The Island on Bird Street

This section of the narrative’s rising action emphasizes Alex’s discoveries outside the bunker (what he can observe through the larder’s air vent) and how that information informs his choice to make the daring trip beyond the ghetto’s wall. As such, Chapters 11-15 are juxtaposed with the previous chapter set. While Chapters 6-10 demonstrate how Alex used his Resourcefulness and Ingenuity for Survival to build a safe place for himself to wait out the time until his father arrives, this chapter set showcases his focus on others and especially how he empathizes with people (such as the underground members, the uprising individuals, and the children whom the bully menaces) though he does not know them. This progression from concerns for himself to concerns for others marks a wide swing in Alex’s character arc. Specifically, it shows how he is developing toward increased empathy and maturity and demonstrates key steps in his coming-of-age process.

Structurally, the elapsed time of two months during which Alex becomes familiar with those on the Polish street through his daily observations of them through the air vent is suddenly interrupted by the uprising, symbolizing the unpredictability of wartime. This event also increases the pace and tension of the narrative, particularly with the entrance of Henryk and Freddy as new characters. The author uses these two characters to accomplish plot and character purposes in the novel. For example, Freddy announces that the ghetto will soon be opened to the Polish neighbors, implying that they can commandeer any property they like, now that the Jewish people have been “liquidated” (a word used historically to label the removal of Jewish people from the ghettos). In terms of plot, this increases suspense as Alex feels the effects of a new, worse conflict: specifically, whether he will be forced to move again and how his father will find him. Freddy’s announcement also helps to indirectly characterize Alex when Alex states firmly that he will stay put. Alex is growing in inner strength and courage, evident in his decision to wait for his father despite fear and uncertainty.

While Freddy’s comment ushers in a new plot conflict and increases suspense, Henryk’s sentiments contribute to characterization. His references to “The Land of Israel” and Palestine remind Alex of his mother’s wish for the Jewish people, thematically supporting Longing for Connection. This shows Alex still remembers what his mother believed despite the time that has elapsed, proving that her lessons are lasting. Henryk’s comments also help strengthen the overarching goal of freedom from persecution in the novel, especially when he describes that freedom in terms that Alex can understand and extrapolate: 

You’d walk down a street, for instance, and everyone you saw would be a Jew: the taxi drivers and the coachmen, the porters and the mailmen, the chimney sweeps and the policemen, the children and the doormen—Jews, every last one of them. No one would have to be afraid to go outside […]. No one would make fun of him or pick on him (118). 

This sentiment underscores the characters’ desire for freedom from religious persecution. 

When Henryk talks of “The Land of Israel” (and, synonymously to Henryk, Palestine) in this idealistic way, his references serve as a historical allusion to the part of the world to which the Jewish people feel religiously and culturally connected since antiquity; this term also alludes to “the Promised Land” God gave to Abraham (the first patriarch of the Hebrew people in the Book of Genesis of the Hebrew Bible) and his descendants as a place to live in Genesis 15:18-21: “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites” (The Bible. English Standard Version, Gen. 15.18-21). Henryk and Alex’s mother’s common desire for this homeland represents the shared values and beliefs of Zionism, a movement that originally called for the establishment of a Jewish nation and now refers to the development and protection of Israel. The late 18th century saw the rise of Zionism among Jewish people throughout Europe as they increasingly felt the effects of persecution and looked to Palestine as a potential Jewish state. After World War II ended, the United Nations formed the political state of Israel in the hopes that Jewish people would have a persecution-free homeland. However, the creation of Israel necessitated the occupation of Palestinian territories and the mass displacement, dispossession, and expulsion of Arab Palestinian people from their land and property—often by violent means—as Palestinian towns, villages, and neighborhoods were depopulated and repopulated and renamed by Jewish people (“About the Nabka.” United Nations). The conflict escalated immediately between the Palestinian people and Jewish people due to the newly named state of Israel. Decades of violent conflict, displacement, persecution, border expansion, political changes, and cultural differences—which continue today—have not resulted in the lasting peace or security that Alex’s mother and Henryk speak of and aspire to experience in the novel. Nevertheless, repeated references to Palestine in the text further cement the characters’ Longing for Connection, particularly increased religious connection and protection living among fellow Jewish people.