The Upstairs Room

“Sometimes the tree talked to everyone.”

The text personifies the tree in the center of town, where Nazi soldiers post notices, as someone talking to the townsfolk. This use of figurative language demonstrates Annie’s childlike perspective as well as German manipulation. Usually bearing notices for Jewish residents, now the tree announces rations that affect everyone living in Winterswijk. Shifting to inclusion takes the focus off the Jews in Winterswijk momentarily, creating a false sense of security for them. The combination of Annie’s innocent perspective and the Germans’ plan thematically fuels The Loss of Innocence in Extreme Circumstances.

“Nine days later the letter that Rachel had written for Mrs. Gans came back from Mauthausen. UNKNOWN was stamped across the envelope.

‘Funny, that they wouldn’t remember him,’ Mother said.”

The Ganses receive a letter from their son at the Mauthausen camp and Rachel helps them respond. This letter is returned with an “UNKNOWN” stamp, suggesting that the Gans boy is dead. However, Annie’s mother’s response exemplifies the false hope that many had. Instead of acknowledging the probability of his death, she chooses to focus on the unlikely scenario that the Germans can’t remember who he is.

“The tree said more volunteers were needed to work in labor camps. You could be as old as sixty. The Gans father was pleased he wasn’t too old to go. Maybe someday he’d be sent out of Holland to another camp, he said. It had happened to a lot of people already. They had been put on the train to Poland. But maybe he’d be lucky enough to get sent to Austria and Mauthausen. And maybe he’d find his son there.”

The new notice asking for volunteers exemplifies German manipulation. By asking for volunteers to work, they’re tricking Jews into thinking that they’ll be doing something worthwhile and, in cases like that of Mr. Gans, that they might reunite with loved ones. Thus, instead of rounding up hostile crowds, they get people to calmly board trains to the camps. The Jews are sent to hard labor and their eventual deaths. Mr. Gans represents many Jews across Europe who held onto hope for the best, unable to fathom the horror they would soon face.

“On the way back to the bike, Father stopped to pick a cornflower. He stuck it in the buttonhole of his jacket. Absentmindedly he scratched a mosquito bite on the back of his hand. He waited for me to climb on the bicycle. ‘It’s nice to be out with you again,’ he said.”

This passage, which follows Father and Annie’s visit to Mr. Abbink, details a nice father-daughter moment. Despite the normalcy it suggests, however, this moment is anything but typical: Finding a place to hide has consumed their lives, and they rarely get to spend time together. In fact, it’s illegal for a Jew to ride a bicycle outside, so their journey to Abbink’s farm is a dangerous one.

“I looked back to see whether he was following me. No, but wasn’t that Rachel, walking a block behind me? Yes. I stopped to wait for her, but she shook her head. She didn’t want me to wait.”

When Annie walks to the bus to escape Winterswijk, her older sister, Rachel, follows her to ensure Annie’s safety. Even though Rachel sometimes seems cold toward Annie, this action demonstrates her love and care for the girl. She tails Annie to make sure all goes according to plan. Additionally, Annie’s reaction highlights her naiveté: She thinks Rachel wants to walk with her and is oblivious to the danger of their being seen together, emphasizing her innocence.

“Mother died. Miss Kleinhoonte called Mr. Hannink to tell him. We had known Mother would die soon. But when he told us, it hurt just the same. After Mr. Hannink left, Sini and I sat on the bed, close together. We cried.”

When Annie and Sini learn of their mother’s death, they cling to each other and cry. This moment exemplifies how they rely on each other for strength amid the stress and trauma of their situation. Furthermore, even though they knew their mother would die soon, this knowledge doesn’t ease their pain. This news also contributes to Annie’s loss of innocence.

“But look at me now. Here I am, twenty years old. And miserable. See what I’m wearing? See what my hair looks like? I’m glad I can’t go out tonight. I wouldn’t dare. Well, nobody would’ve asked me the way I look. No, little sister, I can’t see staying awake until midnight. The sooner this night is over, the better.”

This passage characterizes Sini as a young woman who still has the interests and desires of a typical young adult: She longs for a New Year’s Eve party and for boys to ask her out. However, the harsh reality is that she and Annie sit in a dark underground hiding place in the Hannink’s yard. Sini understands more clearly than Annie does how much of their “normal” life has been lost. She knows that this isn’t an adventure and thinks about how they can survive it. Sleep seems like the best option to pass the time.

