In War Games, Alan Gratz delves into the moral complexities of survival and resistance, illustrating how oppressive systems force individuals into compromising positions. The novel suggests that while self-preservation often requires morally ambiguous choices, genuine courage is found in the eventual decision to actively fight against injustice, despite the personal risks. When facing tyranny, Gratz’s characters are forced to choose between acquiescing to Nazi terror or resisting in any way they can. Monday, specifically, tries to hide behind a perspective of moral relativism, lauding the Nazis as “takers” and criticizing marginalized people as “givers.” However, the value of “giving” becomes increasingly apparent throughout the novel, leading to a conclusion in which Evie decides to give everything she has to make a difference.

Several characters initially adopt strategies of compromise to navigate the dangers of Nazi Germany. Evie begins her journey as a self-proclaimed “Nonpolitical sportsman” (38), determined to ignore the political turmoil in her single-minded pursuit of an Olympic medal. Similarly, Heinz joins the Hitler Youth, an organization whose ideology he abhors, as a pragmatic way to protect himself and his Jewish family from persecution. The most pointed example of this compromise is Helene Mayer, the Jewish fencer who gives a Nazi salute on the medal podium, seemingly embracing her role as a “token Jew.” Gratz presents these actions as fraught calculations made under duress, showing that individuals must weigh their safety and ambitions against their moral convictions.

The novel charts a clear progression from compromised survival to active resistance, and the bank heist serves as the central vehicle for this thematic development. What begins as a scheme for personal enrichment soon evolves into a daring act of defiance. For Karl and Ursula, the robbery is explicitly political; they intend to use their shares of the gold to fund resistance movements and help others escape the Nazis. Their motivations push Evie to look beyond her own selfish desires, and in the end, she chooses to join this criminal enterprise because it directly harms the Nazi regime. Her shift from personal ambition to collective action signifies a crucial moral evolution, and together, she and her friends demonstrate that in the face of systemic injustice, the lines between right and wrong can blur, and true moral action may require people to break the rules of a corrupt system and risk personal harm to help others.