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

“Countries closed their borders, refusing to let Jewish refugees enter; boatloads of people were turned away from the shores of free countries and many had no chance to survive.”

Before and during World War II, Jewish people fled not only Germany but also countries where Nazi occupation began or seemed likely. However, as the conflict across Europe intensified, Jewish people found themselves with increasingly limited places to go. “Boatloads” alludes to the Jewish people aboard the St. Louis, a steamship in the Hamburg-Amerika line, which left Hamburg, Germany in May 1939 with over 900 refugees, most of them Jewish Germans. They planned to wait in Cuba until the US approved their visas, but by the time they arrived, Cuba had canceled the agreement and turned them away. The US refused to let them land due to immigration limitations and a lengthy waiting list. The ship returned to Europe where Great Britain, France, the Netherlands, and Belgium allowed passengers to stay; of these, 254 passengers died after Germany invaded and occupied France, Belgium, and the Netherlands in May 1940.

“The first sign is the scent of something burning as if a fire had been set and the air was filling with black acrid smoke. It’s best to run into the woods when this happens, even if there are wolves sleeping beneath the trees. You know what a wolf is the minute you see it, but an evil person can be hidden from sight. He’s often in disguise.”

A fairy tale style in omniscient voice peppers the narrative; in this “story,” evil people are more difficult to detect (and therefore more dangerous) than wolves. The author also alludes to the Holocaust in this passage with the reference to smoke and fire—an image that evokes both the original meaning of the word “holocaust” (a large, destructive fire) and the crematoriums that released terrible smoke from the burning of bodies.

“Hatred arises so quickly that one drop is all it takes before it spreads like ink on a page. Still, the girls’ father was convinced the rising tide of prejudice against the Jews was a temporary evil stirred up by a few very bad people. […] Most people were good at heart, he was sure of it.”

This passage purposely shows the distance between the thoughts of the narrator, represented by the wise tone and metaphor comparing spreading ink to rising hatred, and the thoughts of Otto Frank, determined to believe his family is safe in Amsterdam. Otto’s idea that “Most people are good at heart” echoes Anne Frank’s often-quoted actual diary passage on the next-to-last date of entry: “[…] in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart” (Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl).

“She didn’t sound in the least bit special. She sounded like a ten-year-old girl who was afraid of the sky, and of the black moth, and of the possibility that her beloved father might be mistaken.”

Anne is pleased and proud when her father and grandmother call her special. Once the invasion occurs, though, fear replaces most of the “specialness” Anne feels, at least temporarily. Anne demonstrates here a sudden understanding that adults are not infallible, a common realization in coming of age; here it is also an example of The Impact of Violent Ideologies on Interpersonal Relationships. The black moth is a repeated symbol for evil and the Nazis.

“The blue tea would be the last gift they ever received from their Omi in Basel, but they didn’t know it yet.”

These lines help readers distinguish between Anne’s two grandmothers, Oma and Omi. It also demonstrates the ability of a third-person omniscient point of view to reveal future events that the characters know nothing about. The tea represents many products and material goods that will be impossible to acquire once the occupation is well established.

“The buildings below looked like toys from the rooftop, small enough to hold in the palm of your hand. Small enough to break.”

Anne’s observational perspective changes under Nazi rule. Her metaphor comparing the street-level buildings to toy houses demonstrates mature, imaginative thinking; the idea of holding those houses in her hand symbolizes Anne’s attempt to control the forces trying to dominate her. The phrase “Small enough to break” proves that the occupation has changed Anne’s confidence; she now senses vulnerability in herself, her parents, and the Netherlands at large, an example of The Loss of Innocence in the Context of War and Genocide.

“It was difficult to explain how easy it was for her to become a character in a play, much easier than living her ordinary life. […] Or perhaps she could be someone else entirely, someone she’d never known and had wholly invented. She could be Merle Oberon, or the wonderful and mysterious actress Greta Garbo.”

The omniscient narrative slides into third-person limited interior monologue to convey Anne’s private thoughts. Under occupation, acting a role is easier for Anne than being herself. Allusions to actresses prove Anne’s point and offer details of the period. Merle Oberon (1911-1979) gained fame as a screen actress in Britain and Hollywood, notably performing in 1939’s film version of Wuthering Heights. Greta Garbo (1905-1990) became well-known for her roles in films made by production giant MGM, such as 1931’s Mata Hari and 1935’s Anna Karenina. Ironically, considering Anne’s admiration of this film star, Garbo never made another film after World War II.

