51 pages • 1 hour read
When We Flew Away: A Novel of Anne Frank Before the Diary
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Themes
The Loss of Innocence in the Context of War and Genocide
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of religious discrimination, graphic violence, illness and death, and physical abuse.
Gaining maturity is a common experience for adolescents and teens in middle-grade and young adult novels; wartime settings often hasten the process, since loss and struggle compel young characters to take on adult responsibilities or cope with grown-up conflicts. In When We Flew Away, Anne, Margot, and Hello must come of age quickly under the weight of Nazi occupation and increasing prejudice against Jewish people. As a result of restrictions on Jewish freedoms and abusive and inhumane tactics, these young characters experience a rapid loss of innocence as they mature.
Anne’s loss of innocence is the most pronounced. Depicted as a chatty, imaginative young girl with ambition and a penchant for acting on stage, Anne exudes cleverness, confidence, and vitality at the start of the story. She seeks enjoyment in life, whether in persuading Margot to get ice cream or dreaming of traveling to New York and California. Full of hope for her family members and belief in others’ kindness, Anne is characterized by an innocent empathy in the book’s early chapters. As the occupation goes on, however, Anne witnesses cruelty and prejudice. When police arrest a Jewish neighbor and strike his wife for asking questions, Anne’s powerlessness saddens her deeply. She becomes a quieter, more introspective young teen as a result of these wartime injustices.
Margot maintains a strong sense of optimism and strength throughout much of the novel, but in certain scenes, she reveals worry for the future and a bitterness at being robbed of experiences that will benefit others. For example, at Miep’s wedding, Margot fears the loss of romantic love in her future, and dreams of a persecution-free life in Jerusalem. When she turns 16, while appreciative of her birthday blessings, she becomes “distraught,” saying, “This may be as old as I ever get to be” (178). Fear and oppression rob Margot of the innocent anticipation most young people feel.
Hello, Anne’s first boyfriend, feels a similar urge to consider a future in distant Jerusalem or America, having lost the innocent expectation that his home in Amsterdam would continue to be a safe and welcoming one. Intent on fleeing persecution while living each day to its fullest, he rushes toward love in his relationship with Anne, losing many of the innocent moments of discovery and enjoyment in a first romance. Hello, like Anne and Margot, loses innocence and must mature quickly in the ever-intensifying Nazi rule that threatens Jewish existence.
Family and Community as a Source of Support
As the occupation continues and the treatment of Jewish people in Amsterdam worsens, necessities like food and supplies become increasingly scarce. Running short of food and material goods, and increasingly threatened by the antisemitic violence all around them, the Franks grow to rely on each other and their tight circle of friends for support. Caring acts and supportive gestures from family and community members help to sustain the Franks throughout the occupation.
For example, the adults in Anne’s life carefully monitor her reactions to their worsening circumstances. Knowing that Anne is especially sensitive, Oma tries to keep her own fears and worries about the coming Nazi threat to herself, speaking to Anne in veiled phrases that still offer some hope: “No one knows what will happen. […] The truth can be many things” (62). Otto, an empathetic individual much like Anne, takes Anne on a restorative trip to the country to bolster her spirits. Edith, Anne’s mother, initially struggles with her daughter’s irrepressible personality, but once she better understands Anne’s compassion for others, she demonstrates a more nurturing side, taking Anne’s arm after a difficult market trip and holding her hand on the way to their hiding place. Anne’s spirit stays afloat with the help of these small gestures.
Bolstered by these supportive acts, Anne can then help care for Margot when her usually strong sister experiences weakness. For instance, when Margot feels fear and asks Anne for a story, Anne weaves a tale about courageous sisters who outlast and outsmart a terrible enemy. Anne also sacrifices her opportunity to say goodbye to Hello the day before the Franks go into hiding because it is safer that way for Margot and the family. In these ways, Anne helps others to feel stronger and safer and thus serves as a source of emotional sustenance.
The Franks’ relationship with Miep Gies also sustains the family. Early in the story, Anne is particularly attached to Miep, an assistant at Otto’s spice business. Miep’s wedding serves as an event that the Franks can anticipate with happiness, and her reception provides a hopeful perspective on the present: The adults tell stories of the past fondly, while Anne and Margot share dreams of the future. Most importantly, Miep helps the Franks with their plan to escape deportation: She and her husband Jan transport the Franks’ belongings to the hiding place and plan to bring them supplies. Miep’s support and friendship, along with the Franks’ caring for one another, help to sustain them throughout the oppressive occupation.
The Impact of Violent Ideologies on Interpersonal Relationships
The oppressive and threatening ideas of the occupying German forces manifest gradually, from curfews and limitations just after the invasion to arrests, abuse, and deportations as they gain control. The Nazis’ violent ideologies have transformative effects on all parts of Anne’s life, including her relationships with family members, friends, and acquaintances.
For example, Anne initially feels that she and Margot have little in common, and she does not think she can ever attain Margot’s natural talents and beauty. For her part, Margot tries to rein in Anne’s more outlandish ideas, like allowing boys to pay for their ice cream. As the occupation wears on, though, the sisters realize they both fear for the future and mourn the loss of freedom, goals, and plans. At times, their roles are reversed, with Anne taking the reins and helping soothe Margot; examples include Anne’s offering a comforting fairy tale and insisting to Edith that Margot receive Oma’s jewelry. Anne’s relationship with Edith changes as a result of the threat of Nazi persecution as well; early on, Anne feels consistent criticism from Edith and wonders how much Edith loves her. Once Edith sees the harsh impact of violence and repression on her earnest daughter, her critical demeanor eases; Anne responds to Edith’s gentler love and increased support, more confident that her mother will protect and love her unconditionally.
Anne is close friends with Hanneli and Sanne before the invasion. As the Germans establish their authoritarian rule in the Netherlands, Anne continues to spend time with these friends, focusing on books and games. Anne’s mood, however, cannot stand up to her parents’ and Oma’s gloomy fear when Hanneli and Sanne go home. Anne’s “empty feeling” after these visits results from the Nazis’ presence, increasingly palpable; her friendships, while comforting, cannot offer the same enjoyment as they did before the occupation.
Even more distant acquaintances have a profound effect on Anne because of the Nazis’ vicious ideology. For example, some Dutch citizens promote the Nazi idea that Jewish people are inferior. Anne hears a Dutch woman in the market praising the decision to deport Jewish people, and a girl Anne knows from the neighborhood joins the Hitler Youth. These encounters, the changed tenor of visits from Hanneli and Sanne, and the shifting dynamics with her mother and sister all demonstrate the impact of dangerous ideas on interpersonal relationships.
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