34 pages • 1-hour read
Resist: A Story of D-Day
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Chapters 1-6Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of physical abuse and death.
Chapter 1 Summary: “Nazis in the Night”
Samira Zidane is 12 years old and works with her mother as a spy for the French Resistance, relaying messages and aiding in various efforts. Samira stands in the street after curfew, knowing that her black hair and brown skin stand out to the Nazis. Her companion is a white terrier she named Cyrano. Samira sees five Nazi officers come out of a tavern, laughing, and knows she has seconds to hide. She ducks into a nearby doorway, where she finds a boy.
Chapter 2 Summary: “Cabbage Heads”
Startled at first, Samira quickly realizes that, like her, the boy is hiding from the Nazis. His face shows signs of starvation, and Cyrano likes him right away. The boy calls the Nazis “cabbage heads,” criticizing how they act as though they own the world. Samira thinks to herself that, in a sense, they do. The Nazis start heading toward where Samira and the boy are hiding.
Gratz explains that German forces invaded France in 1940, placing northern France under full Nazi control, while southern France was under partial Nazi control. German forces spent those years militarizing the country. Samira and her mother live in Normandy in northern France, which on this very day will be the site of an invasion by Allied forces from the US, the United Kingdom, and Canada.
Chapter 3 Summary: “Pee Break”
Samira stands in the corridor with the boy as the intoxicated Nazis walk closer, singing and laughing loudly. Samira worries about her mother, who was captured and taken to a prison in a nearby city called Bayeux; she also worries that she, too, may be captured. Samira was headed for Bayeux when she encountered the group of Nazis; she hopes that the Allied invasion will distract them enough to give her safe passage. She hopes that the Nazis don’t defeat the Allied forces before they even reach the shores of Normandy. When the boy pulls out a pistol, Samira knows the situation is about to become desperate. She decides to use her acting skills.
Chapter 4 Summary: “On Stage”
Samira steps out of the shadows, pretending to have closed the door behind her, and lets Cyrano run free. Cyrano begins barking at, nipping at, and even peeing on the soldiers, and Samira tells them she doesn’t know German. She lies and says she had to take her dog outside to relieve himself, and the soldiers believe her story. They warn her not to be out after curfew again, and Samira manages to fool them one more time by sending them in the wrong direction. Afterward, Samira learns that the boy’s name is Lucien and that he also works for the Resistance. She invites him to come with her to rescue her mother.
Chapter 5 Summary: “Independence”
Lucien explains that he’s already on a mission to cut the telephone lines so that the Germans can’t call for support. He assures her that the invasion will succeed, warns her to stay off the roads, and goes, leaving Samira alone with Cyrano again. Cyrano and Samira united when both of their families were captured, and the two have been together ever since.
Samira heads through some cow pastures and sees parachutes dropping from the sky. Comforted by the presence of the Allied forces, Samira holds onto hope that not only will she and her mother survive, but they might even move back to Algeria one day. She hopes, too, that Algeria will be freed from French rule after the war. Samira observes a parachute heading toward some trees across the field. It crashes, and Samira runs to check on the person hanging from it. All the while, the sounds of gunshots and explosions fill the air.
Chapter 6 Summary: “Dead or Alive”
Samira finds the parachutist stuck in a tree and calls up to him. When he doesn’t respond or move, she carefully climbs the tree, hoping the man is still alive. As she gets closer to the parachutist, she realizes it isn’t a man at all but a dummy.
Chapters 1-6 Analysis
The exposition introduces Samira Zidane, a 12-year-old girl working as a spy for the French Resistance during the German occupation of France in World War II. Samira’s mixed French-Algerian heritage sets her apart from others and creates tension, as she knows the Nazis will view her as “inferior” based on her heritage and appearance. The constant threat of the Nazis is a central motif throughout the story, as Samira moves in and out of danger, attempting to reach her mother and save her life. Her dog companion, Cyrano, is symbolically important as a representation of Resilience and Resistance Against Oppression, a theme the novella introduces in these chapters. Cyrano often shows his disdain for the Nazis by barking at them, biting them, and even urinating on them. Samira observes that he “[seems] to hate Nazis more than [she does]” (1).
The action begins on the streets of Normandy, just before dawn on June 6, 1944, D-Day, an important day during World War II when soldiers from many countries, including the US, Britain, and Canada, landed on the beaches of Normandy, France, to fight the German army. This was the start of the effort to free France and end the war. Samira’s mission is revealed as she hides from German soldiers, skillfully evading them. The text describes her agility by noting that she’s as “quick and quiet as a fox” (2), which suggests that she just might succeed in her mission.
Brief, suspenseful moments build the tension in these chapters. For example, when Samira hides from Nazi officers, it’s unclear how she’ll escape if she’s caught. The short chapters and rapid pacing help maintain a sense of urgency and danger. Similarly, the parachute symbolizes both hope and danger. As Samira watches a parachute descend, the narrator describes, “All the other parachutes looked like little mushrooms in the clouds, but this one was as big as a tree, and the dark silhouette of a man dangled from the bottom” (13). Gratz’s writing style is direct and simplistic. The writing focuses on action and suspense, without unnecessary details, creating a tight narrative. The interaction between Samira and the other characters is brief but effective, allowing their personalities and motivations to come through in quick scenes. For example, Samira’s quick thinking is apparent when she evades the Nazis, hiding and moving silently: “Samira jumped the two steps up to the doorway and darted into the small sliver of shadow where the Nazis wouldn’t see her” (2).
Samira’s role as a spy and her youth are important parts of her characterization. Despite being only 12 years old, Samira is courageous and capable, illuminating another of the novella’s themes: Hope and Persistence in the Face of Crisis. She takes on tasks that would be difficult and terrifying for anyone. She often must act beyond her years to protect herself and others. When she encounters Lucien, another young resistance fighter, the two characters connect over their mutual struggle, and Lucien even makes light of their situation, calling the Nazis “cabbage heads.” The contrast between their youth and the gravity of the war highlights their courage.
Samira and her mother’s experiences as French-Algerians in France during World War II reflect the complexities of colonialism and racial discrimination. French-Algerians, who were often descendants of Algerian immigrants or settlers, faced prejudice and were treated as second-class citizens by both the French and the Germans during the occupation. Samira’s description of how she and her mother are marginalized demonstrates this reality. Her mother has instilled in Samira hope for Algeria’s independence from French colonial rule and a future where her people can build a new nation free from oppression. Historically, the Algerian struggle for independence was a major issue for France. The Algerian War of Independence (1954-1962) eventually led to Algeria gaining freedom from France, but this occurred years after the events depicted in the story. In the context of the war, Samira’s longing for a better future reflects the broader desire for liberation that many colonized people and nations shared. At the time of the story, France itself was under German control: The northern region, including Normandy (where Samira lives), was fully occupied. The Allied invasion of Normandy in 1944, which marked a turning point in the war, creates the backdrop for Samira’s story.
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