“And if Dientje wants us to go, why did she tell me she was going to make me a dress out of an old one of hers? A pretty flowered one, too. Would she bring the dress over after it was finished?”

Annie’s questions all surface when Dientje begs Johan to ask Mr. Hannink to retrieve the girls. The woman plans to make her a dress, a sign of care, but she also wants the girls to leave, so Annie is confused. Dientje’s words and actions represent the dilemma of those helping Jews escape the Nazis. They care enough to help save lives but also fear for their own. As Annie matures, she begins to understand this, but in this moment she’s still too innocent to grasp the complexities of the situation.

“‘Is that so,’ Opoe said politely when she heard the news. ‘And they’re running? Poor things.’

‘But, Ma, they’re Germans.’

‘I know, I know. But they’ve got mothers,’ she said. We all laughed; Dientje too. It was easy to laugh that night.”

After they learn that the Russians defeated the Germans in Stalingrad and the Nazis are retreating, Opoe expresses sympathy for the Germans. Her statement that they have mothers too is a reminder of the humanity that is often forgotten in war reporting. The focus is on tactics and numbers, but real people, with families, are fighting. Furthermore, this passage shows hope: Laughter is a rarity, and it’s “easy to laugh” because people are optimistic that the war might end soon.

“Life was not as dull as Sini kept telling me. We did plenty of things. Now, take next Sunday, for example. We would eat downstairs, and not even after dark. Oh, no, during the day, just like everybody else.

Contentedly I closed my eyes. Birthdays were wonderful.”

Annie’s gratitude for the opportunity to eat downstairs during the day demonstrates her growing maturity: She’s content with something simple because she has been deprived of it for so long. Instead of getting angry at trivial things, like having a short haircut, Annie embraces what joy she can find in their circumstances.

“Had I forgotten, Sini asked, what would happen if somebody saw me?

No, no, I hadn’t. But what was so terrible about Poland? I stood in front of Sini. ‘Tell me, how often could they beat you?’”

Annie hears a sound outside and approaches the window until Sini scolds her. Annie’s questions about Poland and about how often beatings occur suggest that she doesn’t understand the gravity of their situation. Even though she knows they must hide, she’s doesn’t know that she could die at a camp. Her questions sound like a mini tantrum, emphasizing her youth.

“I looked at Sini. The corners of her mouth were trembling. Why did Johan have to talk that way? How did he know we needed an invasion and that the end wouldn’t come for another year? Couldn’t it come, say, next week? How did he know? Well, maybe he was wrong. He could be. I’d tell Sini so later, after everybody was asleep.”

On Annie’s birthday, Johan shares his opinion that the war will continue and that they’ll be together for Annie’s next birthday. When Annie looks at Sini, she worries about her sister’s reaction. This concern, not just looking at Sini but also vowing to talk with her later, shows that Annie is no longer thinking only of herself, which is a sign of her growing maturity.

“I nodded. Fifth grade? That’s what I was in now?”

When Miss Kleinhoonte gives Annie fifth-grade textbooks to continue her studies, the girl is amazed. Her questions reflect the impact of isolation on her. She has lost track of her education, and her questions imply the insignificance of school in light of how she has been forced to mature in the last year, which has nothing to do with her education.

“‘We’re glad we’ve got them,’ Dientje answered. ‘That sounds funny, doesn’t it? Because, you know, if there wasn’t’ a war, they wouldn’t be here. I’m sure they can’t wait to go back to Winterswijk. But we like the girls. We really do. We don’t like the war, of course.’”

Here, Dientje is telling Miss Kleinhoonte how much the Oostervelds like the girls. Although they don’t condone the war, it brought them together, which is why Dientje says it’s “funny.” The family has grown to love Annie and Sini, and Dientje, who was once focused on how dangerous it was to hide the girls, now fully shows her love for them.

“I looked at Sini. Guiltily we turned our heads away.”

When Reverend Slomp proposes that Rachel visit, the request puts the Oostervelds in a difficult position because, if the visit is discovered, it could lead to a search. Sini and Annie desperately want to see Rachel after almost two years, but they understand the burden of their request. Their guilt is emblematic of their situation; in normal times, they shouldn’t feel bad for wanting to see a loved one; however, during wartime, this simple desire puts many lives at risk.

