Bravery in Number the Stars

A child’s formative years are very important to their development. In Number the Stars,
the author depicts the life of Annemarie Johansen, a ten-year-old girl who finds herself in the
midst of a war. She is depicted as an outgoing and determined young girl who remains cheerful
and optimistic despite the war going on within her society. The Nazis have occupied her
hometown and made it quite dangerous for Annemarie and her friend Ellen Rosen. Through the
two young girls, the author depicts the effects of war on the development of children. The paper
explores the difficulty of living through the horrors of war as a child and the concept of bravery
from a child’s perspective.
War compels children to search for a balance between their bravery and fear. Through
Annamarie, the issue of bravery in the face of war is introduced. The young girl lies in bed and
thinks about various scenarios in her head. She makes up several stories, some real and others are
unrealistic in her head. Mr. Johansen tells Annemarie that he and his wife would be willing to die
for the country (Lowry 23). The story introduces a new twist in the war. Annamarie realizes that
there are certain actions one can do for the country. At a young age, she has to search for a
balance between fear and bravery. She questions her parent’s willingness to die for the country.

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Lowry’s book defines the concept of bravery from the perspective of children. The author
uses characters, both young and old, to explain to the reader what exactly it means to live during
a period of war. From the book, it is evident that families are determined to keep each other safe
regardless of the consequences. When Mr. Johansen states that he would die for his country, the
implication is that he would sacrifice his life to protect that of his neighbors (Lowry 24).
Annemarie learns about the power of endurance from Mr. Johansen’s declaration. She
understands bravery from an action-oriented point of view. It is not enough to just say, but one
must demonstrate the extent they would go to ensure the safety of those they love. At the age of
ten, Annemarie should have been busy playing with other children and engaging in other
childhood activities. However, she lies on her bed pondering about the real meaning of bravery.
If she had never grown up during a period of war, she would not have found herself thinking
about such intense ideas.
Annemarie, the protagonist in the story, does not understand how one would be brave
enough to be willing to die. She is not aware of her own bravery, and this is expected as she is
only ten years. However, her mind wanders, and she ponders a few questions. She does not know
for sure whether she would be willing or even capable of ensuring the safety of other people like
the resistance fighters. Her father had explained about the Danish people and their determination
in fighting the Nazis. She asserts, “they were very brave. Sometimes they were caught and
killed” (Lowry 21). She cannot comprehend how the resistance fighters would still go to confront
the Nazis, yet they knew there was a risk of being killed. All she knows is that bravery pushed
them and helped them remain strong in their fight.
Bravery is seen as the willingness to face the enemy and defend the community.
Annemarie is certain that she is not brave. However, her conversation with uncle Henrik shows

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otherwise. She tells her uncle that she does not consider herself a brave girl. However, in
response, the uncle reassures her that she is a brave girl. He tells her,” I think you are like your
mama, and like your papa, and like me. Frightened, but determined, and if the time came to be
brave, I am quite sure you would be very, very brave” (Lowry 91). Uncle Henrik reassures a
doubtful young girl about her bravery. Based on the conversation, it shows that bravery is caused
by circumstances. The people know they need to fight, so they face the situation bravery even
though they know that it is dangerous and that they could die.

Bravery in this context implies facing the Nazis with courage and a determination to win.
Uncle Henrik assures Annemarie that bravery is not informed by knowledge. If one knew with
certainty that they would die if they confronted the enemy, they would not. However, the
resistance fighters can face the enemy because there is a chance that they could survive; as
difficult as it is for the little girl to understand, she has to because she is living in a time of war.
She remembers an instance when she was afraid. She was stopped by a soldier on the street. He
started asking her questions in his rough voice. She asked about her friend’s name. Annamarie
answered him, and although she was frightened, she still answered. As Uncle Henrik says, “it is
much easier to be brave if you do not know everything” (Lowry 90). She would not have had the
courage to respond if she knew much.

Annemarie’s parents had shielded her innocence by ensuring that they did not divulge all
the information about the war. She knows this when Uncle Henrik explains that they do not want
her to fear. Her bravery and determination to persevere through the hard times were partly
because she did not have all the information. She was still young to understand everything about
the war. She knew as little as was necessary, and this ensured that they protected her innocence.

