In My Hands

"If fear alters behavior, you're already defeated."

Brenda Hammond



I think this is an excellent quote to describe Irene. Throughout the memoir she's terrified. She knows what she does is a capital offense, yet she does it anyway. Starting with leaving the box of food underneath the fence. Irene doesn't let her fear get in the way of what she knows is the right thing to do. Had Irene let her fear get in the way of her actions, her friends would not have remained alive.

Her friends, upon hearing Irene's plans, were afraid to let Irene help them. They tried to convince her to save her own life, but she would not hear it. On page 174, Ida begs Irene to turn them in; she argues that what she's doing is too dangerous. Although Irene is as scared as Ida and the rest of the people in hiding, as seen in the pages leading up to this passage, Irene refuses and askes them simply to wait.

What Irene did was couragious, but it was not courage that drove her. I think she merely wouldn't let her fear get in her way. Had she not overcome this, had she given up because she was to scared, her friends would have died in the raid planned by Rokita on page 162.