Number The Stars Thesis

Number the Stars is a historical fiction novel written by Lois Lowry, which is told from the point of view of a ten year old girl named Annemarie Johansen. The setting takes place during the Nazi occupation of Copenhagen, Denmark in the year 1943. The story begins when Annemarie Johansen crosses paths with two German troops, who are both affiliated with the Nazi Party. This moment instills nothing but pure terror and anxiety for Annemarie Johansen because this is not only the first time in her life that she witness the terror of Nazi Germany, but she also finds her self at the mercy of its influence. Number the Stars makes it known early on just the level of fear that the Nazi Party had created among its neighboring countries. By choosing to

depict the protagonist being intimidated by only two German troops, Lois Lowry also acknowledges just how effortless it was for the Nazis to cause such trepidation. In this essay, I shall discuss the influence of not only Nazi Germany. But of the war occurring during this time in Number the Stars.

The time that is taking place in the Novel causes the characters themselves to hide their true identities as well as the motives behind their actions. In various cases, the characters of Number the Stars realize that they must pretend to be somebody that they are not. For example Ellen's desire to go to acting school is a direct result of what happens within the story. It can be said that Ellen's acting is a metaphor for masking ones true identity and to pretend to be someone or something that they are not which in return provides a kind of reward for them (such as compensation or recognition) but in Ellen's case its for her own survival. It can also be said that Annemarie Johansen does some acting as well. One example of this is when we see Annemarie Johansen acting like a kind of mother. With this in mind, perhaps a key motif in Number the Stars is hiding to avoid death. In other words, people like the characters I'm the story, do almost anything within their power to avoid total alliteration. Another way to look at this concept is observing how the Nazi troops in the novel had behaved and also looking at how such troops had acted during this time

Keeping up with the concept of hiding ones true identity, Annemarie Johansen is later seen in the process of making a revelation, which is that everything that she thought was as it appeared, was actually not the case as all.

This disclosure of information to Annemarie Johansen can be interpreted as a reference to the history and documented records of how the Nazi party had sent people to their deaths because of their personal views towards them. However Annemarie Johansen's realization is also the narrator's attempt to expose the consequences of such ignorance and discrimination resulting in the creation of the literary tool known as satire within the book. An example of this is when we see Annemarie make assumptions about the Rosen's, most notably when she is viewing them as if they lack or maybe even lost their pride because of the fact that they wear scruffy and beaten up clothes. However she quickly discovers that she has assumed incorrectly because it is in fact not the case at all. Their pride is actually still in tact within them because it is not derived from any of their valuables or other forms of property owned by the Rosen's. The casket, too, is an object used in the story to point out the protagonist makes such a miscalculation based on appearance. When thinking of something like a casket, one would assume that is symbolizes the losing of a loved one or the presence of death amongst humanity because it usually contains the remains of someone who has passed away, and with Number the Stars taking place during the occupation of the Nazi Party, it would make sense for one (especially the protagonist) to make such a mistake. However, when Annemarie Johansen begins to look beyond their physical appearance, the zenith of her realization is when she discovers that this case actually holds the necessary items needed in order to help other people stay alive. This particular function of the case represents an oxymoron because the case, which is used for the

dead is given a function that maintains the continuation of life.

Within the theme of staying alive the truth becomes an ever growing important topic of interest as the story progresses. In Number the Stars, the war shows that there are exceptions that can be made in order for the truth to be concealed when neccesary. In other words, the truth may set you free but you have to know when to speak the truth and when to tell a lie otherwise this freedom will be short lived or non existent within a certain group or location. One can say that knowing too much information can make courage harder to obtain and therefore put a person at risk of losing their lives as well as their freedom. This, however, creates a contradiction for the process of survival because for one not to know anything about their surrounding is usually what leads to death. But in the story, not knowing means being able to look at danger and take it head on without hesitation. Thus Annemarie and the other characters realize that they must find harmony between seeking the truth, and not acquiring because their actions not only affect themselves but also the people around them.

With the war comes consequences, which stem from the actions of both the ones directly involved and the ones who are influenced by it. Because of the situation at hand, all the characters, including the protagonist make certain choices that may or may not be beneficial to their well being, but as the reader we cannot be too quick to assume that their decisions were good or bad. After all they only did what they did because they felt they were doing the right thing. Whether being seen done by Nazis or Jews, deception, hiding, and pride all play a key role in all the characters in Number the stars, and while such actions may be viewed as selfish and in bad taste, depending on the situation at hand, can be justifiable. The influence of the Nazi occupation and the war may have imbedded fear and chaos into the nations surrounding it, but it also allowed for others to find the strength to try to survive and maintain their humanity