Lois Lowry's Number The Stars

Theme of Number the Stars

Lois Lowry titled the book Number the Stars, because it shows how God’s love is all-knowing, merciful, and hopeful. The author knew that Jewish people were God’s chosen people. In the book, Annemarie could not comprehend how God could know how many stars are in the sky. Lois Lowry explains how the stars represent the Jewish people.

Number the Stars shows how God’s love is all-knowing. When Peter reads Psalm 147, Annemarie thinks that the sky is too big. Annemarie says, “How could anyone number them one by one, as the psalm said?”(Lowry 87). She also believes that no one could know how many stars are in the sky. Lois Lowry proves that God is all-knowing, because he created Resistance members to help Jewish people

escape into Sweden. Annemarie learns that only God would be able to help the Jews.
In the book, Lois Lowry shows how God is merciful.

“The Lord is rebuilding Jerusalem; he gathers in the scattered sons of Israel”(Bible Gateway, Psalms 147:2). The scattered sons of Israel represent the Jewish population. Lois Lowry tells how the Jewish people were scattered by German troops but came together in Sweden. “It is he who heals the broken in spirit and binds up their wounds”(Psalms 147:3). Peter distributes clothing and blankets that had been hidden in Great Aunt Birte’s coffin. “You will need them later, for warmth,” Peter said (90). Annemarie sees how God is helping the heartbroken Jewish people by providing clothing to keep them warm on their journey to Sweden.

In Number the Stars, the Danish were hopeful in God’s love. Hoping that she would see Ellen again, Annemarie protected and hid Ellen’s necklace. “I have kept it all this long time. It was Ellen’s,” said Annemarie(132). At Great Aunt Birte’s funeral, Peter read Psalms 147. “O praise the Lord. How good it is to sing psalms to our God! How pleasant to praise him!”(Psalms 147:1). Psalms 147:1 promises hope to the Jewish people that they would praise God when they were saved.

In conclusion, Lois Lowry compares the Jewish people to the stars in the sky. The title, Number the Stars, explains how an all-knowing God gives hope and mercy to his chosen people. At the end of the book, Annemarie realizes how the Jewish people were saved because of God’s help. Annemarie learns that God knows everything including the number of stars in the

sky.