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn. (3.1)

This quote from Anne Frank starts off Chapter 3 with a bang, mainly because we're asked to make a comparison between Anne and Jacob. She too finds solitude and comfort in writing and reading, even when it's scary for her.