The language of this story is in English, but sometimes incorporates Dutch
and German phrases and names, since it takes place in Holland and Germany.
There are several examples of foreshadowing which frequently present clues
of something that will happen later in the autobiography:
1.) The realization that the people of Haarlem call Casper ten
Boom the Grand Old Man of Haarlem prepares us for his kindly character
and his willing sacrifice of his life to offer aid to those in need.
2.) When Corrie tells us on the day of the anniversary celebration
that she couldn't have known that her kindly old father would end up in
an unmarked grave, it foreshadows Casper's sacrifice of his own life.
3.) When Corrie relates, as she zips to Nollie's house for glasses
for the celebration, that she couldn't have known that she would bicycle
again to that house and not enter it, out of fear of what was going on
there, we are prepared for events that will take place during the Resistance
Movement.
4.) When Willem discovers that Corrie has fallen in love with
Karel, he tells her that Karel's family has plans for him to marry a girl
in his own social class. This prepares us for the day when Karel shows
up at the ten Boom home with his fiancée.
5.) When Karel's letters to Corrie become more and more infrequent,
we are prepared for his decision to marry someone else.
6.) Corrie's recollection of her nephew Peter's musical ability
prepares us for the Sunday morning when he plays on the organ the Dutch
National Anthem, even though it's against Nazi law.
7.) Otto's bullying of Christoffels prepares us for other events
when the ten Boom family and friends come under Nazi attack.
8.) Corrie has a vision of her and her family riding in a wagon
across the main square of Haarlem and they can't get out. This prepares
us for the exact scene after they are arrested and taken away from the
city of their births.
9.) Mietje, a cleaning woman at the police station, comes to
the ten Booms for help in hiding her son. She promises to make it up to
them somehow, some way. This prepares us for how Mietje keeps the family
in touch with Nollie when she is arrested.
10.) Nollie tells the family from prison that nothing will happen
to Annaliese who had been arrested along with Nollie when Nollie refused
to tell the lie that Annaliese was not a Jew. This prepares us for the
news that Annaliese was later able to escape.
11.) The constant practice of drills in case of a raid prepares
us for how the ten Booms end up safe and sound the day Otto comes back
to their shop.
12.) The man from Ermelo makes Corrie feel uncomfortable which
foreshadows that he will be the one who betrays them to the Germans.
13.) Betsie's deep devotion foreshadows the many miracles connected
to her both before and after her death.
14.) When Betsie describes in exact detail the house she wants
to open for the damaged souls of the war, it prepares us for the mansion
Mrs. Bierens de Haan donates to her dream.
15.) When Betsie describes a concentration camp with her and
Corrie in charge, it foreshadows Corrie's opening of the concentration
camp at Darmstadt as another home to heal those damaged by war.
16.) Willem's final words on his death bed that his son Kik was
very well prepares us for the fact that Kik died at Bergen-Belsen, but
was well now with God.
There are also examples of irony which occurs when something happens,
or is seen, or is heard that we may know, but the characters do not, or
that appears opposite of what is expected.:
1.) A guest at the anniversary celebration says that the Germans
will get the hooligans under control in their country, because it is civilized.
This ironic, because Germany will become one of the most uncivilized countries
in history.
2.) It is ironic that Mama, who can only say the words yes and
no after her stroke, is able to sing every word of her favorite hymn at
Nollie's wedding.
3.) Corrie gets up in the middle of one night when there are
dogfights between airplanes going on over their heads. After she has tea
with Betsie, she returns to her bed to discover a sharp piece of shrapnel
on her pillow that would have killed her had she not gotten out of bed.
4.) The man who comes to help build the secret room at the Beje
turns out, as Corrie learned after the war, to be one of the most famous
architects in Europe.
5.) Everyone in the Resistance Movement was known as Mr. or Mrs.
Smit.
6.) Corrie packed a prison bag to help her if she were ever arrested.
But when she really is, she can't take it with her, because it might draw
the soldiers' attention to the secret room.
7.) Mary Itallie is one of the Jews in hiding when the raid finally comes. Their greatest fear is that her asthmatic breathing will give them away, but on the day of the raid, no one hears it.
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Cite this page:
Clapsaddle, Diane. "TheBestNotes on The Hiding Place".
TheBestNotes.com.
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