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In one of the incidents, she encounters the Nazis. She had been sent to deliver a package to her
uncle. She bravery faces the Nazis.
The author focuses on the development stages that Annemarie goes through. She matures
very quickly, as that is the brave thing to do considering all that is happening around her.
“Annemarie gradually develops herself-awareness and personal trait” (Nugraheni and Bernadus
5). The two authors note that she develops into a courageous girl out of necessity. She realizes
that she has to save her friend. She also realizes that the Nazi soldiers were dangerous and
intended to harm the jews. Thus, she grows from a young, frightened girl to a brave girl within a
very short period. Based on her encounters with the Nazis, she realizes that her life would entail
more of such encounters, and she had to prepare herself. The catastrophes and sad events such as
attacks and deaths shape her childhood. She is robbed of her childhood very fast and has to grow
and think like an adult most of the time.
The war does not allow children the opportunity to be childish. On the contrary, they
embrace bravery and are ready to face their fears. Ellen, for instance, fears guns but has to see
them as the war persists. Children also miss out on other things such as leather shoes and butter.
They have to take bread without butter and wear fish shoes. Ellen tells Kirsti that she wishes her
mother would get her leather shoes. However, the mother responded,” you know there’s no more
leather, but they’ve found a way to make shoes out of fish” (Lowry 43). The children have to
wear shoes made of fish scales. They bravery face the hard times.
Further, war causes trauma to a child, as seen through Annamarie. Lowry tells the story
through the point of view of Annemarie, and the reader can better understand her thoughts and
feelings about the events going on within her society. She remembers her prosaic experiences,
such as running down the street. It is clear that Annamarie’s experiences have turned her into a

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pensive child, and this is mainly because of her external environment. She appears empathetic to
Ellen’s situation. She learns that Uncle Henrik would take them across the sea to Sweden on a
boat. She understood that Ellen was afraid of guns, soldiers, and boots, and Mrs. Rosen was
water-phobic (Lowry 110). However, the journey seems necessary. They had to leave for their
own safety. Annemarie understands that they are afraid. Children like her and Ellen understand
fear and bravery. They know that despite their fear, they had to be brave.
War limits society’s ability to protect the innocence of children. Latham notes that the
phase of childhood is one characterized by innocence (Latham 1). Children are protected from
the corrupt society by the adult population. However, in Lowry’s society, this does not seem to
be happening. The adult population like Uncle Henrik and Annemarie’s parents cannot shield the
children from the effects of war. Children live in fear because they are stopped by soldiers; they
see dead people and guns. Some like Ellen have to flee for safety. Such events are traumatic to
children. Further, Latham asserts that when children are “no longer protected from adult secrets,”
then their childhood disappears (Latham 1). Children in Lowrey’s story have been snatched from
their childhood. They know the secrets of adulthood and have to handle situations like adults.
They do not get the opportunity to enjoy their childhood as children their age would otherwise
do.
Overall, Lowrey’s book explores the theme of bravery and helps the reader understand it
from the perspective of children. The children in the story, such as Annemarie and Ellen, have to
be brave in their daily activities as they encounter soldiers and the effects of war, such as death.
The environment is not calm. Adults like in fear, and children too are frightened. Children are
harassed by the Nazi soldiers, and they face them with bravery. Bravery, as understood by the
children, entails facing the enemy with a determination to win. Although the resistance fighters

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might die in war, they faced the enemy with bravery and were willing to sacrifice for the sake of
peace and the wellbeing of their loved ones. Bravery and sacrifice go hand in hand. The author
uses children and even tells the story from a child’s perspective to help the reader understand the
effects of war on a child.

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Works Cited

Latham, Don. “Childhood Under Siege: Lois Lowry’s Number the Stars and The Giver.” The
Lion and the Unicorn 26.1 (2002): 1-15.
Lowry, Lois. Number the stars. Ernst Klett Sprachen, 2009.
Nugraheni, Dinar Tri, and Bernadus Hidayat. “Annemarie Johansen’s Stages of Growing up:
Lois Lowry’s Number the stars as a Bildungsroman.” Lexicon 5.2.