The person01–03
01·Who they are
Who is Annemarie Johansen?
Annemarie Johansen is a ten-year-old Danish girl living in Nazi-occupied Copenhagen in 1943, and she is Lois Lowry's vehicle for exploring moral courage through the experiences of an ordinary child. At the novel's opening, she embodies this ordinariness—she races through the streets with her little sister Kirsti and her best friend Ellen, giggling and breathless, fully immersed in a childhood world of small competitions and fairy tales. This world contracts almost immediately. When two German soldiers stop the girls on Østerbrogade and scrutinize Ellen's dark hair with cold suspicion, Annemarie feels "not at all sure that she was brave," and this honest self-doubt drives the novel's tension. Lowry never portrays Annemarie as a prodigy or a natural hero; her significance to the reader lies in her unremarkable nature until circumstances demand otherwise.
02·Arc & motivation
What is Annemarie Johansen's arc and motivation?
Annemarie's arc unfolds in three recognizable phases: protected innocence, reluctant witness, and deliberate actor. In the first phase, she is shielded by her parents from full knowledge—she does not comprehend what "relocation" entails for Copenhagen's Jews, accepting adult explanations blindly. Her motivation at this stage is simple loyalty: she loves Ellen and will do what proximity to danger necessitates.
The middle phase begins on the night when German soldiers search the apartment, demanding to know why Ellen is sleeping there. Annemarie observes her father produce Lise's old baby photograph to present Ellen as a third Johansen daughter. She grips Ellen's hand in the darkness, projecting calm that she does not feel. This performance seeds everything that follows—she learns that courage is an act, not a feeling.
The third phase solidifies when Annemarie finds her mother injured on the forest path to Uncle Henrik's dock and realizes she alone can deliver the vital handkerchief packet to the boat. She chooses to run through the dark woods, mentally repeating Peter's name and her parents' names like an incantation. Her motivation shifts from reactive loyalty to active moral will. Henrik later confirms that he deliberately withheld full knowledge from her—"it is easier to be brave when you don't know everything"—and Annemarie internalizes this as a truth about all the adults who have guided her. By the final chapter, holding Ellen's Star of David necklace with the promise to wear it until Ellen returns, Annemarie has transitioned from a girl questioning her ability to be brave to one who has already demonstrated bravery.
03·Key moments
What are Annemarie Johansen's key moments?
The street stop (Chapter 1): The soldiers' inspection of Ellen on Østerbrogade marks Annemarie's first encounter with the occupation as a tangible threat rather than an abstract hardship. Her instinct is to stand still and look at the ground—passive survival, not yet courage.
The apartment search (Chapter 5): When soldiers pound on the door at two in the morning, Annemarie must lie still beside Ellen and project the belief that Ellen has always belonged there. Her father's quick thinking with the photograph saves the moment, but Annemarie's silent, tense steadiness under interrogation constitutes her first real act of resistance.
Learning about Lise (Chapter 15): Discovering that Lise was killed by Nazi soldiers—not in an accident—transforms Annemarie's grief into political understanding. Her deceased sister evolves from a photograph on the shelf into a silent motivation to act.
The forest-path run (Chapter 17): Finding her mother unconscious on the path, Annemarie takes the basket and runs alone through darkness to Henrik's boat. When soldiers stop her, she draws on her father's coaching and fulfills the role he described: a silly, scatterbrained girl delivering her uncle's lunch. The handkerchief packet passes undetected.
The cast04–05
04·Relationships
What are Annemarie Johansen's most important relationships?
Annemarie's relationships create a profound support structure that both enables and reflects her growth. Ellen serves as the emotional core—everything Annemarie risks is tied to Ellen, and the Star of David necklace she keeps at the novel's close represents a commitment that their friendship will endure despite the occupation. Papa acts as Annemarie's moral compass and tactical guide; his metaphor of "all of Denmark" as Ellen's protector offers her a framework for understanding collective responsibility, and his specific advice to "pretend you are only a silly little girl" becomes the script she uses during the novel's most perilous moment. Mama embodies endurance over drama, notably when she walks back through the dark alone after injuring herself on the path—a quiet heroism that Annemarie witnesses and absorbs. Uncle Henrik provides philosophical grounding in the aftermath of the mission, explaining that partial knowledge can be a mercy, thus deepening Annemarie's understanding of why adults have kept her in the dark. Kirsti, with her cheerful admiration for the soldiers' shiny boots, serves as both a comic foil and the subject of Annemarie's protective instinct—her innocence illustrates how much Annemarie has matured. Peter Nielsen, Lise's former fiancé and a Resistance operative, embodies the adult manifestation of the courage Annemarie is learning; his later death underscores the true cost of the choices she has had the privilege to witness and, in a small but significant way, to share.
