child hood

[Anna michie]

in part one the first chapter describes Marie's young life. how do things like where we grow up, who we are friends with and where we go part of what shapes us. Is it just our family? or do we have a path set when we are born and everything that happens just fallows that path?

[sophielowy]

I believe that our surroundings play a major role in shaping us as a person, but I also believe that when it comes down to it we have the final say of who we become. The street we grow up on and the people who are their to support us as we grow and change all come together to create different parts of us. I believe we all have a path that we can follow but I think that is truly up to us if we choose to follow it or not. In the novel Marie always followed her heart and was who she was. She let her surroundings shape her, yet she always stayed true to herself. Werner on the other hand spent most of his time trying to fit in such as at school when he sat their while Frederick got beat up just because he wasn't bold enough to stand up for his friend. In the end Marie helped Werner be who he was and in that way Marie also shaped who Werner was and vis versa. Although all of the events that the characters went through grew them up and developed them as characters it was truly the characters choose to follow the path that they wanted. I believe we have the ability to do the same thing with our lives.