Tragedy strikes at any time of day, no matter where in the world a person lives. The true test of a person's humanity is how they handle tragedy. Across the country, people are hit by life-changing disasters and feel hopeless. By expressing their feelings towards others around them who are only trying to help, their pain translates into negative traits of humanity such as selfishness, conceit, and unreliability. Others, however, face their difficulties and show the world how strong they can really be. People in dire situations can also be mature, confident, and understanding. It really all depends on the individual going through the tragedy. Many authors also play on this fact when writing their novels. For example, in Tatiana De Rosnay's novel Sarah's Key, De Rosnay's characters face some very powerful personal struggles. Some characters give their best, but others withdraw and think only of themselves. Although people go through horrible personal tragedies, some people bring out the best traits of human nature and others bring out the worst. Through the horrific circumstances they experienced, Jules and Genevieve displayed some of the best traits of human nature. The shock of finding two sick, dirty girls in their backyard might dishearten anyone except the Dufaures who express absolute kindness towards Rachel and Sarah. They show their selflessness when Genevieve tells her husband that “they have to come in; we must hide them immediately” (De Rosnay 110). This woman knew the risk of taking in Jewish girls, but she saw them as human beings, not as criminals or a contagious disease. He saw them as sick children who needed to be cared for. Jules and Genevieve knew the dangers of letting... middle of paper... high-pressure situations. When going through a difficult situation, some people thrive and grow while others get caught up in the tragedy and suffer. Zoe and the Dufaures are challenged throughout the novel and manage to become wonderful support systems for others. Bertrand, on the other hand, has faced a difficult situation but, instead of handling it with maturity, he takes his feelings out on his wife, causing suffering on both sides. All people handle their tragedies differently and need a different level of support as they go through their difficulties. While some are able to persevere and accomplish incredible feats of recovery after their struggle, some people are not so lucky and choose to suffer. Hopefully, with the right kind of support, everyone can learn to manage their difficulties more appropriately and emerge as stronger individuals..