City Of Thieves Analysis

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In City of Thieves by David Benioff, Benioff argues that individuals can progress from childhood to maturity over the course of one week through Lev's search for meaning, his difficult journey and final epiphany as to who he is as a person. Benioff illustrates that growing up is about self-discovery, and discovering who one is as a person. Lev's search for meaning begins his journey from childhood to maturity. Lev stays home when his mother and little sister leave because he does not understand who is is as a person and searches for meaning. He argues that he “was a man, [he] would defend [his] city,” but he doesn't truly believe he is a man or that he will defend his city (Benioff 8). When he argues with his mother about leaving, he is …show more content…

Lev doesn’t identify as a patriot or a defender of the city. He strives to become a hero, to triumph. Almost immediately, Lev and Kolya are thrown into a battle with a giant cannibal. Kolya represents what Lev aspires to be, a mature man. Lev is not yet mature enough to fight the giant like a man. He runs away as Kolya fights of the cannibals, even though he aspires to help. Immideatley after Lev escapes he thinks he “was betraying Kolya, deserting him when he was weaponless and [Lev] has a good knife,” (Benioff 60). Lev wishes to be the person that fights. He aspires to be the patriot he claims to be, but is reminded in this encounter that he is not mature. “I’m not a coward I know I looked like one back there, but I’m not,” said Lev as they continued their journey (Benioff 64). Lev wants to be brave. He doesn’t want to be a coward and is trying to convince himself that he isn’t. Lev repeatedly claims to be something he is not, in the hope that someday he will become it. The journey continues to be difficult as they struggle to find shelter in the cold, fail to travel in the right direction, get shot at in the house, and join the other captives in the Einsatzgruppe labor camp. He is still viewed as an outsider by the german as he questions Lev, “you’re young still. We all had our awkward years,” (Benioff 195). Benioff reminds the reader that through all the challenges of Lev’s journey, Lev is still young. He has not become a man. Lev’s victory over Abendroth after the chess game marks the point at which Lev learns what it takes to be mature. Up until the moment when he kills Abendroth, Lev has never had the courage to act. When he is put in moment of decision, “[He] had acted, against all expectation, against [his] own history of cowardice…[he] had shown a bit of courage” (Benioff

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