When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit

The Challenges of the Refugee Experience continue to be explored through the family’s struggles, particularly in their difficulties in fitting into French life. Max loathes being different; he is embarrassed by his struggle to grasp French and hates looking different from his peers, disliking the “German satchel” (116) he carries around. Max’s German satchel is an unwanted symbol of his foreignness; it differentiates him from his peers and he resents it for this reason. Eventually, the family starts to adjust to life in Paris after a few months there, with Anna observing that Max looks “exactly like a French boy” with “a scarf dashingly tucked into the collar of his jacket and his hair brushed in an unfamiliar way” (127).

Papa struggles with feelings of shame at being unable to provide for his family in the same way he could in Germany. He sees the impact of his struggle to find consistent work in his children’s old clothing, which shames him. Anna tries to manage her father’s disappointment about her outgrowing her clothing: “She wanted the new clothes but she did not want Papa to feel badly about them. She tugged on her skirt to make it look longer” (135). His disappointment is illustrated in his tired face and admission that Anna looks “a bit needy.” Anna notes that he appears “very tired” (135) while making this admission, which alludes to how much stress Papa is under.

Papa also has residual trauma after his escape from Germany, embodied by his nightmares: “[H]e always dreamt the same thing—that he was trying to get out of Germany and was being stopped by the Nazis at the frontier. Then he woke up shouting” (117). Papa is still haunted by his close call in fleeing Germany, especially with the news that friends and colleagues are now imprisoned in Germany, reminding him of The Threat of Antisemitism. Papa’s distress traumatizes Anna in turn: “Anna always heard him and it distressed her dreadfully” (117). Judith Kerr explores the residual trauma and stress experienced by those fleeing from persecution, with Papa’s nightmarish flashbacks reflecting how the fear and pain is often ongoing.

The Nazi’s genocidal program did not distinguish between those who identified as Jewish due to ancestry and those who actively practiced cultural and religious Judaism. Onkel Julius, who in earlier chapters explained that he had only one Jewish grandparent, tells Anna in a letter to “Aunt Alice” (i.e., Papa), “I think of her often, and of her good advice which I should perhaps have taken” (110). Papa explains that this mention of unheeded “good advice” refers to how Papa “told [Onkel Julius] to leave Germany” (111). This suggests that Onkel Julius is experiencing antisemitic persecution in Nazi Germany even though his Jewish identity is relatively tenuous. The Threat of Antisemitism is implied in Onkel Julius’s stated regret, reflecting how the situation in Nazi Germany is getting even more dangerous.

The family continues to demonstrate The Importance of Resilience as they overcome their challenges. The family’s comparative poverty, after their life of plenty in Berlin, requires continual adjustment. When Francine produces a games compendium, Max reflects, “[W]e had to leave [our own games compendium] behind […] I expect Hitler plays with it now” (138). The children face significant disappointment in constantly recalling the things that were taken from them through the Nazi’s property and possessions seizure. Their stoic acceptance of their situation is characterized in their playing with Francine “all afternoon” (139) regardless of the painful memories evoked by the sight of a games compendium that is not theirs.

Similarly, Anna worries about Christmas, but the family bands together to create a special, albeit modest, celebration. The tree isn’t as large or as well-decorated as their one in Berlin, but “it looked so pretty, shining green and silver” that “Anna suddenly knew that Christmas would be all right” (110). Furthermore, their “presents were modest compared with previous years, but perhaps because everyone needed them more they enjoyed them just as much” (110, emphasis added). Anna concludes that the most important thing is that the family is together, and she draws strength and cheerfulness from this in lieu of their previous wealth.

The family also resiliently copes by embracing the exciting and novel aspects of life in a new country: “[T]he children learned to enjoy all sorts of foods they had never even heard of before” (142). The thrill of experiencing the joys of Parisian life is also illustrated in Papa’s and Anna’s smiles as they go walking on a spring day, as the city is newly alive with sunshine, flowers, and al fresco dining: “Papa smiled back and Anna knew that he was thinking how lovely it was to be spending this spring in Paris” (142). Once again, Papa is a reminder to Anna of the fun and exciting aspects of living abroad. Papa’s example helps her to enjoy her life, rather than focusing solely on the differences between France and Germany and her struggles with the language. Meanwhile, Anna’s improved French is noted by Madame Fernand. These incidents all demonstrate how the family confronts their challenges and continues to grow through them.