Lines of Courage

Lines of Courage explores the consequences of anger and empathy during times of conflict, including when facing poverty, hunger, or danger. The novel champions the use of empathy over anger, showing how anger fuels war and how empathy, though possibly more difficult to maintain, has the power to resolve it. Additionally, the structure of the novel reinforces the importance of empathy: The story is split into five sections, each seen from the point of view of a character on a different side of the war: Felix is Austro-Hungarian, Kara is British, Juliette is French, Dimitri is Russian, and Elsa is German. Nielsen suggests that, without empathy, it would be impossible for people from such disparate backgrounds to cooperate with each other. Each of them faces adversity brought on by the war but chooses to act with justice and compassion.

This theme is first introduced by the juxtaposition of Captain Garinov and Felix’s mother’s respective advice. On the one hand, the Captain tells Felix: “There’s a lot of anger in you, boy. That is good. Anger is the fuel of war and you will need plenty of it to survive” (43). However, as Captain Garinov is an antagonist at this stage in the novel, his message is to be taken with suspicion. On the other hand, Felix’s mother later states: “There is a fire within each of us. If you fuel that fire with anger, it will burn all your happiness. But if you fuel it with courage, then the fire will give you strength to do difficult things. [...] Anger will not get us through this war. Anger is the war” (45). This dichotomy emphasizes the importance of courage and compassion in times of conflict, and depicts anger as the antithesis of courage.

Kara, for instance, realizes the importance of compassion while taking care of soldiers: “Kindness and humor were tools of nursing, as much as a bandage or a brace. She cared for their injuries, but she was healing their hearts too” (65). She also goes against her orders not to help enemy soldiers by bringing an injured Sergeant Baum on board, a moral action that ends up costing her her position on the ambulance train. She reflects that: “Perhaps he fought for the enemy, but he wasn’t her enemy” (115).

Kara’s sentiment is later echoed by Elsa, who tells Dimitri: “It’s too bad our countries are at war. I think we might’ve been friends” (263), prompting him to respond: “You and I are not at war” (263). At the end of the story, when the five protagonists are reunited, Kara announces the official end of the war by stating: “As of twenty-three minutes ago, we can officially be friends again” (322).

Captain Garinov especially exemplifies the consequences of letting oneself be driven by anger. In reaction to his cruel, authoritarian behavior, Dimitri promises himself that he will not let anger control him. However, at the end of the story, Captain Garinov realizes that he has been unfair and apologizes to Dimitri before helping to rescue Major Dressler. His character arc suggests that compassion is more powerful than anger, which can only lead to violence and bitterness.