“Had we heard from Father lately? she asked. Yes. He was hungry all the time. The only thing he ever wrote about was food, what he used to eat and what he was planning to eat after the war.

Rachel laughed. That’s what he wrote to her, too, she said. It was nice to see her laugh again.”

When Rachel visits Annie and Sini, they share news of Father. This passage thematically highlights The Strength of Family Bonds, even when separated. Despite the dangers, they find ways to communicate because hearing from one another provides relief and joy. Annie’s emphasis on Rachel’s laugh indicates how little joy they have in hiding. It’s the first time she hears Rachel laugh during the visit, and it bolsters her.

“‘Go to the Hanninks,’ Dientje suggested. ‘Maybe they’ll know one who won’t talk.’

Johan and Opoe looked at her in surprise. I turned over on the bed. Ouch.”

When Johan grants the girls’ request to go outside during the day, Annie gets a severe sunburn and needs a doctor. Dientje, who has always warned of the dangers associated with hiding the girls, requests that they get help from the Hanninks. Her request surprises Johan and Opoe because Dientje has never suggested something so risky. This moment highlights her love for the girls because her concern for Annie supersedes her fear for their safety.

“Johan scratched his head. ‘Damn, it’s that we’ve got the girls, or I’d say let some of them sleep in the garage. But we can’t have any strangers poking around.”

Prior to this, Dientje reveals that she gave potatoes to homeless people wandering to her door. After praising his wife, Johan’s instinct is to provide shelter for the homeless. Unfortunately, he knows that this will compromise their situation with the girls and put everyone at risk. Johan and Dientje show that they’re kind people who try to do the right thing. However, Johan’s decision exemplifies the difficult choices people faced during wartime and underscores how protecting some may not benefit others.

“Carefully I got out of bed and crawled to the door. With difficulty I stood up. I moved my legs up and down a little bit. They ached. Four weeks in bed was a long time.”

When Annie decides to go downstairs to get wool for Sini to finish darning socks, she experiences physical pain. Already not exercising enough in their isolation, her four weeks in bed while the Germans occupy the first floor have nearly incapacitated her. On the verge of adolescence, Annie should be healthy and strong, yet she can barely walk, demonstrating the debilitating physical impact of years of isolation.

“I stood up. With my hand I pushed the chair away. Desperately I tried to get to the stairs. The footsteps sounded closer and closer to the window. I couldn’t move. My legs hurt so.”

As someone approaches the house and Annie is downstairs, she freezes, not in fear, but because her legs hurt so much. This moment illustrates the extent of her physical pain. Hiding for two years has severely limited her movement and thus her physical development. She isn’t able to leave the room even when she must for her safety.

“Why is he talking about that man he works with again? Doesn’t he even have a name? He has never been right yet. Never. He’s…he’s stupid…a liar. My lips started to tremble.”

When Johan shares what a man from work told him about the Canadian army coming to liberate them, Annie isn’t excited like she has been in the past about positive developments in the war. Her negativity hints at a loss of hope; since Sini has left her alone and because the war continues, Annie has little optimism for the future, and this loss of hope devastates her, as her struggle to find words and the tremble of her lip reveal.

“Why am I so calm, as if this is an ordinary evening? Aren’t you glad? Yes, but I don’t feel any different, not excited or anything. Maybe it’s just as well, in case it doesn’t happen. What am I going to do if it does happen?”

When they learn that Canadian soldiers will liberate them, Annie feels devoid of emotion. This lack of reaction, along with her statement that it may not happen, suggests her disbelief that the war is actually over. Too many times she has had hope, yet each of those times the war continued. Annie even asks what she would do if the Canadians arrived. Her uncertainty is a result of years of isolation. She has grown accustomed to having no options, so when she can leave, she is hesitant to trust it.

“I straightened my legs under the table. They hurt. People had looked at them today. They will in Winterswijk, too. Would kids ignore me? Pretend I wasn’t there. Or stop talking when I came close? Because they didn’t want me to know what they were saying? Would they…?”

Annie’s fears about returning home center on her ability to fit in. Her physical pain, coupled with memories of being an outcast, make her worry about social interactions. Her thoughts trail off, suggesting that other kids might mistreat her. Although isolation saves her life, it also stunts her social development. The structure of this passage, starting with leg pain and ending with social anxiety, implies that her emotional wounds mirror her physical pain. Even though the war has ended, the scars remain.