Varian Fry’s Grave Responsibility
45 minWalk-In-The-Shoes Questions
As you read, imagine you are the protagonist.
- What challenges are you facing?
- What fears or concerns might you have?
- What may prevent you from acting in the way you ought?
Observation Questions
- Who was Varian Fry?
- What did Varian Fry do during the opening years of World War II?
- What do Varian Fry’s actions say about his identity?
Discussion Questions
Discuss the following questions with your students.
- What is the historical context of the narrative?
- What historical circumstances presented a challenge to the protagonist?
- How and why did the individual exhibit a moral and/or civic virtue in facing and overcoming the challenge?
- How did the exercise of the virtue benefit civil society?
- How might exercise of the virtue benefit the protagonist?
- What might the exercise of the virtue cost the protagonist?
- Would you react the same under similar circumstances? Why or why not?
- How can you act similarly in your own life? What obstacles must you overcome in order to do so?
- Students will analyze Varian Fry’s performance during the opening years of World War II.
- Students will understand how a sense of responsibility guided Varian Fry’s actions.
- Students will apply this knowledge to better understand responsibilities in their own lives and how they can act upon them.