88 pages • 2 hours read
Elizabeth WeinCode Name Verity
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2012A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Essay Topics
Friendship is a central theme of Code Name Verity. How does Wein develop this theme throughout the novel? What are the characteristics that mark a good friendship? Explain this theme in terms of at least two different friendships in this novel; one of them must be Julie and Maddie’s friendship.
Is Verity a trustworthy person? Explain the ways in which she is and is not trustworthy. How does trustworthiness help us determine if someone is a “good” person or a “bad” person? For example, Captain von Linden keeps his promises to Verity, which would indicate that he is trustworthy, but he is clearly a “bad” person. Explain what you believe Wein is trying to say about trustworthiness. You must include at least three characters in your discussion. You may choose any of the following characters: von Linden, Jamie, Maddie, Paul, Etienne Thibaut, Georgia Penn, and the Bloody Machiavellian English Intelligence Officer.
Why does Captain von Linden keep Julie alive and give her so much time to complete her confession? Is this element of the story believable? Why or why not?
Distinguishing between truth and lies becomes difficult in this novel. How does it affect the meaning of the novel that Julie tells so many lies in her portion of the narrative? What is true, ultimately, and what is a lie? Explain in terms of the surprise twists in the novel, including the revelation that Julie didn’t give the Nazis any useful information.
Who is the most courageous character in the novel and why? Explain by comparing and contrasting the courage of at least three characters.
Maddie makes the most difficult decision in this novel. Why does she make the choice that she does? Explain how her choice defines her character. How does her choice reveal the strength or weakness of her character? What else does it reveal?
Anna Engel plays a central role in enabling the Resistance to successfully complete Operation Verity. What kind of person is Engel? Discuss her character in terms of Maddie’s description of her as a “slave girl.” In what ways is Engel a slave? Why does Engel help the Resistance?
What does Wein achieve by having the narrative divided into two parts, each narrated by a different character? What effects does this structure have on the meaning of the novel? Explain.
Maddie learns to overcome her fears by focusing on the job at hand. How is “fly the plane, Maddie” a good motto in life? Explain.
During World War II, many social barriers appeared to fall, or at least to crumble, including barriers for women choosing nontraditional careers, and barriers regarding class and race. However, the Jamaican rear gunner whom Maddie rescues from the Gestapo HQ, tells Maddie, “It’s a white man’s world” (317). In what ways is this statement true in this novel and not true? Explain using your own research, but ground your answer using examples and characters from this novel.