05·Connected characters
How is Annemarie Johansen connected to the other characters?
The evidence06
06·Key quotes
What are Annemarie Johansen’s most famous quotes?
“The stars are not numbered. They are beyond counting.”
Annemarie Johansen · Chapter 17 (approximate) · Annemarie reflecting on the persecution of the Jews and the meaning of the novel's title
Why it matters
In Lois Lowry's Number the Stars (1989), Annemarie Johansen, the young Danish protagonist, reflects on how the stars are beyond counting. This thought arises as she grapples with the horrific Nazi persecution of the Jews during the German occupation of Denmark in 1943, particularly concerning her Jewish friend Ellen Rosen's family, who is facing deportation. The phrase resonates with the biblical promise made to Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars, serving as a metaphor to affirm the infinite worth and dignity of each Jewish life. Thematically, this quote pushes back against the dehumanizing tendency to reduce people to mere numbers, as the Nazis did in concentration camps, and instead emphasizes the immeasurable value of every human being. It also ties into the novel's title, which is inspired by Psalm 147, reinforcing the idea that God—and, by extension, compassionate humanity—does not view individuals as mere statistics. This line captures the novel's core message: that courage and love stand firm against the cold calculations of oppression.
“She was ten years old, and not at all sure that she was brave.”
Narrator (third-person, focalized through Annemarie Johansen) · Chapter 1 · Annemarie and Ellen are stopped by German soldiers on a Copenhagen street
Why it matters
This line appears in the opening chapter of Lois Lowry's Number the Stars (1989) and provides a quiet, honest introduction to its protagonist, ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen. The narrator shares Annemarie's thoughts after she and her friend Ellen are stopped and intimidated by Nazi soldiers on the streets of Copenhagen during the German occupation of Denmark in 1943. Instead of portraying a fearless child hero, Lowry intentionally depicts Annemarie with self-doubt, making her relatable to young readers. This admission is thematically significant: the entire novel explores what bravery truly means. Annemarie doesn't start off as courageous — she becomes courageous through her choices and love, especially as she risks her life to help her Jewish friend Ellen and Ellen's family escape to Sweden. By rooting the story in this honest acknowledgment of uncertainty, Lowry suggests that true courage isn't about being fearless but about the choice to act in spite of fear. This line also hints at the novel's central moral question: can an ordinary person accomplish extraordinary things when lives are on the line?
“She was not afraid. Papa had said so, and he was always right.”
Annemarie Johansen (narrative thought) · Chapter 15 – My Dogs Smell It · Annemarie's solo journey through the woods to deliver the packet to Uncle Henrik's boat
Why it matters
This line is from Lois Lowry's Number the Stars (1989), a historical fiction novel set in Nazi-occupied Denmark. It's a thought from ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen, the main character, as she prepares herself for one of the story's most intense moments — delivering an important package through the dark woods to the harbor, while trying to avoid German soldiers and their dogs. Her father had told her she was brave and fearless, and Annemarie holds onto his words as a source of courage. The quote is significant for several reasons: it highlights the strength of parental love and trust as a foundation for childhood resilience; it shows how ordinary people — including children — found the courage to stand against oppression during the Holocaust; and it emphasizes the novel's message that true courage isn't about being unafraid, but about choosing to act in spite of fear. Annemarie's belief in her father's words turns external comfort into inner strength, marking an important step in her journey from innocence to moral bravery.
“How could one ordinary girl be brave enough to do what needed to be done?”
