Sarah's Key

Rosnay 1
Block B Second Semester
Dobyns-Bennett
English 9 Honors
27 January 2014
A True Hero Heroes can be defined in numerous ways. There are heroes like Superman and Batman, but then there are the men and women that fight for our freedom. There are also individuals who are your friends or family that may seem to be your hero. In Tatiana de Rosnay’s Sarah’s Key, Sarah expresses her heroic self by exhibiting bravery, determination, and trustworthiness. Whether you call it daring, bold, spunky or audacity, Sarah had it. Bravery is a way of fearlessness, which she embodied. Sarah displayed courage by putting her head up from feeling despondent and continued to proceed with her mission. “’Be brave, my sweet love. Be brave, as brave as you can.’ She could not cry” (Rosnay 23). When Sarah had her head shaved she acquired great valor unlike the other children. “When it was her turn, the girl did not struggle. She felt sobs welling up in her throat but forced herself not to cry. Never to cry in front of these men. Never cry. Ever” (Rosnay 81). She didn’t distress who they were, Sarah saw everyone as equals. “She realized she was not afraid of him. She felt a sort of strange pity for him, which puzzled her”(Rosnay 90). Anyone and everyone can be fearless, it just takes an inner ability to show the courage that you contain. Rosnay 2
To have determination, there must be an inner desire to achieve one’s purpose. Sarah exhibited great tenacity when trying to escape with Rachel from the camp. “With Rachel, she had made up her mind. They were going to escape”(Rosnay 87). Trying to find her brother, Michael, this keeps her fighting to get out of the camp. “’ I’ll come back for you later. I promise”’(Rosnay 9). Sarah wants and will keep her promise with Michael. She has the inner strength to eventually kill herself by crashing her car into a tree in her adulthood. Determination can be an admirable trait, but it can also back fire and cause dreadful actions. It is ashamed that throughout history we define “loyalty” as a trait found in dogs. However, in the book, Sarah possess the rare trait for an individual. Sarah’s little brother, Michael, trusted her with his life. He allowed her to lock him in a cupboard, so that the police would not take him with the others. “’I’m going to our secret place”, he whispered. The girl could see her brother’s small face peeking out at her from the darkness. “Are you afraid in there?” she asked softly as the men called out for them. “No,” he said. “I’m not afraid. You lock me in. They won’t get me”’(Rosnay 90). After mothers’ and their children had been separated, Sarah was trusted by many of the children of the camp. “Little by little, she came to know their names, their ages, but some of them were so small they could hardly answer her. They were thankful for a warm voice, for a smile, a kiss, and they followed her around the camp, dozens of them, training after her like bedraggled sparrows”(Rosnay 80). Rachel, a tall eleven-year-old girl with black hair, also trusted Sarah. They escaped the camp together and succeeded. With Sarah’s trustworthiness, this influenced many in a positive way.
Rosnay 3
With a willingness to preserver and a determination to accomplish ones goal Sarah Starzynski in Sarah’s Key exhibited bravery, determination, and trustworthiness. In spite of the many obstacles thrown at Sarah, she still came out strong. There might be a barrier in your way throughout life, but just keep your head up high and continue to make your way through it. Heroes personify a way of life that only the chosen can achieve.