Essay/Term paper: "touch wood" by renée roth-hano

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Position Papers

³Touch Wood² is based on the author¹s own life when she was growing as

a Jewish girl during the German invasion of France. In 1940, Renée and

her family were living in Alsace, France, where nothing ever changed. No

one expected 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

Zone and the German occupied zone. Renée¹s father chose for them to move

to Paris, because it is a big city where he can find work, and also

because Renée¹s mother has childhood friends there. So, Renée, her

parents, her two younger sisters, and their blind grandmother move into

a crowded apartment in the German-occupied zone.

Renée was disappointed in Paris when she arrived. She finds that

everything seems to be smaller in Paris. Eventually, her new

neighborhood becomes more of a home and helps Renée to miss Alsace a

little less.

Renée¹s parents had left Poland and then Hungary to find a freer,

better life. They settled in France and thought they¹d 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 ordinance is

created requiring all Jewish firms to be registered. Then the Jewish are

forbidden to go to most public places, and they are only allowed an hour

to grocery shop.

Suddenly, their family¹s Jewish neighbors are being taken away one by

one. Renée¹s family becomes fearful. At one point, they have to hide

from the police. Renée¹s parents decide to take action. They have

friends who know Mother Superior. They send Renée 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. Renée has to deal with a nosy housekeeper, who could

possibly uncover their secret. Renée and her sisters love their new

school, which is much more spacious and modern than the one in Paris.

Renée¹s main concern is confusion over her religious identity. They

must convert to Catholicism to perfect their disguise. Their parents

have given permission for Renée and her sisters to be baptized and to

take their first communion. They decide to pray to the Catholic god to

make the war end soon, to help the French and their Allies win the war,

and to protect the Jews.

Renée becomes worried when she hears about the bombing of Paris, but

she was relieved to hear that her parents were not affected. Then thirty

young girls come from Paris to live in the residency where Mother

Superior feels they will enjoy the fresh air and will be able to eat

better than they did in Paris.

Renée¹s life during the war was full of illnesses. First, her sisters

and her suffer from scabies, a contagious disease that their doctor says

he¹s only seen in animals. When their mother comes to visit them, she

must cut Renée¹s hair because of the nits in it. Then Renée is sick in

bed for a month with jaundice. It was a miracle that she recovered from

it. Because her body wasn¹t very resistant after recovering from

jaundice, Renée became infected with impetigo. Somehow she managed to

overcome all of her illnesses.

In 1944, the wine market being used by the Germans to store ammunition

is bombed by the Allies. The fire spreads to several surrounding houses.

Then the residence where they are living is bombed. They must flee their

home. A farmer volunteers for them to live in his barn until they are

safe. German soldiers are very close to the barn, for they can hear the

troops singing. The bombshells are coming from the Germans, who refuse

to surrender, and from the Allies, who continue to advance.

Then two English Allies parachute down to them, reassuring them that

the rest of the troop is on the way. A few days later, Renée and some of

the people who are staying with them go to see what the circumstances

are. They arrive in time to see that the Germans are surrendering.

Renée and her sisters manage to get a ride back to their home in Paris

from a Red Cross car. They arrive home, much to their parent¹s surprise.

Renée becomes very concerned if she is Catholic anymore. Her parents are

very glad to see her and her sisters. Renée is changed forever by her

wartime experiences.