The Safekeep

Compare and contrast The Safekeep to another work about the Holocaust and its aftermath, such as Primo Levi’s memoir The Truce. How does The Safekeep explore the idea of homecoming and identity in comparison to how Levi details his real-life experiences?

Isabel’s internalized anti-gay prejudice operates in conjunction with other forms of intolerance, including her xenophobic response to Sebastian, who originally comes from Algeria. How does van der Wouden relate Isabel’s intolerant attitudes to Dutch society more broadly?

Analyze the role of love and sexuality in the text. How does the novel explore and depict these elements? What role do these elements play in terms of characterization, plot, and/or the illumination of key themes and ideas?

What is the significance of the Biblical quote Isaiah 56:7, which is quoted in Hebrew both on the side of the synagogue and at the end of the text? How does this quote resonate with key themes throughout the book?

Eva’s diary reveals the truth about her identity and details many of her personal experiences during and after the war. What does her diary reveal about the nature of antisemitism in Dutch society? How does her personal story embody key ideas about the Holocaust and its aftermath?

The most closely followed objects in the house are the hare plates, but there are also several other objects addressed that have symbolic significance. Select one. What does this object reveal about the house, its history, and the characters who have lived in it? What role does the object play in the text?

Throughout The Safekeep, a contrast is drawn between the rural setting of the house in Zwolle and urban locations where other events occur, such as the initial meeting with Eva in The Hague. How is each setting characterized? What is the wider significance of each?

The novel has a strong focus on ideas of belonging and security. How does The Safekeep explore these ideas? How does the characters’ understanding of belonging and security change over the narrative?