72 pages • 2 hours read
Lois LowryNumber the Stars
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1989A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Chapters 11-13Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 11 Summary: “Will We See You Again Soon, Peter?”
Inside, the coffin has blankets and clothing. Peter hands them out to the people in the room, though they are not good-quality items. For the baby, Mrs. Johansen gives the mother one of Kirsti's nice sweaters. Peter gives the baby a drug to keep it asleep; though the mother doesn't want to, Peter says they can't risk it. Mrs. Johansen gives everyone food, while Peter gives out blankets. Finally, Peter takes out a packet and gives it to Mr. Rosen, saying he has to get it to Henrik no matter what. Mr. Rosen doesn't look in the packet.
The first group leaves the house, including the old man and the woman with the baby. Calling her by her first name, Inge, Peter tells Mrs. Johansen to bring the Rosens in 20 minutes, that he will be gone by the time she comes. Annemarie asks if they will see him again soon, and he says that he hopes so. There is a commotion outside as the old man stumbles, but he is unharmed. Annemarie thinks back to Sabbat and how nice the Rosens looked that night. She thinks about how the Rosens' whole life is back in Copenhagen and realizes the Rosens are going to Sweden. They have left everything behind in Copenhagen, but they still look proud as they start to go.
Chapter 12 Summary: “Where Was Mama?”
Mr. Rosen trips on the loose step outside. Mrs. Johansen explains that they can't use a light, so they have to feel with their feet and be quiet. Ellen hugs Annemarie, telling her that she will be back someday. Annemarie goes back into the house, crying. She looks out the window, trying to follow the path in her mind. It is 30 minutes to the boat, then Mrs. Johansen will come back. Since it is 2:30 now, she thinks her mother should be home by 3:30. She thinks of her father and falls asleep, the light waking her. It is past four. Mrs. Johansen is not home or in her bedroom, only Kirsti and the kitten. Looking outside, Annemarie sees a shape crumpled down—it is her mother in a heap.
Chapter 13 Summary: “Run! As Fast as You Can!”
Annemarie goes outside to check on her mother, who is all right. The Rosens are with Henrik, and Peter got the others to safety. However, on her way back, Mrs. Johansen tripped on a root and broke her ankle. Annemarie helps her mother home, where she will call a doctor. Annemarie tells her it is 4:30, and Mrs. Johansen says that they will sail soon. The two see the packet Peter gave Mr. Rosen on the step, where it must have fallen when he tripped. Annemarie says she will take it. Mrs. Johansen prepares a basket with food to put it in. She tells Annemarie to pretend to be stupid if she is stopped. Annemarie asks what is in the packet, but her mother tells her to go.
Chapters 11-13 Analysis
The changes that have occurred in the lives of the characters are highlighted in these chapters by Annemarie's reminiscences about the life the Rosens have left behind in Copenhagen. Through these reflections, Lowry emphasizes the extent to which the Rosens and the other characters are leaving everything they've ever known and heading into a new life. This raises the stakes of their journey, investing readers in the success of the mission even more. Similarly, the late arrival of Annemarie's mother shows just how easy it would be for the mission to go awry and to fail, as well as the disasters that would occur if it did.
The smaller changes that have occurred in Annemarie throughout the novel culminate as she takes the packet to her uncle. Not only does this require great courage, which she has previously doubted she possesses, but it also demonstrates both to the reader and to Annemarie herself the lengths she will go to for friendship. While previously she displayed bravery in front of the soldiers and in keeping information secret, as the book builds to its climax, Annemarie now must take decisive action that puts her in very real danger. In fact, her bravery is especially highlighted here, as she has to grapple with the idea that her mother has not returned from the mission. In delaying Mrs. Johansen’s arrival back to the house, Lowry shows that the actions these characters are taking to help the Jews carry the possibility of very real, serious consequences. This building of tension and danger makes Annemarie's offer of carrying the packet all the braver.
Finally, Lowry again emphasizes both the safety and the dangers of ignorance in that Annemarie does not know what the packet contains. Her mother believes she is better off not knowing, and there is not enough time to explain. This makes it easier for Annemarie to deliver it with the food, though it also makes it more dangerous. Notably, the reader also does not know what the packet contains nor the risks associated with carrying it any more than Annemarie herself does, increasing the tension as she sets off to deliver it to her uncle.
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