In "Number the Stars," why does Uncle Henrik claim ignorance makes bravery easier in Chapter 9?
In Chapter 9, Uncle Henrik tells Annemarie that it is far easier to be brave when one does not know everything. What he means is that a lack of knowledge about dangerous secrets or impending threats can help someone keep his/her composure during stressful situations.
In the chapter, Annemarie is told...
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that a funeral will be held for Great-aunt Birte. However, Annemarie knows that there is no such relative in her family. She is furious that the adults are lying to her. Her anger abates, however, after Uncle Henrik speaks with her. The funeral is actually a cover for gathering a group of Jewish refugees at Uncle Henrik's home. The refugees are to be smuggled out of Denmark in Uncle Henrik's boat in the dark of night.
Uncle Henrik tells Annemarie that he can only divulge certain information to her. In other words, she will be told only what is necessary for her survival. Details that are left out are for her protection: if Annemarie doesn't know the full truth, she will not stumble or seem nervous when questioned by Nazi soldiers. This is why Uncle Henrik tells Annemarie that it is far easier to be brave when one doesn't know everything.
In Number the Stars, why does Uncle Henrik say it's easier to be brave if you don't know everything in Chapter 9?
Uncle Henrik believes that there are times that if you don’t know everything, you are then able to act bravely. There are times when not having all of the details allows a person to act more freely. Without knowing everything, a person can act naturally and do what he or she thinks is the right thing to do.
When a person has all the details, that person may overthink the situation. The person might start weighing the risks and the rewards of a situation. This analysis might cause the person to hesitate or not take action because the possible dangers might be perceived as too great. The person might also share information that could be harmful to the mission.
Annemarie is upset because she believed her uncle and mother weren’t being truthful to her about the death of an aunt. Annemarie never heard of this aunt and thought it was strange that no phone call was made to inform the family of the death. When her uncle asks Annemarie if she is brave, Annemarie says that she isn’t really brave. Her uncle assures her that she is brave and that there are times when it easier to be brave if a person doesn’t know all the details. Not knowing all the details can free a person to do the right thing without overanalyzing the situation.
Later in the story, Annemarie shows her bravery by taking the packet that has fallen to her uncle. When she encounters the German soldiers, she is able to still keep the packet because she has no idea how the packet would be used. She is able to get the packet to her uncle, which is essential for the success of the mission of smuggling the Jews to Sweden.