Hana's Suitcase

The artwork that survived from Theresienstadt is a critical artifact from the Holocaust and is preserved in many museums internationally. The artwork has allowed scholars and historians to preserve information about thousands of children that might have remained buried with the Holocaust. The artwork is a reminder of the lives lost and those culpable, highlighting The Importance of Reckoning With the Past. Additionally, the artwork serves as an important counternarrative to the oppression and horrors that Jews faced; the secret school and the drawings and paintings by young children show the intense ways adult Jews sought to preserve young peoples’ emotional stability. The adults’ actions fostered Children’s Resilience in the Face of Oppression. While the living conditions at Theresienstadt were dire, with low food rations and packed apartments, talented adults spent significant energy educating the youngest among them and preserving their art to bear witness. The fact that Hana’s art was included in the many pieces from Theresienstadt is an important factor in Fumiko’s ability to find out more about Hana’s life and is a catalyst for the remaining discoveries.

Though Hana’s Suitcase is a nonfiction text, Levine uses important details to characterize Fumiko. In each chapter about her, Levine describes the many dead ends she faces before moving forward. Levine also includes the interactions between Fumiko and the children at the museum, making it clear how important these relationships with the young people are to Fumiko. These moments, among others, establish the importance of her perseverance and empathy, allowing her to push past obstacles and learn more about Hana Brady. Without Fumiko’s dedication, Hana and George’s story might have remained hidden forever.

This section deals with one of the most traumatic experiences in the text: the arrest of both Brady parents. George and Hana will never see their parents again, and it happens early in their story, foreshadowing worse things to come. The loss or absence of one parent is a notably difficult childhood experience; losing both parents profoundly impacts a child as young as Hana or George. In historical analyses of the Holocaust, separating families was a tool to control people and force them into submission. This is shown through the Brady family’s experience: Once Father and Mother are gone, Hana and George are vulnerable and go along with what happens to them. This is not a character flaw but a result of their long-term, overwhelmingly oppressive circumstances. Levine deals with this subject carefully, showing the emotional impact such an event might have.