When We Flew Away: A Novel of Anne Frank Before the Diary

Margot is Anne’s older sister. She turns 15 and 16 in the story. Anne sees Margot as a stellar student and hard worker; Edith, her mother, thinks of Margot as a “perfect” and easy daughter in that she never gets into trouble, is loving and caring, and is respectful and responsible. Readers see a character who tries to look after Anne even before the Germans invade and who feels an even stronger urge to protect her sister after the occupation begins. Indirectly, Margot is characterized as stoic and sensible; she is a strong support system for Anne during conflicts large and small. For example, Margot comes to Anne’s aid when Anne is questioned by a German soldier and in the marketplace when Edith demands to know what is wrong with Anne’s eyes.

Margot is a dynamic character in that her fear of the future escalates throughout the story; she loses her stoicism, for example, when she turns 16, understanding that her freedoms are being curtailed and that her dreams and goals are genuinely in jeopardy. She begins to lean on Anne for support while still offering her own strength to her sister, which is apparent in the scenes in which she asks Anne for a story to provide them with hope, an example of Family and Community as a Source of Support.

Otto, father to Anne and Margot, is calm and optimistic at the start of the story. Even when the Germans invade the Netherlands, he feels sure that other countries will aid the Dutch because of their neutral status; indirectly, this shows Otto’s tendency to trust in the law and in the kindness and generosity of others: “The rest of the world will come to the aid of the Netherlands. It’s illegal for the Germans to be here” (47). Otto tries tenaciously to acquire travel visas, and when plans fall through, he shows his grief for not having sent the girls away sooner by weeping. Later, when the United States enters the war, his words of reassurance return, although he and the other family members, now facing intense oppression, display a more tempered anticipation of freedom and help.

Anne feels a particular kinship with her father because Pim, as she calls him, loves books and stories as she does; moreover, he esteems Anne’s creative and empathic qualities. It is Otto who gets Anne the journal she wants, an act that symbolizes his hope that kind and understanding people like Anne will use their abilities for the good of all.

Otto’s decisions also connect to many of the novel’s ironies: He once lived in New York, where he would have been free had he stayed. He chose to move the family away from danger in Germany to the Netherlands, but the Netherlands is unexpectedly invaded, and persecution follows. He relies on legal channels to save his family, but those channels are cut off by authoritarianism, intolerance, hatred, and oppression. Ironically, Otto must defy the newly established “law” (of Nazi rule) and accept that waiting for the helpers is unwise. His plan for hiding his family instead demonstrates his development and change as a dynamic, complex character.

Edith, mother to Anne and Margot, has a no-nonsense exterior. She shows through actions and internal comments that she appreciates the easy, well-behaved child Margot always was; by contrast, for much of the novel, she is both mystified and frustrated with Anne’s specialness. Edith appears on the outside to truly believe that “Tears wouldn’t get you anywhere in this world” (38). Readers, however, are privy to Edith’s internal emotions and motivations. Her tough outer shell hides a fierce desire to protect her girls from harm. The truth is, she knows she would “weep until the fields turned to ice” (38) if something happened to Anne or Margot. This juxtaposition between her outer and inner traits shows that Edith is a round, complex character.

Edith’s changing feelings about Anne’s qualities serve as the strongest evidence that she is a dynamic figure in the story. Edith tries to forge a closer connection to Anne over Oma’s jewelry, which helps Edith see the complicated balance of hope and maturity driving Anne. Edith’s love and concern for Anne are always present, but this event sparks a new understanding about Anne’s empathic qualities that Edith respects and honors. That Edith holds Anne’s hand on the way to the hiding place and approves of her leaving the note on the elm tree shows the newfound connection between mother and daughter.

Anne’s grandmother, like Otto Frank, understands and connects with Anne. She encourages Anne to speak freely in ways that Edith (in the early chapters) does not. Anne devotedly spends time with Oma, who also came from Germany and who lives with the Franks in their apartment. Anne suspects that Oma is ill and feels terrible guilt when she spends the night at a friend’s house instead of being home for Oma’s last hours. Anne does not know that Oma keeps her real thoughts about the coming horrors to herself, wanting to protect her special granddaughter for as long as possible. Oma’s constant love for her family and consistent inner strength show that she is a static character, though her wise words help Anne to grow and change in maturity even after Oma is gone.

Miep is a worker at Otto Frank’s business. Anne looks up to this young, smart woman, who is characterized as self-assured and happy. Though Miep is not Jewish, she risks deportation because she is Austrian; she is eager to marry her Dutch fiancé Jan Gies because it will solidify her safety in Amsterdam. Miep, along with Jan, intends to help the Franks by bringing them supplies while they are hiding. Miep takes their bags after curfew the night before they move in, and she arrives before dawn to escort Margot ahead of the other family members. These actions indirectly demonstrate her compassion and courage. Miep is a static character whose devotion to the Franks is unwavering.