The Bit of Humanity in History: An Analyzation of David Benioff’s ‘City of Thieves’
History sticks when told as a captivating story. This is something I can corroborate after reading David Benioff’s City of Thieves and listening to my father’s retelling of my grandfather’s experience as a member of the Jewish Underground in 1939. City of Thieves, a novel written from the perspective of Lev Beniov, focuses on his life during the siege of Leningrad from September 8, 1941 to January 27, 1944. The story follows his thoughts, adventures, and experiences trying to survive the atrocities occurring in Russia during this difficult time. Despite all the pain and anguish, City of Thieves is extremely enjoyable - Benioff portrays Lev as likeable, in touch…show more content… My grandfather was in a way, like Lev - except real. He grew up as a Jew in a small village in Poland on the border of Ukraine and resided there during 1939, when the Germans invaded Russia. Alike Lev, he faced many challenges, romances, and problems - all the Jews knew what the Germans intended to do to them. Extermination was common talk even in the countryside, so those who could flee fled. My grandfather had to leave his mother, father, and sister. He ran to Chechnya, a town in Russia, where he became a member of the Jewish underground. He knew he had found some form of safety, but nothing was permanent. The Jewish underground were fighters, but not soldiers in uniform. If he was discovered at any minute, he would be executed on the spot. These civilians formed fighting units, and to rebel, they would attack German units. My grandfather was 16 years old when he fled, and 16 years old when he killed for the first time. His childhood was robbed by the cruelty of the Nazis. In an attempt to get his youth back and ‘live’ as much as possible, he met a Russian orthodox woman named Lala. They fell in love, and eventually, gave birth to a son named Sasha. At this point, things seemed okay. Of course, my grandfather was still fighting the Nazis, but he had a family. He had love. When the war finally ended, a big sense of relief washed over the Jews of the nation. Due to cruelty and hate crimes, safety was not ensured, but it was more common - something the Jews could have only dreamed of before. After the massive losses in the war, the Russian military was extremely depleted. They needed men with experience, and my grandfather thought he got his big break as being chosen to be a head officer. Of course, things could only be ‘okay’ for so long, before something devastating came