Number the Stars
Lois Lowry (1989)
“A ten-year-old girl helps hide her best friend from the Nazis — and discovers that ordinary people can choose to be brave.”
Characters in Number the Stars
by Lois Lowry · 1989 · 7 characters analyzed
Cast: Annemarie Johansen, Ellen Rosen, Mama (Mrs. Johansen), Papa (Mr. Johansen), Peter Nielsen, Uncle Henrik, Kirsti Johansen.
Character Analysis
Ten years old, blonde, and thoughtful in the way that children who have grown up during occupation are thoughtful — observant, careful, accustomed to reading adult silences. Her courage is not natural or given; it is found in the doing. By the time she runs alone through the dark forest, she has already practiced smaller forms of bravery, and the practice held.
Direct, observational language. She narrates what she sees and feels without interpretation, trusting the reader to supply meaning. When afraid, her language becomes very physical — knees, hands, heart.