“[Anne] was usually impossible to ignore and, if anything, took up too much space. Now she was quiet, thinking things over, wondering if the life they’d led before had been nothing more than a dream.”

The occupation changes Anne drastically. Her bright personality becomes quiet and pensive with the increasing limitations on Jewish people’s freedoms and fears for the future. Anne, however, is still inherently curious and kind, and she shows strength and courage in maintaining these qualities. The idea of a person taking up “too much space” is an idiomatic expression describing a personality that commands attention and cannot be ignored.

“And that was it, they had become fish in a net, they were already drowning, only they didn’t know it yet.”

The third-person omniscient voice grows more honest and blunter mid-novel, without as much of the fairy tale filter to distance the traumatic events of the Holocaust. Here, the narration uses a metaphor (trapped fish) to point out the plight of the Jewish people in the Netherlands forced to register their personal information in January 1941, making them easy targets for persecution, arrest, and deportation to camps. The emphasis on what the Jewish people did not know showcases the terrible irony: Despite acquiescence, they will be subjected to hatred anyway.

“[California] seemed like a place in a fairy tale now, not a real destination where people went shopping and were able to leave their houses whenever they pleased without fear of the German police.”

Anne retreats literally and figuratively as she witnesses her parents’ loss of hope over their destroyed visa applications. Ironically, while Anne has always loved tales of bravery and adventure, this simile comparing California to a place in a fairy tale contributes to a tone of sad helplessness. Danger and fear prompt Anne to accept that California may not be a realistic dream, which supports The Loss of Innocence in the Context of War and Genocide.

“First stop, Macy’s department store.”

Otto Frank tries to project a hopeful tone to his wife and daughters throughout Part 3 as he watches their escape options crumble. This line uses Macy’s department store in New York City as a symbol to represent the many freedoms in America if only they could get there. It also recalls Otto’s ironic connection to Nathan Straus Jr., a Jewish businessman in the Macy’s family, whom he met earlier in his life. Mr. Straus cannot help the Franks despite his freedom and position.

“It was still the same city, except now you could almost see the underworld beneath the grass, the fires that burned there, the soot and heat.”

Anne’s penchant for metaphorical thought comes across in this shift to her limited third-person viewpoint. Despite Anne’s former love for Amsterdam, now she compares it to a place where Hell burns just beneath the surface, a strong visual image. Seeing young people—peers—bully the young Jewish boy brings Anne to the realization that hatred can destroy a once beautiful place, an unfortunate lesson that demonstrates The Loss of Innocence in the Context of War and Genocide.

“Anne loved the Montessori school and felt as though she were being sent into exile.”

In the early 1900s in Rome, Dr. Maria Montessori developed more child-centered educational methods than traditional teaching strategies. For example, students had freedom of movement in the classroom and a choice of activities that interested them. These methods suit Anne, but for the fall term in 1941, she is required to go to an all-Jewish school, where she has trouble paying attention. The simile (“as though she were being sent into exile”) conveys a tone of shame, as if Anne did something punishable. Losing her teacher and missing her circle of friends at the Montessori school are examples of The Impact of Violent Ideologies on Interpersonal Relationships. Montessori schools still exist worldwide today.

“Who wouldn’t want a mother who would do anything to bring you back from the underworld?”

This line of interior monologue, limited to Anne’s point of view, alludes to Greek myth. Demeter’s misery over the loss of her daughter Persephone to Hades negatively impacts the harvest. Forced to reconcile with Demeter’s power over the seasons, Hades relents and allows Persephone to leave the underworld for half of the year. Anne’s phrasing conveys that everyone’s mother should be as passionate about their child as Demeter was, and her tone shows she turns to Family and Community as a Source of Support.

“Summer was over, and the leaves would turn a wintry brown, but the ribbon was still there and Anne took it as a sign. Blue for happiness, for the good in the world, blue for hope.”

Wintry brown is juxtaposed against the blue ribbon, a bright and lively shade that represents Anne’s excitement in seeing it. The sight is simple and lovely to Anne, and it sparks some much-needed optimism for the goodness of people in the world.

“There would be other terrible winters in the years to come and the Netherlands would suffer a terrible famine they would call the Hunger Winter, for the Germans would blockade food and nearly twenty thousand Dutch citizens would die.”

