"Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein- YA book reading response

The book “Code Name Verity” by Elizabeth Wein is an in depth story about the tragedies during WW11 that prisoners, especially women, had to endure. The YA book follows Verity, a young, intelligent, Scottish girl who has been captured by the Germans. Throughout, the book we learn the events leading up to her capture and the cause of her being captured. Not only do we notice that she has been suffering in captivity but we also find out Verity is innocent and is only in captivity because she saved her friend. Following an encounter with Verity’s journey in captivity, we then fast-forward to the present day, where we learn how a relationship spiralled out of control and had a nasty ending. The book portrays a developing account of a friendship that has had a turn on someone’s future. Can you imagine what life was like during WW11? In “Code Name Verity”, the author portrays life during WW11 so well, that you feel as if you are present in that unfortunate time in history.

The author uses many different ways to portray life during WW11. One way is that the author uses jobs to compare how the roles of women changed from the beginning of the war to the end. “WAAF is Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, auxiliary to the RAF, Royal Air Force. You don’t fly in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, but the way things are now you can do almost any job a man does, all the work associated with flying and fighting.” Although in depth, this quote shows a comparison of how women were affected by the war in a good way. Before the war occurred, women were thought of the less equal and were considered unable to achieve positions that men were. However, as the quote suggests, women were given a lot more power during the war, as the army needed as many people to help, so the British could win the war. Not only did women’s jobs change during the war, but also it became a permanent effect after. Women were granted positions that would never have been granted if not for the war. As quoted above, the “Women Auxiliary Air Force” was set up, which was a stepping stone for a future in air force for women. The war changed the lives of women so that they were seen as equality to men and were granted positions that would never have been available to them if not for the war.

Another example, of how life in WW11 is portrayed in the book, is by the conditions in which Germans treated people. One way, in which Germans treated people, is by categorizing a group of people and sending instant hatred on them. “The forms have got the doctor’s name, Benjamin Zylberberg, at the top, and a yellow star with a warning stamped at the bottom, stating that this Jewish doctor can only legally prescribe medication to other Jews.” This quotation shows the discrimination that the Germans had against Jews during WW11. It shows how Jewish people were discriminated not only throughout the duration of the war but also it had a long lasting affect. We notice the torture that they had to endure by this simple quote. Even having a specific doctor, different from everyone else is awful, just cause of his or her religion. When we look back on this, we realize how many people’s lives were affected because of this and the torture and devastation they had to endure during wartime.

Adding on to the above paragraph, we get told of the disturbance and horrible conditions Jewish people had to endure. “Presumably he is no longer practicing (presumably he has been shipped off to break rocks in a concentration camp somewhere), which is why his blank prescriptions have fallen into the hands of the Gestapo.” This quotation portrays the life that some Jewish people had to endure during WW11. The doctor was sent to a concentration camp, which due to knowledge was very common during the war. But for the narrator to instantly determine that he must have been sent to a concentration camp proves just how common it is. The author uses this example of how people of the “minority”, in the German’s eyes, were killed, starved and suffered so much destruction that the war bought a lot of harm to them behind the scenes. During the war, many people weren’t aware of the concentration camps but only of the frontline fighting. This suggests that Germany didn’t want anyone knowing because they knew that people would disagree by far. This proves how bad it was and the author mentions this situation to show how the German’s made many wrong decisions.

Lastly, the author shows the life of captives during the devastating time of the war. “After I’d got to the bit about the cook feeling me up-so embarrassing, but if I’d skipped it and VL found out later, I’d pay for it in blood- he came over and stood by me. I had to look up. When I did, he took a handful of my hair and held it lightly off the back of my neck for a moment.” This quotation portrays many events such as sexual abuse and physical abuse. We not only get shown the vulnerability of the captives but also how the abusers felt about it. They didn’t care and felt powerful taking advantage of people. This just shows that some people that were captured were innocent and the commanders just took advantage of them because they wanted to. It shows little respect for the opposing side and we are opened up to many experiences that captives would have had to endure during the war.

Overall, the author portrays many ways to show us as readers what life was like during World War Two. We learn about the obvious ways of life and the secretive journeys of people during the war. “Code Name Verity” is an informative account, which shows the many ways that people survived the war. It gives a very in depth account of the journey of a captive, which really connects the story to the way of lives that the journey portrays and wants us as readers to know about.