Narrative voice / Annemarie Johansen (internal reflection) · Chapter 15 (approximate — late novel climax)
Why it matters
This reflective question is found in Lois Lowry's Number the Stars (1989), a historical fiction novel set in Nazi-occupied Denmark in 1943. It comes from the perspective of ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen as she faces the frightening reality of helping her Jewish best friend, Ellen Rosen, escape to Sweden. The question arises during a moment of deep self-doubt — Annemarie is just a regular child suddenly caught in dangerous, life-threatening situations. Thematically, this quote captures the moral and emotional core of the novel. Lowry uses it to delve into the concept of courage: it's not about being fearless but about being willing to act in spite of fear. By presenting bravery through the eyes of an "ordinary girl," Lowry makes heroism accessible, implying that standing up against injustice isn’t just for soldiers or adults but can be done by anyone who chooses to. This question also resonates with the true stories of everyday Danish citizens who put their lives on the line to save nearly 7,000 Jews — reinforcing the novel's main message that collective moral courage, one ordinary person at a time, can confront oppression.
Study07–08
07·Questions
Questions readers ask about Annemarie Johansen
Is Annemarie Johansen brave from the start of the novel?
No, at the very beginning, Annemarie honestly doubts her own courage. In Chapter 1, Lowry writes that she was "not at all sure that she was brave." This self-doubt is central to the novel: Lowry never presents Annemarie as a natural hero, but instead traces how an ordinary ten-year-old grows into deliberate, hard-earned bravery through a series of increasingly dangerous tests.
What is Annemarie Johansen's most famous quote?
"She was ten years old, and not at all sure that she was brave" (Chapter 1) is the line most closely associated with Annemarie. It appears near the novel's opening and functions as a thesis for her entire arc. By the final chapter she has already proven that thesis wrong — running alone through a dark forest to deliver a life-saving packet to Uncle Henrik's boat — making the early admission all the more powerful in retrospect.
How does Annemarie Johansen outwit the soldiers on the forest path?
Annemarie follows her father's coaching and pretends to be a silly, scatterbrained child delivering her uncle's lunch. She hides the crucial handkerchief packet beneath a cloth in her basket, and the soldiers allow her through without finding it. Her father's exact advice — to "pretend you are only a silly little girl" — becomes the script that directly saves the Rosen family's escape to Sweden.
Why does Annemarie Johansen keep Ellen Rosen's Star of David necklace?
Annemarie keeps the necklace as a pledge of reunion, promising to wear it herself until Ellen can safely return from Sweden and reclaim it. It transforms a personal friendship token into a symbol of everything Annemarie has risked. Lowry uses the necklace to signal that Annemarie's loyalty to Ellen extends beyond the immediate danger and into an open-ended commitment that outlasts the novel's final page.
What is Annemarie Johansen's relationship with her father like?
Papa is Annemarie's moral compass and tactical guide throughout the novel. He frames the concept of collective responsibility by telling her that "all of Denmark" is Ellen's protector, giving Annemarie a framework for understanding why her family acts as it does. His specific coaching about pretending to be a scatterbrained child is the advice she draws on during the novel's most perilous moment, making his guidance directly responsible for the mission's success.
What does Annemarie Johansen learn about her sister Lise?
In Chapter 15, Annemarie discovers that Lise was killed by Nazi soldiers — not in a car accident as she had believed. This revelation transforms her grief into political understanding: Lise shifts from a photograph on a shelf into a silent motivator. Learning the truth fuels Annemarie's determination to act in the novel's climax and deepens her sense of why resisting the occupation carries genuine moral weight.
What does Uncle Henrik tell Annemarie Johansen about courage and knowledge?
After Annemarie delivers the handkerchief packet, Uncle Henrik explains that he deliberately withheld full information from her — "it is easier to be brave when you don't know everything." This honesty reframes the adults' secrecy throughout the novel not as condescension but as a protective strategy. Annemarie internalizes it as a truth about courage itself: acting without complete knowledge can make the act possible.
How does Annemarie Johansen's relationship with Kirsti reflect her own growth?
Kirsti's cheerful innocence — most vividly shown when she admires the German soldiers' shiny boots — serves as a foil that highlights how far Annemarie has matured. While Kirsti remains oblivious to real danger, Annemarie is already performing calm under mortal pressure and carrying life-or-death secrets. Annemarie's instinct to shield Kirsti from a reality she cannot yet comprehend is itself an expression of the protective courage the novel champions.
08·Essay angles
Use this in your essay
Tool · Essay angles