Milkweed

“I am running.”

This is the first line of the novel. Spinelli characterizes the unnamed protagonist for the reader right away. Misha’s entire life is spent running. Misha runs to steal, to smuggle, to escape the Jackboots, to save his little sister, and to survive. 

“Everyone, even Uri, howled with laughter. Explosions went off beyond the walls.”

This passage reflects the absurdity and incomprehensibility of war-torn Warsaw. Despite the violence and carnage around them, Misha, Uri, and the rest of the boys continue to laugh and play together. Spinelli establishes the resilience of these characters through this moment. He makes it clear that the boys are determined to live, despite all of the death that surrounds them. 

“You’re not a Jackboot. You’ll never be a Jackboot. You are what you are.”

After Misha tells Uri that he wants to be a Jackboot, Uri berates him. Initially, this sentence speaks directly to ideology that unwittingly supports prejudice. Identity is a complicated thing, especially for Misha, and cannot be dealt with in absolutes. Uri’s stance on this alters when he later becomes a Jackboot, working from within to help the Jews rebel against the regime. While Uri does become a Jackboot, at heart, he remains himself: a Jewish boy dedicated to helping others.