45 pages • 1 hour read
“Where was Austria, which Hitler had attached to Germany in the spring? It was not a nice thing to have done, I guessed. Father had looked angry.”
This initial thought of the six-year-old narrator, Annie, demonstrates how naive and innocent she is. Her youth is evident in her lack of knowledge about European geography. Also, she gleans that the annexation of Austria to Germany is “not a nice thing” because of her father’s anger, not because she understands world events. This establishes the narration as that of a child in the moment, not an adult looking back.
“Sometimes the tree talked to everyone.”
The text personifies the tree in the center of town, where Nazi soldiers post notices, as someone talking to the townsfolk. This use of figurative language demonstrates Annie’s childlike perspective as well as German manipulation. Usually bearing notices for Jewish residents, now the tree announces rations that affect everyone living in Winterswijk. Shifting to inclusion takes the focus off the Jews in Winterswijk momentarily, creating a false sense of security for them. The combination of Annie’s innocent perspective and the Germans’ plan thematically fuels The Loss of Innocence in Extreme Circumstances.
“Nine days later the letter that Rachel had written for Mrs. Gans came back from Mauthausen. UNKNOWN was stamped across the envelope.
‘Funny, that they wouldn’t remember him,’ Mother said.”
The Ganses receive a letter from their son at the Mauthausen camp and Rachel helps them respond. This letter is returned with an “UNKNOWN” stamp, suggesting that the Gans boy is dead.
Plus, gain access to 8,500+ more expert-written Study Guides.
Including features:
Beauty
View Collection
Books on Justice & Injustice
View Collection
Brothers & Sisters
View Collection
Challenging Authority
View Collection
Childhood & Youth
View Collection
Coming-of-Age Journeys
View Collection
Community
View Collection
Equality
View Collection
Family
View Collection
Fate
View Collection
Friendship
View Collection
Good & Evil
View Collection
International Holocaust Remembrance Day
View Collection
Juvenile Literature
View Collection
Loyalty & Betrayal
View Collection
Memorial Day Reads
View Collection
Military Reads
View Collection
Mortality & Death
View Collection
Newbery Medal & Honor Books
View Collection
Power
View Collection
Safety & Danger
View Collection
War
View Collection
World War II
View Collection