The author juxtaposes 1941-42’s winter of fear (a long, cold expanse of time during which many Jewish people such as the Franks become more resigned, more afraid, and more isolated from one another) with a reference to the Hunger Winter (hongerwinter) of 1944-45. Just before the end of the long war, the Germans occupying the Netherlands slowed food delivery to such an extent that famine resulted, exacerbated by the terrible cold weather.

“Once upon a time, there was a girl who realized that her mother loved her. It happened suddenly, it happened in the kitchen, when it was so late that the sun would soon be rising. From now on she would try to remember that.”

An example of the fairy-tale motif, this omniscient line reveals a significant coming-of-age moment for Anne. When Edith concedes that Anne should turn 18 before accepting Oma’s jewelry, Anne no longer doubts her mother’s love for her and instead appreciates Family and Community as a Source of Support. It is a moment of maturation for Edith as well, as she tries to see inside her daughter the way Oma always told her to do.

“Eighteen was a year that might never come.”

Anne realizes that the danger around them has grown so severe that Margot might not reach 18, an example of The Loss of Innocence in the Context of War and Genocide. Edith’s simple response in agreement—“Why wait”—belies the significance of the moment; she has finally seen the immense capacity for love and generosity Anne has but restrains her emotions in keeping with her reserved character. This line pulls the reader’s attention with its brevity, as most paragraphs in the novel are much longer.

“There was a door with a thousand locks and when they were turned the house became invisible.”

Creating a tale for Margot shows courage on Anne’s part, as she is sometimes hesitant to share her stories. The tale itself also shows that Anne has not lost her core of boldness; she commandeers the fairy tale style typically used by the omniscient narrator for her own purposes, offering Family and Community as a Source of Support. The author juxtaposes Anne’s story with the straightforward announcement that the Final Solution is now in effect; dramatic irony results, since Anne and Margot know nothing about the Final Solution. This passage also serves to foreshadow the hiding place where the girls will soon stay, becoming “invisible” behind a locked door.

 “[Y]ou are a mouse, a fly, a speck of dust. […] They have the power, and you have none, and because of this they can treat you as if you were nothing more than a moth they had caught in a jar, a jar they shake whenever it pleases them, a jar they can empty onto the fire, a jar they keep you in until you are in flames.”

Throughout the novel, black moths symbolize evil. This passage twists the moth metaphor, showing horrifically how the Jewish people became trapped by the Nazi regime, then destroyed. The reference to “flames” calls to mind the idea of “holocaust” as a fierce, consuming conflagration. The metaphors with “mouse,” “fly,” and “speck of dust” point to the ways Nazis increased the pace and brutality of their methods in attempts to rob Jewish people of their humanity.

“All that Anne knew was that every morning Hello was waiting for her at the bicycle shed, and they walked and talked as if the rest of the world didn’t exist.”

The author uses hyperbole in the simile “as if the rest of world didn’t exist” to get across the sweeping feelings Anne has as she experiences her first romance. Mature enough to know that she and Hello are quite young for “true” love, she hesitates to voice her feelings to him, though she enjoys his attention as a manifestation of Family and Community as a Source of Support. Her natural curiosity is evident as she asks her parents for their thoughts on love.

“It seemed preposterous. She was only a young girl with nothing to say, and yet the best of her gifts was the diary. She could already tell it would be a trusted friend she could tell her secrets to.”

A strong mark of Anne’s growing maturity in Parts 4 and 5 is her increasing sureness that she is meant to be a writer. Indirectly, her choice to keep her writing to herself most of the time shows an introspective side of her personality that was not evident as a younger girl. Writing for Anne is a way to remember the past and dream about the future in a concrete, reassuring way. As a “friend” in whom she can confide, the diary serves as another manifestation of Family and Community as a Source of Support.

“[Otto] might have believed all would be well once upon a time, but now he wasn’t sure. Anything could happen. The whole world could disappear, and where would one cat be then? Where would their family be, falling through the darkness into the underworld, holding on to one another as best they could?”

Impacted by The Loss of Innocence in the Context of War and Genocide, Anne doubts her father’s comment that the family will return to the apartment in this subtle shift to third-person limited interior monologue. More intuitive now, she reflects on the transition of her father’s optimism. Once sure that they would find safety in the US, the best Otto can hope for now is to hide the family until the Allies defeat the Nazis. The return to the fairy-tale motif with “once upon a time” employs a rueful, almost cynical tone from Anne—more like a teen than a child. The mention of the underworld, unfamiliar and dangerous, adds to the idea of uncertainty despite Anne’s attempt to hold onto Family and Community as a Source of Support.