ipl-logo

The Midnight Zoo, By Sonya Hartnett

576 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Main themes seen in the freedom writers

Sonya Hartnett's "The Midnight Zoo," tells the tragic story of two young Romani boys fighting for freedom. This story is set in Czechoslovakia during World War Two. The theme of 'freedom' is explored in many literal and metaphorical ways. Freedom is the motivation for the children when they run away from the invaders who attack their group. Freedom is what the animals in the zoo long for, and freedom is only achieved for the boys and animals when they go to heaven. Andrej and Tomas experience satisfying freedom when they run away from life-threatening danger. In chapter ten, 'The Kite', Tomas and Andrej reveal their traumatic backstory and share how they ended up in their unfortunate situation. It is revealed that their village and family were taken by the Nazi soldiers, tormented, and even killed. A quote that is constantly revisited in the book is 'Run, children!' This quote was first said by Andrej and Tomas's mother. This quote alone has the ability to represent the theme of freedom. The boys instantly escape from the soldiers’ captivity and run for freedom. The boys keep running, traveling, and …show more content…

Near the end of the book, Andrej, and Tomas desperately attempt to help the animals in the zoo escape and set them free. But to no avail, every pitiful attempt to open the cages fails miserably, and the boys are filled with guilt and sorrow. The theme of freedom was shown when the boys informed the animals about the life-changing news, they would finally be free. Even though the animals never gained freedom, Andrej's imagination took them on an unforgettable journey back to their homes in the wild. The imagery used in the end of this book paints a full picture in your head as to how Andrej wants the ending of his story to look. Even in Andrej’s last moments, he still chooses to give the animals their happy

Show More
Related
1044 Words | 5 Pages

The bird lived an imprisoned life, but he was still happy and safe until the women let him be free. The other animals in this story that represent freedom are the horses. As the family is on the train to the internment camps, the girl wakes up from a dream about her father. She looks out the window and spots something. “She pulled back the shade and looked out into the black Nevada night and saw a herd of wild mustangs galloping across the desert”(Otsuka 45).

Read More
1115 Words | 5 Pages

They Cage the Animals at Night is a book written by Jennings Michael Burch in 1985.The book was based on true events that occurred in his life during the late 1940’s and early1950’s. Burch described the hardship of his life from staying at foster institutions and foster homes. They Cage the Animals at Night was not only a depiction of Jennings Burch’s life, but it also showed the way children had to face physical and emotional abuse in the foster care system. A large portion of the book revealed and described the rigorousness that Jennings faced alone. His experience of emotional and physical abuse exposed how children were treated like prisoners.

Read More
1157 Words | 5 Pages

They Cage the Animals at Night by Jennings Burch is a picaresque journey to the heart or even the very soul of humans, and it can be compared to a madman trying to procure peace and tranquility. At every pit stop he makes, his wisdom increases and is affected by others, positively or negatively. Jennings Michael Burch, the young, feeble, and reticent protagonist, is on a crusade to find the true meaning of love, peace, and tranquility which started with him being dissevered from his family and taken from home to home and from institution to institution. Several times he questions himself if it truly is imperative for him to love and if it is worth the loss. Unlike Andy of Tears of a Tiger, Jennings has the courage and selflessness to withstand

Read More
211 Words | 1 Pages

Diane Ackerman's "The Zookeeper's Wife" was a beautifully written text about a wife and husband, Antonia and Jan, who owned a zoo in Poland during the Holocaust. The text explains Antonia’s relationship with the animals, which is not just a normal relationship. As Antonia surrounds herself with something that she loves to do and has a passion for, Imagery shows the effect of the different descriptions that Antonia gives in the passage. Antonia has a very different and special image of animals than somebody who is just observing the zoo, which would have caused her to be different. "

Read More
878 Words | 4 Pages

Night by Elie Wiesel brings back the traumatic events of Holocaust. The true story Night begins with a twelve year old boy named Elie who lives in the small village of Sighet, Romania with his father and mother. His instructor returns from a near death experience and warns them of Nazi aggressors that will soon threaten the peacefulness of their lives. Elie and his father remain calm until they are shipped (with many other Jews) in the spring on a convoy headed for Auschwitz-Birkenau complex, a concentration camp. Elie uses metaphors of “night” to convey darkness, death, and loss of faith used as a symbol for enduring the horrible conditions and traumatic events.

