War brings out the worst in humanity and brings one to do things that were not previously imaginable. In the Soldiers Wife by Margret Leroy the characters are able to find their true selves, in spite of all the horrible consequences of war. War brings out your true self. In times of war and uncertainty war brings out a person's courage that was not previously there and also it allows you to realize your self-worth. Throughout the novel, it is evident that war brings out a deep understanding of ones self. .
Courage is defined by; the ability to do something that frightens oneself, throughout the novel, the protagonist Vivienne constantly displays courage. Vivienne De La Mare was a woman who enjoyed assimilating into a crowd and not defying authority or order in anyway. Vivienne starts to become much more courageous when faced with problems in her life. We see Vivienne's courage grow in many ways. The first instance is when she decided to break curfew to find her daughters cat despite of the consequences she may face. Vivienne convinces herself to go look for the cat and says, "I will go look for the cat. I know I can be silent, and I'm sure I won't be seen." (Leroy, 59) Vivienne is still a little unsure of her to-be actions and convinces herself to go through with the plan. Vivienne is finding a new courage within her which she did not previously have. The second insistence of newfound courage in Vivienne is her affair with German soldier, Gunther Lehmann. As the novel is set in Guernsey during the second world war, the German forces are seen as vile and evil and disregarded as decent humans by the island people. Despite the hatred towards the Germans by the islanders, Vivienne falls in love with one of the officers which she knows wrong and would be seen as treason. Even with the potential consequences Vivienne does not coward out of love and continues her affair with Gunther in secret and she says "I grow accustomed to secrecy, to hiding, to the life I share with Gunther, when we close the door on the war, on the world, and lie together in my bed.
