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AndresSanchez
English113B
ProfessorDitch
30March2015
BondingThroughBooksCreatesFriendship
Havingfriendsthatstandbythesecharacterssideshelpedthemgetthroughagreatdeal
oftragedyoccurringintheirlife.Thecharactersintheepistolarynovel
TheGuernseyLiterary
andPotatoPeelPieSociety
byMaryAnnShafferandAnnieBarrows,dojustthatwhentheyare
occupiedbyGermanforcesduringWorldWarIIontheirhomeisland,Guernsey.These
characterssuffertheeffectsofthewarofnothavingsufficientamountsoffood,deathtragedies,
andGermansovereigntyovertheisland.Thesecharactersformedabooksocietybecauseitwas
theirgetawayplacetocommunicateandcomforteachotherthroughfriendship.Bookswerea
symbolofunitythatbroughtthemtogetherandbondingthemthroughbooks,allowingthemto
havesomethingtodiscuss.Thisclubalsogavethemanescapefromtherealworldandformeda
worldoftheirownwheretherearenoGermanstocontrolthemandallowingthemtolivetheir
normallivesforabriefmoment.Friendshipisakeycomponenttohelpingovercometraumas
becauseitkeepsyouoptimisticthroughhardship.Friendshipalsoshowsthatfriendshipisnot
onlyabenefit,butanecessitytomaintainingone'ssanityduringtimesofwar.
Bookswereasymbolofunityinwhichthatkeptthemtogetherandkeepedthem
occupiedduringthewar.Inthenovel,thecharactersontheislandofGuernseyformedaLiterary
SocietytoaidthemduringtheoccupationoftheGermansoldiers.Throughoutthenovelthese
charactersshowaloveforbooksasthecharacterDawseyAdamswhoisafarmerandmemberof


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TheGuernseyLiteraryandPotatoPeelPieSociety,writesalettertopublisherJulietAshtonin
London,Iwanttoread,andthoughtheGermansaregonenow,therearen'tanybookshopsleft
onGuernsey.Iwanttoaskkindnessofyou.Couldyousendmethenameandaddressofa
bookshopinLondon?(Shaffer,Barrows,9).Thisshowsthattheclubhadalimitednumberof
booksandDawseyisaskingifhecangetmorebooksfortheclubandisalsoseekingfriendship
throughlettersandtheloveJulietandDawseysharefortheliteraryworksofCharlesLamb.
BooksarewhathelpedthesecharactersbondintheLiterarySocietyandwasasymbolofunity.
Inthearticle,
CultureandCommunication
,AnastaciaKuryloillustratesthatAcultural
representationinvolvestheuseofsymbolstoreflectvariousaspectsofasharedgroupidentity
culturecanbeexpressedthroughsymbols.(5).Inthiscase,booksinTheGuernseyLiterary
andPotatoPeelPieSocietywereasymbolofunityinwhichtheycametogethertoreadand
discussliterature.KuryloalsosuggeststhatBycommunicatingsomesymbolsratherthananyof
theotherpotentialsymbolsapersoncouldcommunicate,peopleconstructculturalidentity
Culturecannotexistwithoutpeoplecommunicatingit.(5).Withthissymboltheyidentified
themselvesasmembersofTheGuernseyLiteraryandPotatoPeelPieSociety.Booksarean
importantsymbolinthisnovelbecausethelovetheysharedforliteraturegavethemsomething
totalkaboutandleadtoabondcreatingfriendship.Becausethesecharactersweresodeeply
engagedintheconversation,foramomenttheyforgotwashappeningintheislandandescaped
therealitiesoftherealworldwhichhelpedthemcopethroughtheoccupation.Bookswasa
factorthathelpedthesecharactersbondandcreatefriendshipswithoneanotherwhichaided
themthroughthewar.


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Inanyevent,themaincharacterJuliethasabondandagreatfriendshipwithSophiethat
lastthroughoutthewholenovel.ThefriendshipwithSophiechangedherlifearoundandsteered
hertowardsapositivedirection.ReverendSimonSimplesswritesarecommendationletterto
AmeliathefounderofTheGuernseyLiteraryandPotatoPeelPieSocietytoshowAmeliathat
Julietisagoodpersonandcanbetrustedtowriteabookabouttheirclubandexperiencesin
Guernsey.InthelettertoAmelia,SimontalksabouthowwhenJulietwastwelveyearsoldher
parentsdiedandshebecameatroubledchild.ShewassenttolivewithhergreatuncleDr.
RoderickAshton,inLondonandthatswhenhertroublesbegan.Herunclewasbusywithhis
GrecoRomanstudiesanddidnotpayattentiontoJuliet,sosheranawaytwiceonlytobecaught
notsofaraway.Julietcouldnotcopefromthedeathofherparentsbecauseshedidnothave
anyonetotalktoountilshemetSophieataboardingschoolthatJulietwassentto.Reverend
Simonwrites,IbelievethetruereasonforJulietsregainedspiritswasherfriendshipwith
SophieStarkandtheStarkFamily.SheoftenwenttoSophieshomeforhalftermvacation,and
JulietandSophiecametwicetostaywithmeandmysisterinRectory.(Shaffer,Barrows,46).
JulietspentamassamountoftimewithSophieandpracticallybecameinseparable.Julietwasa
troubledchildafterherparentsdiedandhadtroublecopingbecauseshehadnoonetotalkto,but
whenshemetSophieshestartedtochangeandovercamethetraumaofherparentsdeaththrough
friendship.ThisfriendshipwasimportanttoJulietbecauseifitwasnotforSophie,Julietmight
havegoneadifferentpath.SinceSophiewasthereforher,Julietstoppedrunningawayand
formedaclosefriendshiptoher.
ThecharactersintheLiterarySocietyusedcommunicationandfriendshiptohelpthem
copethroughtheoccupationandthehardshipstheyfacedduringthewar.Infact,researchersin


