If Winter Comes Summary
Arthur Stuart-Menteth Hutchinson

If Winter Comes Summary

Two interwoven themes dominate If Winter Comes, the need for proper moral action and for selfless love. Both themes are carried out through the behavior of the main character, Mark Sabre. One reviewer summarizes the theme as "gentle soul beset by a stupid community." Sabre lives by a moral code so profoundly his own that he hardly needs to reflect before acting, even though his right actions will cost him dearly. Surrounded by intentional and unintentional cruelty, he maintains a gentle dignity and consistency in his behavior. Personal sacrifice, before, during and after the war, causes him to win out.

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