Number the Stars is a historical fiction. The events in the story are happening during Occupation of Denmark during the Second World War in 1943. The story is about the escape of a Jewish family from Copenhagen because of the Holocaust. Number the Stars centers around the little girl Annemarie Johansen. She is ten years old and she lives in Copenhagen, Denmark. She and her family were risking their lives to rescue the Danish Jews.
All of the characters in Number the Stars are brave. One of the main characters is Annemarie. She is only ten years old, but she risks her life to hide and save Ellen Rosen. She ensures Nazi soldiers that Ellen is her older sister. One of the conclusive evidence is the scene where she travels alone through the woods and tries not to be caught by Nazis. Sometimes it seems that Annemarie is brave against her wishes, “Annemarie admitted to herself, snuggling there in the quiet dark, that she was glad to be an ordinary person who would never be called upon for courage” (Lowry 25). She is grown-up enough to deal with hardships of war, but she is only a child.
Kirsti can be described in many ways. She is very talkative and she likes to ask many questions. In addition, she is very curious too. Kirsti likes being bossy. She often tells Annemarie what to do. She is also stubborn and somehow brave. She argues with her mother and even with a Nazi soldier, when he touched her hair, “Kirsti reached up and pushed the soldier’s hand away. “Don’t,” she said loudly” (Lowry 4).
Ellen Rosen is Annemarie’s best friend. She is a significant character, through who Annemarie shows her maturity and bravery. She is also courageous because she had to hide in the other family, away from her parents. She was in a constant danger, but she did not give up. She was brave when she encountered the Nazis in the Annemarie’s apartment and pretended her elder sister. She kept acting, despite the horrors of war, “Games of the imagination were always fun when Ellen played” (Lowry 27). It is a bravery in some way.
Peter is Annemarie elder sister’s fiancé. He is one of the main characters of the story. Peter is brave, smart and trustworthy. He is a member of the Danish Resistance, the secret group of people who are helping Jews. His courage is clearly visible as he is trying to help the Rosens. The example of his bravery is when he breaks the curfew risking his life to see Johansens, “It was very dangerous, she knew, for Peter to visit at this time” (Lowry 22). His courage is defined by his participation in the Resistance.
Inge is Annemarie’s mother. First, we can see her calmly drinking tea and having a conversation with Mrs. Rosen, but after the incident with Nazis on the sidewalk, she becomes very serious. Without any doubt, she is very brave. Despite the fear and constant danger, she acts bravely and helps the Rosens to escape on a boat. She “had made the dangerous journey to the boat and returned through the dark woods” (Lowry 98).
Another main character is Annemarie’s father. He is also a brave character. He was one of those who decided to hide Jews inside their own families. Despite the fear and a threat to his family, he kept helping Ellen. He had to be very cautious, especially after the Nazis raid. He also was very careful and spoke to Uncle Henrik in code as they were talking over a telephone. His bravery can be seen when he says he “would die for King Christian, to protect him” (Lowry 14).
Works cited
Lowry, Lois. Number the Stars, Boston: Harcourt Publishing Company, 2011. Print.