Resistance - Owen Sheers Themes summary

?
  • Created by: Nik.
  • Created on: 26-05-16 20:47

Authority

  • Mary protects Bethan
  • Albrecht over the German men 
  • Maggie - eldest, most established female
  • Sarah - accepts Albrecht's proposals at the end
  • Albrecht over the women - chooses not to use it
  • Albrecht challenges that of the Nazis - he stays in the valley
1 of 7

Patriotism

Various ways:

  • Men - leave wives & homes - uncertain future
  • Women - support husbands - work on farms, keep disappearance a secret
  • Tommy Atkins - trains young men - knows they'll not survive
  • Tommy Atkins - worries about what he has said/might say under torture
  • Mary - helping the soldiers is treason
  • George - angry at women - collaborators - revenge on Maggie
  • Albrecht follows orders
  • Sarah - burns Mappa Mundi - Nazis can't get it
  • Albrecht - loyal soldier but Germany not home anymore
  • Steiner - accepts Nazis - radios other units
2 of 7

Love

Women for men - seen through actions / behaviour of Sarah & Maggie

Sarah - letters to Tom = love & constancy (&confusion)

Maggie - colt at the fair = love for William

For the country

Gernot's love for Bethan - learns english so he can talk to her

Bethan's love for Gernot - changes when she learns about what Nazis do

Mary for Bethan - sends her away from Gernot - action of protection, Mary will be alone 

Albrecht's feelings for Sarah

Women's love for their homes, valley and way of life

Soldier's developing love for their new life

3 of 7

Absence and loss

women - lose men LEADS TO loss of security, love and companionship

Men's absence - women have to run farms - women feel a range of emotions (esp. Sarah)

Women pretend husbands are still there

Sarah - no possibility of having children

4 of 7

Survival

Women - survive war , no husbands

German soldiers - survive war, hardships experienced - achieve healing in the valley

Animals - survive through womens/soldiers working together

Maggie - sees they have to work with Germans = survival

George - only survive 14 days as a resistance fighter - lives with others thinking he is a coward

Albrecht - survives war - court martialled

Atkins - survives torture - dies

5 of 7

Heroism

Women - resist Germans

Tommy Atkins + George - Physical bravery

George - frightened of Germans but will do what is necessary 

Albrecht - leaves war though he knows he is essentially deserting

6 of 7

Collaboration and resistance

George - selection and training - sees locals as collaborators

Accepting German soldiers help - collaboration

Germans - reprisals agains resistance

Women - don't readily accept Germans

Maggie - persuades others to accept help

Sarah - rejects Albrecht's record

Tommy Atkins - escapes captivity

Maggie - locals see as a collaborator

Germans- stay in valley, leave war

7 of 7

Comments

Peter Pan 2

Report

This is an awesome source! Thanks very much :)

Similar English Literature resources:

See all English Literature resources »See all Resistance resources »