This paper examines the role of reality in Lois Lowry's children's novel Number the Stars, exploring how the author weaves historical facts with fictional narrative to tell the story of a Danish girl who helps her Jewish best friend escape Nazi occupation. The paper discusses Lowry's use of real events, such as the story of resistance fighter Kim Malthe-Bruun and the use of chemically treated handkerchiefs to evade Nazi detection dogs, alongside invented characters and situations. Through analysis of key scenes and Lowry's narrative technique, the paper argues that realistic fiction allows young readers to engage emotionally with historical events while developing empathy for those who lived through the Holocaust.
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry is a story about surviving the Nazi invasion of Denmark, friendship, and courage. The novel opens when two best friends, Annemarie and Ellen, are headed home from school in the capital of Denmark. The girls are racing down the sidewalk because they have a big race scheduled for Friday at school, and Annemarie believes she has a good chance to win. At the next corner, they are stopped by two Nazi soldiers who question the girls as well as Annemarie's little sister Kirsti. The soldiers tell them to "Go home, all of you. Go home and study your schoolbooks. And don't run. You look like hoodlums when you run."
When the girls arrive home, they go to their separate apartments. Annemarie finds her sister Kirsti telling her mother and Ellen's mother what happened. The mothers are distraught that the girls have drawn attention to themselves. Ellen's mother asks Annemarie to promise to walk a different way to school tomorrow so they will not be remembered. The opening is further complicated by the death of Annemarie's older sister Lise, who was killed after attending a Resistance rally, and by the fact that Danish families are not receiving enough food supplies. These hardships represent the real suffering that many families endured during this dark period in history.
Lois Lowry is a powerful writer who brings the Holocaust and the terror that innocent Danish people felt to life in her book. While the story is fiction, Lowry incorporated a significant amount of true historical details. For example, the character Peter's death is based on the true story of a young Danish resistance fighter named Kim Malthe-Bruun. Kim Malthe-Bruun was a brave twenty-one-year-old who worked to help hide Jewish families and give them a chance to escape. He was captured and executed by Nazi soldiers for his work with the Resistance. His courageous actions inspired Lowry's portrayal of resistance efforts in the novel.
Another historical detail woven into the narrative appears when Uncle Henrik explains the purpose of the handkerchief that Annemarie delivers to his boat. The handkerchief was a special tool used to prevent Nazi detection dogs from smelling where hidden Jewish people were concealed when the boats were inspected. The boat captain would pull out the handkerchief and let the dogs smell it; the chemicals blocked the dogs' sense of smell. The handkerchiefs were laced with chemicals that smelled of meat and cocaine. The meat would attract the dogs while the cocaine numbed their noses, allowing the captain to protect his boat and the Jewish people he was transporting to safety. This detail demonstrates how Lowry grounds her fictional narrative in documented historical methods of resistance.
Lowry was an inspirational writer who took bits and pieces of actual events and transformed them into a Newbery Award-winning novel. By taking a part of history that was terrible for so many and bringing it to life for her readers, Lowry created a work that allows many to see the inhumane way people were treated during the Holocaust. How nations could allow such treatment to occur remains a difficult historical question.
Reading about how one family was brave in choosing to help their friends and neighbors is inspirational. A young girl risked her life to deliver a package that would help her best friend reach safety, and she did so without fully considering how she would be affected if caught. This demonstrates that true friendship, for some, is worth more than personal safety. Fiction can be a way to catch a new reader's attention. Lowry accomplished this with her opening chapter, where the reader can imagine themselves running down the sidewalk preparing for a race before being stopped by Nazi soldiers. The author then takes readers on a journey that is set to encourage and uplift, while remaining emotionally authentic. Her book broadens the reader's horizons while bringing a message in a style of writing that few others can capture.
Annemarie was a loyal friend to Ellen and her family throughout the novel. She played a crucial part in helping to protect them, particularly when Nazi soldiers came into the apartment and Ellen was sleeping. Annemarie thought quickly and took the necklace with the Star of David on it, hiding it where it would not be found. By hiding the necklace and then pretending that Ellen was her sister Lise, Annemarie helped save this young girl's life. One thing that surprises the reader is how strong a young girl can be—strong enough to stand face to face with a Nazi soldier and keep her composure while thinking on her toes.
Showing the world that there are good people even during a time of crisis is something Lowry has accomplished with this book. Annemarie's courage demonstrates her belief that friendship and freedom are important values worth protecting. Through her character, Lowry invites readers to ask themselves difficult questions about their own courage and loyalty.
"Lowry's technique of blending historical detail with invented elements"
The Holocaust was such a tragic event in the history of the world. It affected many lives in Germany as well as in other countries around the globe. People did nothing to stop Hitler until it was too late and many had already lost their lives. To read a story, even though it is fictional, about a family that helped their friends and neighbors lifts the spirits. This book was moving and inspirational because it showed that there were people who would help others no matter what could happen to them or their families.
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