Wednesday, November 7, 2012

What is the theme of the book "The Silver Sword" by Ian Serraillier?

The Silver Sword is essentially about the children's journey, on their own, to reunite with their parents in Switzerland. It is therefore safe to conclude that the main theme of the story is Survival.

When the story begins, we meet Joseph Baliki who is imprisoned for teaching in his Polish language and turning a photo of Hitler to the wall. Notice that he, too, tries to survive the odds after his escape from prison. When the reader is introduced to the Baliki children, they are left on their own to fend for themselves after their mother is taken away by Germans. Ruth is forced to be mother to all of them and Edek becomes the bread-winner. Even later when they meet Jan, it is a fight to overcome hunger, the cold, the horror of guns and of the bombing all around them. It is a time of war and it is amazing that the children finally got their happy ending. Thankfully, there were also persons who aided their survival. These persons include, Ivan, The Barvarian Farmer and his wife and Joe Wolski, to name a few.   

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