As themes go, friendship is the big one, the white whale, the lucky penny, the x-marks-the-spot on the treasure map. In other words, Shmoopsters, Code Name Verity is all about friendship: what it is, how it forms, what it means, and how far friends will go for each other.
As we've mentioned elsewhere in this learning guide, the two narrators—Julie and Maddie—are best friends, and the whole book is about their friendship. Of course, there are a lot of World War II shenanigans going on at the same time, but that's all backdrop to the story of how Julie and Maddie became best friends, what the friendship means to each of them, and what they will do to protect each other.
Questions About Friendship
- Julie writes that it's unlikely two people so different would even have met during peacetime. What makes Julie and Maddie such good friends?
- What sorts of things do Julie and Maddie have to overcome in order to maintain their friendship? Is there any evidence in the text that Julie or Maddie values anything more than their friendship?
- In the end, Maddie proves her love for Julie by killing her. How does Julie prove her love for Maddie?
Chew on This
Maddie and Julie become best friends so quickly because the circumstances under which they meet quickly reveal a lot about a person's character.
Readers understand each character better by seeing her through her best friend's eyes.