Camacho1 Bruce Camacho English 115 \ Professor Ditch 10/29/18. Ce ‘True Happiness _ During World War 2? was very rough for the people living in the island of Guernsey because they were eaught in the middle of it and stripped of their freedom. / ‘They were harassed by the Germans being demoralized and still managed to overcome all the horror and deaths they all had to experience. This is where and when the book “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” by Marry Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, takes place. In this book two characters, Juliet Ashton and Elizabeth Mckenna portray happy individuals throughout the book. Juliet has a good lifestyle in London, but |) she doesn’t have true happiness. Juliet becomes intrigued with how the Guernsey group is created during World War 2. This is when Juliet finally goes down to meet the literary group and she falls in love with the group. This is when she meets the creator of the group Elizabeth Mckenna, Juliet is happy with what she does and doesn’t let the negativity stop her from achieving her goals. Elizabeth, despite of the German occupation ‘at Guernsey continues to be happy and optimistic. Elizabeth is a virtuous person that is prepared to sacrifice everything if she must and if that’s what it takes for her to do what ,/~-sh€loves she will do it. Although Juliet was suecessful in London, she is happier in Guemsey because she finds her true happiness surrounded with authors/readers like herself. Despite Flizabeth’s actions of standing up for people led her to a tragic ending, (Camacho2 she lived a happy life knowing all she did for other people, because helping others out is ‘what motivated her the most. ‘Throughout the book Juliet demonstrates happiness even pre-Guernsey but not truly up until she goes to visit the Literary group and realizes what there is out in the ‘world for her. Juliet is happiest in Guernsey because she is surrounded by people that share the same interest. Compared to in London Juliet isn’t the happiest person on “Why am I so melancholy? I should be delighted at the prospect of reading /zzy to an entranced audience” (Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows p.7). She is proud of her hard work but/ | \ J can’t understand why she isn’t feeling happy like she would have thought. While Just as , ot A 4) stated as an example in The Dalai Lama and Howard Cutler article, “I know I wouldn't enjoy the work as much as my job here, but that would be more compensated for by the >| pure pleasure of living in that town” (Dalai lama and Cutler p. 30).This relates back to \ \tuliet because in the beginning of the book she has to make a big choice for herself of \ either staying I London or going to meet the members of the Literary Group. Juliet is / ~ happy with the life she has in London without a doubt. Around this time was when Juliet explain her situation with her Ex fianeé Rob Dartry “He was sealing the last one up with gummed tape and string, There were eight boxes-eight boxes of my books bound up and | ready forthe basement!” (Marry Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows p, 24), She realizes that there isn’t much there for her as she thinks despite the success that she’s gained from her book and nice life style. London along with the people she is surrounded by in this case is the where she will get the most pleasure from which is temporary. While on the other | hand at Guernsey Juliet finds true happiness through the strong connection with the people she has met that share similar motives. Despite the down grade of lifestyle from aN\ Camacho3 y “London to guernsey Juliet is not affected by it because true happiness is there with her new family the Literary group. This brings us back to a choice that had to be made by \,Y Fi . Juliet in whether to stay in Guemsey orto continue with her lie back at London. AS \ ; y mentioned in the article, “Ways to tell if' you're happy” by Carrie Madormo “Overall, ay. / happy lifestyle can be defined as a genuine feeling of peace and fulfillment within —_/ SC is helps us get a better insight on how Juliet’s choice / \_t yourself." (Madormo p. 1). | between a lavish life in London or the Guernsey lifestyle and have less than she did before really helped her realize the power having a sense of belonging and being accepted.) not just for who you are but by the what you stand for. Juliet wasn’t completely happy in > London and happiness struck her in Guernsey because that is where she felt most at peace and had her sense of fulfillment within herself. Because Juliet was fully at peace and had \ a sense of fulfillment she didn’t feel like she lost anything by leaving London. ~After Juliet had gone to Guernsey she could be argued as unhappy and not stable as she use to be in London. The reason because Juliet knew what she wanted and understood that (\ \ London was not the best place for her because there was nothing of value there for her. Juliet realized that there was a purpose for her to be in Guernsey, so she committed fully and stayed for X good. In London she definitely had better lifestyle, but the meaning of her life as & ~“ was 3) captured by the group at Guernsey serving a purpose with a sense of belonging. Elizabeth is also like Juliet and having to come down to a choice of having a sense of fulfillment because she likes to take chances and live her life by the moment and doing what she J believes is the right thing to do no matter what.(There isn’t no wrong i style because she does what her heart tells her to do and understands she puts a lot at risk. She sacrifices a lot to be happy and at peace with herself despite all she does. In Blizabeth’s case