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The Zookeeper's Wife By Diane Ackerman Sparknotes

1636 Words7 Pages

Analysis of: The Zookeeper’s Wife: A War Story
“I don't understand all the fuss. If any creature is in danger, you save it, human or animal” (Ackerman 113). Compassion is a major theme in the book, The Zookeeper’s Wife:A War Story written by Diane Ackerman and published in 2007. The book tells the true story of a polish couple in WWII who owned a zoo and hid over 300 Jewish people inside their empty cages, closets, and even in their basement. This book is intriguing, has well-developed characters, and informs the reader on how much compassion the Żabiński’s truly had for their friends and community in spite of their religious differences.
Jan and Antonina Żabiński were very kind people with an affinity towards both animals and humans. They …show more content…

Realizing they wanted to do more to help, they decided they could help the Jews and hide them inside the animal cages. Jan and Antonina began sneaking some of the Jews from the Warsaw ghetto, hiding them as guests or relatives or even inside the empty cages. Most people did not want to help the Jews because if they got caught the crime was punishable by death. Antonina would make them feel as comfortable as she could, entertaining them and caring for them. Later, Jan talks to his friend who has access to the inside of the ghetto and begins going in and smuggling Jews out. The guests would be named animal names while the animals would have human names, in case someone unexpectedly showed up. The housekeeper would complain that she didn't know how the family could eat so much food. For the Jewish people hiding with the Żabiński’s they were terrified of every strange noise, whether it was a picture falling off the wall or a clock ticking, for if they were caught it might bring them …show more content…

This fascinating tale of a couple and their lives during WWII, keeps the reader wanting more. With the combination of the story and words from Antonina’s diary, this makes the reader get inside the head of the main character, the reader almost knows what she is going to do next. WWII cost over 72 million lives worldwide, making it one of the most important wars in history. The family saving Jews is just one aspect, with the uniqueness of the family also owning a zoo, separates this story from any other WWII story. Jan and Antonina story shows us that even in the most evil time, there is always good. They were living in a time of death and hatred, but they did their best to save as many lives as they possibly could. This captivating theme makes for a book that the reader does not want to put down. Another major theme in this book, compassion, is what makes the story a

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