Milkweed essay
By Jensen Reckhow
The book Milkweed, by Jerry Spinelli, expresses how the human spirit can triumph over the destructive actions of others. This is conveyed through a twelve-year-old boy name Misha struggling through the Holocaust. In his efforts to defeat the jackboots, Misha inspires many and instills determination into the hearts of the oppressed around him.
During the Holocaust there were two kinds of people: those striving to defeat those they saw as inferior, and those who strived to resist this defeat and rise above their oppressors. Hitler, the leader of the oppressors, believed that by killing those that were not perfect (part of the Aryan Race), he would purify humanity. However, unbeknownst to him, what he accomplished was far from this goal. His unacceptable actions alerted the world that there were racial prejudices that could get out of hand and eventually provoke genocide. He also gave the public the courage and determination to keep this from happening. Misha was one of these people. Instead of hiding and giving in to Hitler, he stood strong like the stone angel, and carried his name with pride: “I’m not a dirty Jew! I’m a gypsy! My name is Misha Pilsudski!” His immense pride in his identity gave him the power and determination to rise above as a tiny milkweed puff in a huge field and defeat the Nazis.
In response to the Holocaust, many people say, “never again,” but this has not been the case. The Holocaust has been emulated in several places around the world, including the Sudan, Rwanda and Somalia. These people, like Misha, have learned to greet genocide with bold and unrelenting resistance. Their spirits continue to triumph over the autocratic actions of others. Misha learned to strive to be the best, despite limitations placed on him by society. Constantly being reminded of his insignificance, Misha strove to prove that even a gypsy could be great as the jackboots. “I pretended I was the snow angel. I closed my eyes and pretended as hard as I could, and after a while I was convinced I could feel wings sprouting from my shoulders. I wanted to look, to see my wings, but I was an angel of stone, so I could not move.” Once Misha had a goal, he challenged himself to meet it. He wanted to be like the snow angel, and would not stop until he was satisfied with his achievements. Like Misha, many courageous and heroic people are determined to become the snow angel – to show the world that their spirit can overcome any obstacle that may befall them.
Throughout history the human spirit has triumphed over the destructive actions of others. As a student, it is my responsibility to inspire others of this ability, and to prove that the human spirit will prevail over destruction. It is my belief that with courage and stamina, all humanity can endure and overcome oppression and degradation, and we can all become snow angels, and float away on milkweed puffs of freedom.