Brief Analysis Of Milkweed By Jerry Spinelli

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This trimester I read a story called Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli. The story was based around the time of Hitler's reign over Germany. Orphaned at an early age, the main character eventually accepts the identity that his friend, Uri, gives him. Unclear as to whether he is a Gypsy, a “Filthy son of Abraham”(pg.138) or a boy named "Stopthief”(pg.2), he suddenly becomes Misha Pilsudski. While stealing food he meets a young girl named Jianina and eventually befriends her. When Jianina and her family is sent off to the Jewish Ghetto, Misha follows. However, soon after they begin to deport Jews and Misha’s makeshift family is eventually taken away leaving Misha and Jianina alone and searching for them. Jianina goes off on her own at some point and …show more content…

Misha never knew anything but running and stealing so he never felt what it was like to be able to sit and breathe, however there were some in the story, like Mr. Milgrom, Janina's father, who could remember a time before the war and discrimination against anyone other than the stereotypical white male. There were parts in the story where you could see Mr. Migrom trying to create a sense of normalcy for his family, such as celebrating Hanukkah. “ ‘This year you will celebrate with us,’ said Mr. Milgrom...Now it was Hanukkah time again, and with Mrs. Milgrom gone and Uncle Shepsle being a Lutheran... I was in,” Misha’s interior monologue describes the losses that him and his family have faced and Mr. Milgrom’s want for happiness and normalcy. Another thing that seemed to hold true to the overlying theme was that some people didn’t stay strong and in doing so didn’t last long after giving up. As stated earlier Mr. Milgrom wanted to provide a sense of calm and normalcy for his family, however Mrs. Milgrom, when she was still alive, choose not to try and ended up becoming a shell of a person she once supposedly was.. She stayed on her bed until the day of her death and even then a day later. “ ‘No,’ she(Mrs. Milgrom) groaned from her mattress,” She had given up whereas Mr. Milgrom had tried to keep

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