*For the foreseeable future, some Character Review posts may not be published every Thursday as they have in the past.
*Warning: This post contains spoilers about the characters from the television series World on Fire. Read at your own risk if you have not watched the show.
There is something to be said about a well written, human character. They leap off the page and speak to us as if they were right in front of us, as flesh and blood human beings, instead of fictional creations. During World War II, as the noose was growing tighter around Europe’s Jewish community, choices had to be made. Some chose to adapt to the new normal as best they could. Others tried to leave via whatever means were open to them. A third group hid, whether in plain sight or away from prying eyes. On World on Fire, Henriette Guilbert (Eugénie Derouand) is a Jewish woman hiding in plain sight.
Working as a nurse with American doctor Webster O’Connor (Brian J. Smith), Henriette has kept her religion to herself. But as she grows closer to Webster and begins to fall in love with him, she decides that it is worth the risk to reveal that she is Jewish. When the Nazis are start to target French POWs, Henriette joins forces with Webster to get as many of them out of the country as possible.
Given her present situation, the easiest thing to do would have been to let fear take over. Henriette knows what could potentially happen to her if she is caught. But she is willing to put that aside. In our faith, there is a saying “those who save one life saves the entire world”.
Which is why she is a memorable character.
Writergurlny 