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thearticleFriendship,SocialInteraction,andCopingwithStressbyBarbaraA.Winstead,
ValerianJ.Derlega,RobinJ.Lewis,JaniceSanchezHucles,andEvaClarke,examined
interactingwithafriendaffectscoping.Totestthehypothesisthatinteractingwithin
anticipationofastressfuleventaffectscoping,Winsteadetal.measuredtheresearchsubjects
socialsupport,mood,andbehavioralscoresandfoundthatasthesubjectswereexposedtomore
socialsupporttheyfeltlessanxious,depressed,hostile,andlessfearful.Winsteadetal.states,
Verbalandnonverbalbehaviorsmightcontributetocopingwithstress.Thereweretrendsfor
otherrelatedtalktopredictlessanxietyanddepressionfollowingthesocialinteraction.Talking
aboutotherrelatedexperiencesmayhavebeenhelpful,inpart,becauseitsatisfiedaneedfor
socialcomparison.(208).Therefore,Winsteadetal.concludedthatinteractingwithfriends
doesaffectyourcopingandshowspositiveresults.ThecharactersintheLiterarySocietyseek
friendshipthroughtheLiterarySocietyandultimatelycreateabondbetweenoneanother.The
friendshipthesecharactershadwithoneanotherhelpedthemcopethroughtheoccupationand
benefitedtheminmaintainingtheirsanityduringwar.
Inthenovel,protagonistElizabethMckennawassentencedtoaconcentrationcampfor
harvestingapolishslaveandmetRemyGiraud.Thesecampswerefilledwithdeath,disease,
cruelty,andwasoneofthemostdarkesttimesofthewar.Remyfelthopeless,butwhenshemet
Elizabethsheformedafriendshipthatwouldhelphercopeandshedalittlelighttothedarkened
timesofthecamp.Notstrengthonly,butametiershehadformakingusforgetwherewewere
forasmallwhile.Elizabethwasmyfriend,andinthatplacefriendshipwasallthataidedmeto
remainhuman.(Shaffer,Barrows,178).ThishowimportantRemysfriendshipwithElizabeth
wastoherandhowfriendshiphelpedhermaintainhersanity.Eventhoughshewasina


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concentrationcamp,Elizabethmanagedtoengageinaconversationwithherandtalkaboutthe
islandandthebookclubtokeepherpreoccupied.Anotherexampleonhowimportantthis
friendshipwastoRemyiswhenshestates,Thebunkswerefilledwithsicknessandfilth.But
whenElizabethspokeIcouldimaginethegood,freshseaairandthesmelloffruitinthehot
sunthesethingsseemedlikeHeaventome.(180).Thisconversationwasaremindertoher
thattherearebetterplaces,betterdaysthanthecampandlifewillnotalwaysbethiswayof
sufferingandlivingindarknessforever.RemyformedabondwithElizabethandthroughthis
bondithelpedhercopethroughoneofthedarkesttimesduringWorldWarIIgaveherhopethat
shewilleventuallyleavethecampandgototheislandofGuernseywhichseemedlikeHeaven
toher.
Companionshipcanbeusedtohelpapersonundergoingatraumabysharingtheir
thoughtsandrelatingtooneanother.Infact,WorldWarIIveteransusedsocialsupporttohelp
themcopefromtheeventstheyseenanddoneduringbattle.Inthearticle,
WorldWarII
veterans,socialsupport,andveteransassociations
,NigelHuntandRobbinsinterviewsWorld
WarIIveteransandexplainhowcomradeshipdevelopedinthewarandhowithelpedthem.
Comradeshipdevelopedduringthewaryears,initiallyintraining,andtheninbattle.Ithas
continuedtobeimportantformanyveterans,andisseenasdeeperthanordinaryfriendship,the
depthoftherelationshiparisingbecauseofthesharedhardships,thesharedlives,andthesense
ofdependencyforoneslifeonothers.(3).Theveteranswouldrathercopewiththeircomrades
becausetheysharedthesameexperiencesandformedabondduringtrainingandthewar.The
veteranstrytouseavoidancetothetopicofwarmemorieswiththeirfamiliescausingprotection
becauseifthefamilydoesnotknowwhathappenedtheywillnotbringupthetopicandtrigger


