Adversity is a difficult thing to cope with. It is common in people from grades 7-12. This could include problems with money, acne, weight, popularity, the list goes on. People in middle school and high school feel the struggles of adversity because of bullies and bad friends. This could cause the teenage brain to overload and self-destruct. Three ways to overcome adversity are healthy friendships, listening to music, and a good and loving community.
The first way to overcome adversity is through music. This can be seen in The Book Thief when Hans plays his accordion. It states, “Whenever they had a break, to eat or drink, he would play the accordion, and it was this that Liesel remembered best” (Zusak 355). This shows that whenever papa is home playing his accordion, it makes Liesel happy and gives her some of her fondest memories. This also shows that Liesel is thankful for her papa’s music and the accordion. Another way music in the novel people overcome is when the book states, “On his third night at home, he played the accordion in the kitchen. A promise was a promise. There was music, soup, and jokes, and the laughter of a fourteen-year-old girl” (Zusak 500). This shows that papa’s music made Liesel happy and whenever he was home, her whole day gets better. For instance, when papa left, Rosa kept the accordion and held it to her heart as a way to remember him. While music is a good way to overcome adversity, there are more ways to deal with it.
The second way to overcome adversity is through a healthy friendship. This can be seen in The Book Thief with Rudy and Liesel. It states, “Insane or not, Rudy was always destined to be Liesel’s best friend. A snowball in the face is surely the perfect beginning to a lasting friendship” (Zusak 48). This quote shows that even though Rudy and Liesel have just met, a minor inconvenience like a snowball to the face could cause them to become best friends. This also shows that the snowball is a symbol of friendship. Another way friendship can help face adversity is also in The Book Thief when it states, ‘She loved and hated her best friend, Rudy Steiner, which was perfectly normal” (Zusak 85). This quote shows that even though Rudy is her best friend, she loves and hates him. This is how real friendships are in the real world and it is a healthy thing. While these are good ways to overcome adversity, some people think there are better ways to overcome it.
Many people say there are other ways to overcome adversity. Some people might say denial is a good way to overcome adversity. Throughout years, many people have used denial as a way to cope with adversity. This could be seen in the video behind the lies of Holocaust denial. In the video, Deborah states, “And the Jews, what ever happened to them they kind of deserved it” (TED 6:67). This shows that the Holocaust was not that bad because the Jews “deserved” it. What David is implying is that the Jews were bad people that deserved what was coming to them. Although the Jews were a major factor in the Holocaust, this does not mean they deserved what was coming to them. Jews and other types of people were rounded up in prisons and killed. This does not matter if they were innocent or not. For instance, in The Book Thief, Max is marched through the city of Molching to a concentration camp. Did Max deserve to be treated the way he was, no. Even though he was Jewish does not mean he is the reason for WWII. Throughout the story, the Nazis and death constantly threaten Max’s life. This is why denial is never a way to cope with adversity.
Although there are many ways to cope with adversity, people will always have a different opinion than you. In the first paragraph, music was seen to help cope with adversity in The Book Thief. In the second paragraph, friendship was also seen to help cope with adversity in The Book Thief. In the final paragraph, denial was seen as a way to cope with adversity by using examples from the video, behind the lies of Holocaust denial. Adversity is not something that can be solved overnight, so be sure to remember that.
Work Cited
- Zusak, Markus, and Trudy White. The Book Thief. Knopf, 2013.
- TED. “Behind the Lies of Holocaust Denial | Deborah Lipstadt.” YouTube, YouTube, 23 May 2017,
- www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ztdofPc8Rw.
