Theme of Family in A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen Literary Analysis Example

Some people feel that they need family to make them feel whole. The book A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen is about a girl named Gerta and her family. Her family is divided overnight with the rise of the Berlin Wall. Gerta, her mother and brother Fritz live on the eastern side of the wall. While her father and middle brother go to the west in search of work but are unable to return home. She and her brother Fritz take a risk of running to freedom under the wall getting the idea from their father. Never give up on your family because with them you may feel whole. 

In the beginning we learn that the Berlin Wall goes up separating Gerta from her father and brother. Gerta, her mother, and her brother Fritz are at the fence dividing West and East Berlin. Looking through the crowd of protesters to try to see her brother Domonic and her father. They end up not able to see or find them amongst the crowd and Gerta starts to feel her father and brother have forgotten about them. On page 14, Gerta feels that her father has forgotten about her. “I kept staring, though every time I saw a face that almost was my father, my heart broke a little more.”  Gerta is angry at her mother because her father is gone and her mother can’t even talk about them. They both miss them so much that it seems that their only emotion they know is anger. Both of them just wanted her father and brother to be home.   On page 36, Gerta wants to be with her father and all she could feel sometimes was anger. “I didn’t want to be angry, but sometimes it was the only emotion I understood. I missed my father singing to me at bedtime and the earthy smell of his coat before he left for work each morning.”Gerta and the rest of her family in East Berlin miss her brother and father. 

In the middle of the book we learn that Gerta and Fritz are willing to take a great risk to rejoin the rest of their family. After Gerta sees her father do a dance that resembles digging and receives a picture from him of a building near the wall she realizes that he wants her to dig. She believes that he wants her to dig under that wall. So that her family can be reunited. 

On page 106, Gerta thinks her father wants her to dig under the Berlin Wall.  “He wanted me to tunnel into the west. To freedom. To him.”Gerta goes out to steal a pulley for the digging her brother and her are doing. While Gerta is away Fritz is worried sick about her.  On page 156, Fritz becomes worried sick about Gerta. “He grabbed me into a hug, his stiff finger digging into my back to communicate the worries still trapped inside him.” Gerta is willing to take great risks to ensure she makes it to the west to see her father and brother. 

In the end Gerta and Fritz’s tunnel succeeded. Gerta and Fritz tunnel meets with their father’s tunnel. Both of their tunnels are unstable, Fritz and his father are trying to fix it. However if the tunnel collapses their father doesn’t want them in there so he makes them leave. On page 259, Gerta’s father wants to protect his family so he makes them leave the tunnel. “Whether we would ever see our father again. Or ever again have a chance at freedom.” Pg 259 Gerta and other people she told about the tunnel come through the tunnel making their way slowly to the west. Her father helps her through and after seeing his figure all her memories come flooding back. On page 307, the memories of her father come flooding back to Gerta. “Once on the other side, I was immediately caught in my father’s tear-stained embrace.” Gerta and her family are together and reunited once more. 

That one could argue that you can accomplish things on your own without the need for family. However in the book this is proven wrong because Gerta risks her life to try and reunite with her father and brother. She tunnels under a wall meant to keep people in, breaking several rules, and almost gets shot while trying to escape. This happens all because she wants to be with her father and brother. If you give up on family like by not giving them another chance you may feel guilty. Gerta breaks many rules but she breaks the biggest one by tunneling under the Berlin Wall to West Berlin so she can be reunited with her father and brother. Gerta misses her father so much she is willing to risk her life trying to make her way back to her father. You should never give up on your family because they may make you feel complete.