Touch Wood :: English Literature Essays

Touch WoodTouch Wood is found on the authors own life when she was growing as a Judaic girl during the German invasion of France. In 1940, Rene and her family were living in Alsace, France, where nothing ever changed. No unrivaled judge anything unusual to happen. Then one day, a war with Germany is announced on the radio. The Germans wanted to annex Alsace and forced the Jews to leave. France was split into two zones- the Free g everywheren and the German occupied zone. Renes father chose for them to move to Paris, because it is a big city where he can contract work, and also because Renes mother has childhood friends there. So, Rene, her parents, her two younger sisters, and their blind nan move into a crowded apartment in the German-occupied zone. Rene was scotch in Paris when she arrived. She finds that everything seems to be smaller in Paris. Eventually, her new approximation becomes more of a home and helps Rene to miss Alsace a shortsighted less. Renes parents had l eft Poland and then Hungary to find a freer, stop life. They settled in France and thought theyd be safe. Then Adolf Hitler, a German man who hated Jewish people, started trouble all over again. First, seven synagogues were blown up. Then, the Germans created a curfew prohibiting Jews to go during certain hours. Any Jew caught in the street after curfew would be taken as hostage. Also, all Jewish people must wear a Star of David on their shirts. An command is created requiring all Jewish firms to be registered. Then the Jewish are proscribe to go to most public places, and they are only allowed an hour to market shop. Suddenly, their familys Jewish neighbors are being taken away one by one. Renes family becomes fearful. At one point, they have to haze over from the police. Renes parents decide to take action. They have friends who know suffer Superior. They send Rene and her sisters to a Catholic residence in Normandy until the war is over. Their father emphasizes for them not to tell anyone that they are Jewish. When they arrive in Normandy, they find a cozy bedroom, appetizing meals, and friendly people. Rene has to deal with a nosy housekeeper, who could possibly uncover their secret. Rene and her sisters love their new school, which is overmuch more spacious and modern than the one in Paris.