Beauty in the Wake of Brutality? | Teen Ink

Beauty in the Wake of Brutality?

December 5, 2013
By Bridget Smith BRONZE, Mundelein, Illinois
Bridget Smith BRONZE, Mundelein, Illinois
2 articles 0 photos 0 comments

Urban Dictionary defines beauty as, “Beauty is suppressed by the evils of the world. Only love can bring beauty out. Once seen, beauty never hides again. Not even hatred can deny beauty of it’s true design.” Within the evils of everyday worldwide events, beauty becomes a result and outshines the negativity. Deaths, killings, and natural disasters are some example of how in horrible situations people can make the best of it and keep positive. Because of people’s character, beauty succeed in the worst events even when there seems to be no hope for any good to come out of it. The novel, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, describes the life of a girl named Liesel living in Germany during the 1939-1942. During this time period, Hitler was in power controlling and regulating Jews and setting the ideal race he believed in. Liesel’s life was already hard to begin with; her brother died in front of her, her mother had left her at a young age, and she was sent to a foster care family. The harsh conditions in Germany was already a major toll in Liesel’s life, but these events she had to go through was something no one should ever have to deal with. Even though Liesel’s life seemed to turn for the worst, it had actually changed for the best. In every brutal event or story, something good always becomes a result of it.

Some may argue that the only outcome of brutality is the ugliness. Tragedies occur in everyone’s life and in some cases they are unpreventable. Several years ago an event occurred that I thought would never happen; my grandmother had passed away from cancer. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer when I was around 10 years-old, and she had months of chemotherapy to help her. After fighting her illness, the doctors confirmed that the cancer was gone. My grandmother was a survivor of cancer but not every story has a happy ending. Months after being cancer free, my family was told the news we never thought we would hear again; my grandmother had cancer again. Everyone knew cancer was hard to fight off and the chances of winning again was very low, which had resulted in my grandmother passing away. Overwhelming situations like the one I had to experience happen to everyone almost everyday across the world. Similarly, Liesel also felt abandonment because her younger brother had passed away, and her mother left her with two unknown foster parents in the same day. For Liesel, everything happened at once; she couldn’t see the bright side of the situation and all her emotions were scrambled up. Every night, Liesel would have nightmares about her brother and how she saw him die right in front of her. The traumatizing event haunted her every day, hovering over her like a ghost. Liesel was only 11 years old when her life seemed to go downhill. Reality hit her hard and she was too young to comprehend what her life would turn out to be. After the situations that occurred to Liesel, she didn’t know if she could ever feel the way she originally had and was scared to become close to others. Back in October of 2012, one of the biggest devastations hit the world: Hurricane Sandy. Currently this hurricane is reported to be ranked one of the largest and destructive hurricanes to ever form. Sandy lasted from October 23 to October 31 affecting countries surrounding the Atlantic ocean. After the destruction of Hurricane Sandy, it was estimated that the damages costed over $68 billion dollars. The majority of the destruction occurred in Eastern United State causing over $65 billion dollars in damage. Afterwards, it was reported that over 286 were killed from Hurricane Sandy throughout multiple countries. Hurricane Sandy greatly impacted the United States; leaving people homeless, losing their jobs, and losing all their property. How could there be a good outcome in situations like these? America was already in major debt from past wars and the devastation of Hurricane Sandy seemed impossible to fix.

It may seem that in these situations there isn’t any beauty that could be an outcome but in every ugly situation there is something good that happens. When my grandmother died, my family was in a state of shock and depression. No one could handle the reality that my grandmother was gone forever. In times of need and abandonment, my family had come together to support one another. We were all there for one another to help get through the tough situation. During the funeral relatives and friends of my grandmother would come up and tell me, “No matter what, we will be here for you throughout every step of the way because we are also suffering too.” After coping for awhile, I had accepted that she was gone. At the church when people were reading their stories about my grandmother, I realized that she had lived a good life and accomplished many achievement in life. Mary Ann Peddle, my grandmother, had raised a family of four girls and one boy. Raising so many girls throughout the 1960s takes effort, but she powered through it all resulting in multiple loving grandchildren. Liesel didn’t know it at the time but getting foster parents was the best thing that happened to her. After Liesel settled in with her new family, she had realized that it wasn’t as bad as she imagined. She had gained a loving and supportive family, made a lifelong friend, and met a man who had changed her life forever. In the “Standover Man”, written by Max and given to Liesel, it quotes, “Now I think we are friends, this girl and me. On her birthday it was she who gave the gift to me.” At this point in The Book Thief, Liesel realized how much Max cares about her and how much she means to him. Once Liesel read the book her perspective on events in her life begin to change because she starts to see that there’s more to life than regretting your past. Although she lost close individuals in her life, she ended up with people surrounding her that truly loved and cared about her. Hurricane Sandy, a enormous natural disaster, had damaged multiple nations and countries. Instead of America’s government becoming corrupt and the nation falling apart, the United States began working as one to help the victims who were affected. Many organizations held nation television fundraisers to reach their goal to support and donate to families and others suffering. Millions of dollars were raised from the United States and relieved over 500,000 people. All donations raised helped families get back on their feet after their house was destructed and other property was damaged. During the hurricane, Jack Buzzi noticed that his 60 year-old neighbor’s roof had collapsed and feared she was in trouble. Fearing the worst, he took action and trudged through the knee-high waters. Upon arriving at her house he saw that she was trapped by the fallen roof and helped her to safety. Jack Buzzi, an heroic man, had risked his own life in order to help and save his neighbor’s life.

Others may argue that there is not beauty in the wake of brutality, but I believe different. When horrible events occur in your life, do not just sit around feeling sad and wishing for the best. Think of the bright side of the situation; do not focus on the negativity. How can you see the good in a situation when all you do if focus on the bad? Expand your image of things and wonder what positivity that can come out of the circumstance. Worldwide tragedies can be viewed as horrible incidents, but as a result of these actions it brings the world together and makes a stronger nation. After my grandmother’s death, I didn't think anything good would come out of it. Heaven gained an angel that day and she is always looking out for my family and I. Although Liesel’s life seemed to turn for the worst, the new people in her life had made life worth living. After being separated from Max for months, “They hugged and cried and fell to the floor.” Never in her life was Liesel more happy to see the man that had changed her life; she was overjoyed since everyone in her life had either left her or had passed away. Horrible tragedies don’t only end with a result of inner devastation; it makes a stronger you, a stronger community, and a stronger nation. Every night the sun will eventually set but will rise again tomorrow.



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