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thetraumaticmemories.Althoughfamiliescanhelpwithcoping,HuntstatesthatWivesand
familiesplayadifferentrole.Theyprovideongoingpracticalandemotionalsupport,andin
manycaseshavedonesothroughoutthewaryears.Theydonotfulfilthesameroleascomrades
wivesdonottendtohelpveteransreconciletheirtraumaticrecollections...Thefamilyisretained
asasupportivesafeenvironment,tellingthestoryofthewarwouldthreatenthatsecurity.(180)
Thewarveteransusedfriendshipasacopingmethodmuchlikehowthecharactersinthenovel
usedfriendshipasacopingmethod.Theveteransformedabondandbecamefamilywiththeir
comradesduringwarandsuchashowthemembersofLiterarysocietyformedabondandfamily
throughthebookclubtohelpthemcopefromthetraumastheyweregoingthroughwhilebeing
occupiedbyGermanforces.
AnotherexampleoffriendshipandcommunicationhelpingsomeonecopeisMelissa
Moody.Inthedocumentary
Happy
,MelissaMoodyunderwentatraumaticeventthatchanged
herlifeforever.OnJuly4,1992Melissawasinaconflictwithhersisterinlaw,shespeedoff
whileMelissa'shandwasstillonthedoorhandleandwasdraggedacrosstheruggedroad.
Melissacouldnotgetawayandwhenshefinallydidthecarwentoverherspineandherface
wascrushedagainsttherocks.Shehadtobehospitalizedandunderwentthirtysurgeriesonher
face.Thetraumaticeventtriggeredhermemoryofwhenshewasachildandrememberedher
fatherfondlingandrapingher,threatenedisshetoldanyonehewillkillher.Melissasays,At
thispointIwasjustangryIwasalive.Ithoughtaboutkillingmyself.Shecouldnotgetsocial
supportfromherfriendsbecausewhentheyseenhertheywouldbreakdownandcry,horrifiedat
whathappened.ThatsuddenlychangedwhenshemetHappyatherstepdaughter'swedding.
ThisinteractionchangedherlifearoundinapositivedirectionbecauseHappymadeherhappy


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andmarriedeachother.Melissaevensays,Iamahappierperson.Throughcommunication
andfriendship,Melissawasabletobeoptimisticagainandbegantoliveherlife.Thecharacters
inthenovelunderwentatraumaticeventbutwithfriendshiptheywereabletoperseverethrough
thisevent.Wearesocialcreatures,wedependonfood,waterandcommunication.Interactions
withpeoplehelpskeepoursanity.
Althoughfriendshipwasakeycomponenttohelpingthesecharacterscope,friendship
couldnothelpthemescapetherealitiesofwhatwasgoingonintheisland.Thesecharactersstill
sufferedthroughfoodrations,sickness,anddeath.Whilethatmaybethecase,friendshipgave
thesecharactersbondstowherethencaninteractandkeepthemselvespreoccupiedwithbooks
duringthewar.Withoutthisconnectiontheyhadwithoneanothertheirlivesmighthaveturned
outdifferently.WithoutthefriendshipbetweenSophieandJuliet,Julietmighthavecontinuedto
runawayandeventuallygetherselfintoproblems.SinceSophiewasabletobondwithJuliet,
shecontinuedtogotoschoolandfurtherhereducationleadinghertobecomeawriter.
Friendshipkeptthesecharacterspositiveandwerethereforeachotherwhentheyneededhelp.
Inconclusion,friendshipwasakeycomponenttohelpingovercometraumasbecauseit
keptthesecharactersoptimisticthroughhardship.Friendshipalsoshowedthatfriendshipisnot
onlyabenefit,butanecessitytomaintainingone'ssanityduringtimesofwar.


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WorksCited
Belic,Roko,dir.
Happy
.WadiRumProductions,2011.Film.

Hunt,NigelRobbins,I.

WorldWarIIVeterans,SocialSupport,andVeterans'Associations

Aging&MentalHealth5.2
.(May2001):175182.Web.27March2015.
Kurylo,Anastacia.CultureandCommunication320.Print.
Shaffer,MaryAnn.,andAnnieBarrows.TheGuernseyLiteraryandPotatoPeelPieSociety.
NewYork,NY:Dial,2008.Print.
Winstead,Barbara,etal.Friendship,SocialInteraction,andCopingwithStress
CommunicationResearch19.2.
(1992):193211.Web.27March2015.