Character Analysis of Knud Pederson from The Boys Who Challenged Hitler

 

            Knud Pederson was a Danish teen boy who cofounded the Churchill Club, a small resistance group during World War II. In 1940, Denmark was invaded by German soldiers and the king and government allowed them to stay. This agreement angered many but the citizens felt helpless to do anything.

 

           Young Knud protested to his cohorts, “All this was outrageous, but would anyone do anything about it...We will act. We will behave as Norwegians. We will clean the mud off the Danish flag.” (Hoose 32)

 

           He was not overcome by his circumstances. Even though, he was a typical teen who thought about girls, fought with his brother, and disliked his woodshop teacher; he gathered his courage and resisted against the Nazis. Knud and the other Churchill Club members mixed up German signs, cut telephone wires, stole weapons and ammo, destroyed offices, and set automobiles and train cars on fire to slow down the Germans. Knud knew that he could die for his actions but he wasn’t afraid to try. He was brave, determined, and a little bit impulsive. Although without his impulsivity, Knud may not have been so daring. Yet, his greatest trait was his fortitude. This trait helped him overcome obstacles and yes, it also got him into trouble. When the Churchill Club was finally arrested and sentenced to prison, Knud had the most difficulties adjusting.

 

          “They tried to strip away your identity and play with your mind. There was one little guard, pudgy and red-faced, who really hated me. He would jingle his keys outside my cell. The sound would drive me crazy, because I knew the person jingling them was free. He also had his spy hole in the door. I always had the feeling I was being watched…. And I was an easy target. I was too tall to hide behind anyone else.” (Hoose 126)

 

           With his perseverance, Knud survived his imprisonment, continued to work in the Danish Resistance, and went on to create a rich and full life for himself after World War II. If it wasn’t for his fortitudinous, Knud wouldn’t have been around to share his adventurous life. Lastly, Knud Pedersen proved that anyone can make a difference with passion, determination, and bravery.

 

Bibliography

Hoose, Phillip. The Boys Who Challenged Hitler: Knud Pedersen and the Churchill Club. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers, 2015.