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  • Essay / Critical Analysis of the Book Number The Stars by Lewis Lowry

    I have chosen to write an analysis on the book Number the Stars by Lewis Lowry. This novel is written in a critical and historical approach to society by children. The conflict in this novel that I chose to write about is written from a man versus society perspective. The main conflict in the story that I would like to focus on is the relocation of the Jews from Denmark by the Nazis. The Germans have taken control of the city and are trying to deport and kill the Jews. This conflict is presented throughout the story as the brave townspeople attempt to help the Jews in their community. This book is a great way to see the effect of wars in other countries, especially for young children who are not yet very familiar with wars, and most certainly the Holocaust. This book is also great for seeing what young children think during a war. The book is also told from the point of view of AnneMarie, a Dane. AnneMarie's best friend, Ellen, is Jewish. I will talk about the historical context of Lois Lowry, the historical context of the setting of the story, the symbols and themes. Since the story is told from AnneMarie's point of view, we as readers can see what the children think about the war at that time. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The story is set during World War II in Copenhagen, Denmark. Having taken place in 1943, Denmark was not the best place in the world. Like most other parts of Europe during World War II, Denmark was also under German occupation. Denmark is small, so the locals couldn't help stop the Nazis. For some younger children, they don't even remember a time when their country wasn't embossed with soldiers every day. For example, Lowry writes, "for Kristi, soldiers were simply part of the landscape, something that had always been there, on every street corner, as unimportant as streetlights, throughout her life." » During the story, Ellen is with AnneMarie when Nazi soldiers come to get her and her parents, and on instructions from AnneMarie's father, Ellen poses as her sister. The next day, AnneMarie's mother takes the girls to her brother Henrik to keep Ellen hidden at the bottom of his boat. Once settled, they live there normally for the time being, until the war breaks even. Henrick's goal is to take as many Jews as possible to Sweden by boat, where they can all be safe. Time passes and when the war is over, everyone celebrates. This slight overview of history is about the conflict and historical approach that I would primarily like to focus on. The historical approach examines not only the culture and society from which the novel was written, but also the historical context of the author of the novel. Lois Lowry's work in Number the Stars is based on a true story. In the afterword, Lowry explains that AnneMarie is a fictional character, but that she was inspired to create this story based on her friend Annelise Platt, who was a child in Denmark during the war years. Lowry therefore connects this novel to the historical reality of the Second World War. Lowry explained how important it was to communicate how war affects children and how they also participate in history. This was another factor that inspired her to write this story (Blakemore, 2017). Lowry writes how Annelise “was frightened by the occupation and the events she witnessed during the war (Blakemore, 2017).