Reading Journal Post 3: Chapters 7-9

      Anneke and her family are woken up in the middle of the night for a census count in the rain. They stay out there amongst all the prisoners until early in the morning. Anneke finds out through word of mouth that the camp is going to undergo an "Embellishment". The Danish ambassadors are going to inspect the camp and rate its living standards, so the Nazis have decided to add benches, murals, and flowerpots to the streets.

       The census count was a harsh reminder to all prisoners of how horrible the conditions really were. The field was stuffed with over 40,000 people, and people were dropping to the ground in the cold. It was a truly demeaning event. People were starving, cold, uncomforable, and were not allowed to leave or use the bathroom properly. Anneke was angered by the situation, and felt helpless to stop it.

     Anneke finds this Embellishment deceitful and demeaning. She thinks to herself that

...though the camp is being embellished -- there are a few new benches, a playground with three seasaws, the barracks have been cut down so there are two tiers of beds, not three -- only the surface of our world has changed. We are still starving. We are still in danger of being sent on one of the transports. Death still stares us in the eye. (112)

      Anneke is also frustrated that no one else seems to see the mockery the Nazis are making of the prisoners. Her parents try to see the bright side of the situation, and this makes her feel as if they are not being real. Since her dad has to help with the Embellishment by painting murals, shes at first sees him at a hypocrite. Most likely, the adults of the camp have already accepted the fact that everything done by the enemy has a corrupt ulterior motive, and have learned to look past the awful truth and deal with what they have got. Anneke has not reached that stage yet. She still (understandably) sees the dark in all situations.

      The absense of Franticek also takes a toll on Anneke's well-being. She is upset that he is gone, and still thinks about him often. She has deep feelings for him, and she worries about him a lot. She says: "I'm convinced that without Franticek, my world would end. And because I woke up this morning, Franticek must still be alive, mustn't he?" (84) The hope that maybe, just maybe, she will see him again keeps her going every day.