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Betlie's Multiple Times Corrie Ten Boom

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This attitude takes center stage at various points in the novel, especially during the sisters’ stays at the prison and concentration camps. Multiple times Corrie hears Betsie speak of how sorry she felt for the German soldiers and how she wishes she could help them see the err of their ways. Betsie’s compassion towards her captors, assaulters, and enemies profoundly illustrates her love for the human race and the desire she has that all know Christ. While in the Vught concentration camp, Betsie states, “Corrie, if people can be taught to hate, they can be taught to love! We must find a way, no matter how long it takes…”. Betsie sees the potential for goodness in everyone she meets despite their actions. Overall, these three themes contribute to the central message of the novel. No matter how desperate a situation or the severity of tribulation, the love of God is greater still and His love provides hope in times of need. …show more content…

As a whole, the novel contains a few weaknesses. The first weakness arises from the time difference between the events and the writing of the novel. Corrie ten Boom wrote THE HIDING PLACE twenty years after the fact. It is extremely likely that the events depicted in the novel are shades of what actually occurred. Memories fade and time distorts the reality of the past and because of this, I feel that the book would have been more factually accurate had Corrie ten Boom written it much sooner. Another weakness in the book derives itself from ten Boom’s heavy reliance on her Christian faith. As I read the book, I felt that some of the circumstances were glossed over and events were chocked up to being merely miracles. However, I do agree with Corrie ten Boom’s major premise throughout the novel that religion can play a crucial role during tough

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