What does Annemarie learn in Number the Stars?

Annemarie Johansen is the protagonist of Number the Stars. She is a Christian girl living in Denmark during the Second World War. She undoubtedly learns a lot throughout the novel through her experiences and actions, making her a very dynamic character.

When the novel begins, Annemarie is quite innocent. She plays with her friend Ellen and sees the way the presence of the Nazis is impacting her family. She also knows that she must blend in for survival and not draw attention to herself. She begins to lose her innocence when she realizes Ellen, who is Jewish, is in grave danger.

While Annemarie learns quite a bit about the world and who she is throughout the story, I feel she learns about courage and the meaning of friendship the most. When the novel begins, Annemarie blends in to survive, steering clear of any potential issues. This is quite a stark contrast to when she runs into the Nazis in the woods. She stands up to them, thinking of Little Red Riding Hood for bravery. She actively helps protect Jewish people from the Nazis, standing up for what is right even though it puts herself and her family in immense danger.

Annemarie is also a fierce friend to Ellen—more and more so as the book progresses. She actively protects her from the Nazis. In a well-known scene in the book, Annemarie rips Ellen's Star of David necklace off her neck to keep the Nazis from discovering she is Jewish. At the end of the novel, Annemarie still thinks of Ellen and hopes that one day she will return, keeping her Star of David necklace until she can personally return it to Ellen.

What does Annemarie learn about courage, pride, and friendship in Number the Stars?

Annemarie grew up in difficult times, under the occupation of the Nazis in Denmark during World War II. Her older sister was killed, but Annemarie did not learn about the circumstances until she was older. Ellen was Annemarie's best friend throughout elementary school. Unfortunately for Ellen, she and her family were Jewish. When the Nazis came to take them away, Annemarie's family hid Ellen and passed her off as their daughter. Annemarie had to pretend Ellen was her sister using the identity of her dead older sister. Annemarie saved Ellen from discovery by tearing off the Star of David necklace from her neck as the Nazis burst in to question them about Ellen's family and their whereabouts. Throughout the story Annemarie's loyalty to her friend will require courage to thwart the Nazis and help Ellen's family escape to freedom. Annemarie learns the true circumstances of her sister's death and feels pride for her sacrifice and pride for her family's protection of the hidden Jews.

What lessons did Annemarie learn from her experiences in Number the Stars?

Lois Lowry’s young adult novel Number the Stars tells the story of the Johansen family and their neighbors, the Rosens. Annemarie Johansen and Ellen Rosen are best friends. The story is set in 1943 German-occupied Denmark, and because the Rosens are Jewish, it becomes clear that Ellen and her parents must leave Denmark or go into hiding.

The Johansens help. Initially, they hide Ellen, and then they help the Rosens escape from Copenhagen. Through her experience during this time, Annemarie learns what it means to be brave and to stand up for what you believe and fight, in small ways and big ways, against tyranny. This lesson is made clear when the newspapers report that

The Danes had destroyed their own naval fleet, blowing up the vessels one by one, as the Germans approached to take over the ships for their own use.

"How sad the king must be," Annemarie had heard Mama say to Papa when they read the news.

"How proud," Papa had replied.

It had made Annemarie feel sad and proud, too…

On the night that Mr. Johansen tells Annemarie and Ellen that Ellen will stay with them, he says, "If anyone should come, even soldiers, you two will be sisters. You are together so much, it will be easy for you to pretend that you are sisters." He understands that the girls, as well as the parents, will all be frightened if the Nazi soldiers come in search of the Rosens. However, they will be brave.

In fact, at the end of the novel, Uncle Henrik tells Annemarie how brave she has been.

"Brave?" Annemarie asked, surprised. "No, I wasn't. I was very frightened."

"You risked your life."

"But I didn't even think about that! I was only thinking of—"

He interrupted her, smiling. "That's all that brave means—not thinking about the dangers. Just thinking about what you must do. Of course you were frightened. I was too, today. But you kept your mind on what you had to do. So did I.”

In an earlier scene, Annemarie watches during what seems to be a funeral, but the casket contains only blankets and old clothing. There are a number of people in attendance. Annemarie soon realizes that her family is helping Jewish people flee to safety:

"Annemarie realized, though she had not really been told, that Uncle Henrik was going to take them, in his boat, across the sea to Sweden."

Annemarie once had an older sister, Lise, who is dead now. She was in the Resistance, as was Lise’s fiancé, Peter. Annemarie recognizes that helping get their friends and others to safety is important, despite the difficulty and danger. The dangers are made clear, as both Lise and Peter die.

Nevertheless, it is important to stand up for what you believe and fight for freedom against tyranny. For instance, once the war ends, people in Copenhagen place symbols of freedom in their windows and those of the Jewish neighbors whom they hope will soon return:

For nearly two years, now, neighbors had tended the plants and dusted the furniture and polished the candlesticks for the Jews who had fled. Her mother had done so for the Rosens. "It is what friends do," Mama had said. Now neighbors had entered each unoccupied, waiting apartment, opened a window, and hung a symbol of freedom there.

Describe the character Annemarie in Number the Stars.

In quite a few ways, Annemarie is a fairly average 10-year-old girl.  She likes to run around and play games.  She has a best friend, Ellen.  She loves and respects her parents, and she has a little sister that she doesn't always get along with.  

Annemarie is a much deeper character than that, though.  She is living in the middle of World War II, and she remembers what it was like before the German occupation.  She understands how much has changed in recent years, and it affects her deeply.  She admires courage in others and even though she doubts her own abilities, Annemarie is incredibly brave.  She protects Ellen and Ellen's family from the Nazis by keeping the lie, and at one point she is even called upon to make a secret delivery to help the Jews.  That's amazing for a 10 year old!