James encounters French citizens whom the Nazis have been holding, which motivates him to continue on with his efforts in the war.īill Richards is a 19-year-old British tank driver who is intent on getting to the French city of Amiens to add his name beside his father’s, who served in the city in World War I. He and his fellow troops improvise an attack on a compound of buildings being held by the Nazis, and he distinguishes himself in the effort. James McKay is a 19-year-old Canadian paratrooper whose unit lands off-target from their destination. After the Nazis capture her mother, Samira helps the resistance fighters derail a Nazi train. She helps her mother deliver a message about the upcoming invasion to the French resistance fighters who are trying to sabotage the Nazis. Samira Zadine is an 11-year-old Algerian immigrant who came to France with her parents. Dee has conflicting feelings about his heritage and worries about what his friends will think about him if they discover he’s German. Dee’s parents brought him to America after the Nazis captured his uncle. Dee is harboring a secret from his fellow soldiers: He was born in Germany and is still a German citizen. The book’s protagonist is Dee Carpenter, an American soldier from Philadelphia. He hopes that serving alongside white soldiers will help ease racial intolerance.This study guide refers to the Scholastic Press edition.Īllies follows six adolescent/teenage characters as they take part in the historic events of “D-Day”-June 6, 1944, the first day of the Ally forces invading German-occupied France. Henry, too, experiences discrimination from his fellow Allies because of his race at numerous points throughout the book. It was the Jew who got in trouble, not the other guy” (10). They’d seen it happen again and again in basic training.

For example, Sid is called a Jewish slur in Chapter 1, and Dee remembers grimly that “ knew what happened when a Jewish guy punched somebody for insulting him.

However, Gratz portrays American troops taunting and mistreating minorities as well. For example, Dee’s friend Sid is an American Jew whose heritage makes him especially enraged by what is happening to Jews in Europe. This discrimination is one that the characters are aware of and that helps motivate them to fight against the Nazis. The largest and most profound discrimination is that of the Nazis against Jews and other peoples throughout their occupied territories. Gratz examines the discrimination experienced by various perspectives in Allies.

Allies alan gratz summary