Read More
755 Words | 4 Pages

Decisions do not change your chance. In Night, a Memior written by Ellie Wiesel in 1958, a young boy by the name Ellie Wiesel suffers through the Holocaust with his father Shlomo Wiesel. Ellie Wiesel first experiences the Nazi party after being evacuated from his house and put in a ghetto. At this time Jewish people did not know the motive of the Nazi party. After being in the ghetto for a few months Ellie, his father, his mother, and sister where forcefully taken from their home and put in concentration camps.

Read More
609 Words | 3 Pages

The parents begin to worry because the scene of Africa had been there for a while. They saw lions and heard screams. Leaving them fearful. This can connect to the fact that life is full of fear, we just need to learn how to control it.

Read More
174 Words | 1 Pages

“The Zookeeper’s Wife” by Diane Ackerman reveals the true story of Jan and Antonia Żabiński, two authentic zookeeper’s who risked their lives by being a part of an underground resistance towards Hitler. When all the animals were taken away from the zoo, Jan and Antonia used their free space to hide refugees until safe passage to a new home was discovered. Throughout the book Ackerman relates many experiences to freedom and confinement. Some people believe that animals should not be kept in zoos. Others believe that as long as animals feel like they are in their natural habitat that being in a zoo is acceptable.

Read More
825 Words | 4 Pages

This suggests that even the most civilized individuals can become violent and dangerous when placed in a situation where they must fight for survival. The boys start as innocent children, but their experiences on the island cause them to lose their innocence and become more savage and

Read More
914 Words | 4 Pages

For this book report, I chose to read the book Night. Night was a book written by Elie Wiesel in 1960. The novel’s story is set in Germany during the holocaust which took place in April 1945. During the course of this story, the setting varies from the Transylvanian town of Sighet, to Auschwitz, then to Buna, and lastly Buchenwald.

Read More
489 Words | 2 Pages

The novel, The Kite Runner, tells a story about two incredibly strong and courageous boys, who have to find their way back from a dreadful thing which they thought they could never forget. The two boys are guided by their father, Baba, who is also looking for forgivness in himself. In the end, all of the boys find redemption for their wrongdoings. One of the boys, Hassan, shows extreme courage from the very beginning of the book.

Read More
994 Words | 4 Pages

Life is “trapped” in school. In contrast, the animal in Emancipation: A Life Fable, is actually kept in a cage. Similarly, both have to be patient, to wait for their freedom. For example, at the end of Boy’s Life, Mrs. Neville, the main character’s teacher, keeps the main character after the bell rings, prolonging his wait for summer vacation. In Emancipation: A Life Fable, the animal was born in a cage, and had to wait for most of its life for the day its cage was left open by accident.

Read More
1291 Words | 6 Pages

The slaves lived a hard life at the least, and they risked their lives when they tried to escape. Some escaped, but many did not. Through all their struggles, they never quit, because that one hope of freedom. Frederick Douglas, a famous free slave told the world about his experience in slavery. In this quote he tells the basic mindset of a slave and why they tried to escape “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.”

Read More
1006 Words | 5 Pages

“He was finally free, but there was no joy in his heart. He thought there never would be again. Liberated a day earlier by American soldiers, he remembers their rage at what they saw. And even if he lives to be a very old man, he will always be grateful to them for that rage, and also for their compassion. Though he did not understand their language, their eyes told him what he needed to know—that they, too, would remember, and bear witness.”

Read More
1382 Words | 6 Pages

Martel intended to leave an ambiguous ending that was open to interpretation, but readers are not content with ambiguity and want to find a truth instead of a belief. Readers are encouraged to take a leap of faith and decide what story they believe for themselves, trying to find out what story is true is impossible. The story can never be fully comprehended, there will never be one true story for the novel. There is no one truth, but as soon as a reader believes one story, that becomes their truth. As the Japanese investigators are questioning the authenticity of the animal story, Pi responds, “which story do you prefer” (352)?

Read More

More about The Midnight Zoo, By Sonya Hartnett

Related Topics

Open Document