Much of what I learned about what my father endured in the Jappenkamps came from accounts of children who were older when they were sent to the camps, and I’ve listed those books at www.thiefofglory.com, along with the few photos that exist in our family archives, the letter about my grandfather, and my grandmother’s description of the best birthday present she received, during her years in camp.
I was brought to tears by a video that you will find at the Thief of Glory website via a YouTube link to the footage of the most infamous of these camps—Tjideng Internment Camp. While the footage shows the considerably better conditions of post liberation, it was the closest I could come to understanding those three years of my father’s boyhood.
I was also touched deeply when my research about cleft palates led me to the “before” and “after” photos of children whose lives are transformed by Operation Smile, where we can help bring new smiles and joy and hope to children like Adi, a character who really came to life for me during the writing of the story. (www.operationsmile.org/sigmundbrouwer)
My grandmother, Grietje, with her children, posing for a photo in Holland in 1946 after arriving by ship. My father, Willem, is on the far right.
Tenko (roll call). Used with permission of KITLV/Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies.
My grandparents, Simon and Grietje, having a quiet family moment in the house in Magalang.
My grandfather, Simon, before the war.
Soldier 3602: My grandfather’s grave site in what was then Burma, showing the KNIL for Koninklijk Nederlands Indisch Leger, the Royal Netherlands Indies Army.
My father, Willem, at age four on the steps of his house in Magalang on the island of Java.
Gerda and Willem Brouwer, my parents.
READERS GUIDE
1. What is thematic significance of the book’s title Thief of Glory? The phrase is mentioned only once, at the end of the novel when Jeremiah says, “Against any horror that we may face in this world, and in the face of knowledge that for each of us time is a thief of glory, what matters most and what gives meaning to our lives and deaths is love and hope.” What, then, is the meaning of this phrase to Jeremiah? What is the meaning of it to you? In what ways was time stolen from various characters in this novel? What “glory” is out of reach for the characters?
2. Discuss the living conditions in the Jappenkamp. Which element was most horrifying to you? Which scene, if any, held the most hope?
3. At the beginning of the novel, Jeremiah remarks about Georgie, “Georgie had no idea how easily I had taken control of the situation. But then, I had no idea of the extent of his cruelty and preference for inflicting pain. Yet.” To what extent is this an adequate characterization of Georgie? How would you expand upon Jeremiah’s observation? When meeting Georgie again in the present-day part of the story, has your perception of him changed? Why or why not?
4. Jeremiah’s mother, Elsbeth, suffers from an unidentified mental illness that Jeremiah’s father says is “no more her fault than catching a fever.” Her illness often caused her to retreat to her bedroom for long periods of time. On the day the Japanese arrive to take the rest of the family to a Jappenkamp, Jeremiah discovers that Elsbeth had drawn intricate sketches during those reclusive times. What images did he see in these drawings? What meaning do they hold for Jeremiah?
5. Identity is a key concept in Thief of Glory since a number of characters and groups are displaced and trying to assimilate into one or more cultures. Prior to the opening of this story, Indonesia had been a Dutch colony for nearly 350 years. Where in the story do you see this struggle for identity? How do the Dutch and the Indonesians view one another in this novel? What stereotypes are present? What elitist attitudes among the Dutch are described?
6. Only a very young boy when the story begins, Pietje is the last of the Prins children. Describe his character at the beginning of the novel. Why does he respond so well to Jeremiah? Discuss how he and Jeremiah react to their experiences in the Jappenkamp. What reaction did you have to Pietje’s adult lifestyle in the “underbelly” of Amsterdam, smoking opium?
7. Consider the native Indonesian characters in Thief of Glory: the djongos in the Prins household; the launderer who hires Pietje and Jeremiah; Adi and his parents, Sukorno and Utami; the extremists who raid households for furniture; the radical pemuda—young soldiers in the independence movement; and others. What do these characters and voices add to the novel?
8. Freedom is an underlying desire of many characters and groups in the novel. Identify those who desire freedom and why. Also discuss the avenues to freedom that exist in the novel, such as Jeremiah’s “pipeline to freedom.”
9. Much of Thief of Glory is about power. Political unrest is a driving force in the novel, and in the midst of war, many characters crave, gain, and/or lose power. Why is power so important to the female characters in the Jappenkamp? Compare how and why certain forms of power are desirable to certain female characters and not to others. How much are they willing to sacrifice for it? And, when they finally have it, what do they do with it? Consider these characters when answering: Dr. Eikenboom, Laura Jansen, Sophie Jansen, Elsbeth Prins, Mrs. Georgina Ruth Smith, Mrs. Baker, Mrs. Schoonenburg.
10. Were you shocked when it was revealed how Jeremiah’s mother died? How did it change your opinion of Jeremiah’s character? How did this act affect Pietje? How do you think it does, or will, affect Laura? What does Jeremiah mean when he says he was “rescued from my past and present and future” by Rachel?
11. Adi’s cleft palate ostracizes him from people of every nationality. He knows that his speech and appearance scare children who think he is a “monster” and that many adults prefer to avoid him. However, Adi becomes a lifeline for the women and children in the Jappenkamp. What symbolic role does his character serve in Thief of Glory? What contradictions does he bring to light?
12. Identify where Christianity is evident in Thief of Glory. How do certain characters interpret or apply their Christian faith while in the Jappenkamp? Discuss the underlying ideas about good versus evil in this novel and at this point in history. Have these ideas changed at all? If so, how?
13. When Sophie Jansen volunteers to take Elsbeth’s punishment and receives a terrible beating from Commander Nakahara, her sacrifice could be seen as a parallel to the crucifixion of Jesus. Would you agree? What is significance of the next day’s “zodiacal light” or false dawn?
14. What role does Jeremiah’s father serve in the story? How is the father/son relationship portrayed and what impact does it have on Jeremiah? On Jeremiah’s half brothers? On Pietje? Take into consideration Jeremiah’s description of his father as a “strict disciplinarian” who “detested whining or excuses in any form” and displayed “unemotional severity.”
15. Why do you think the author chose to include marbles in the story, particularly Jeremiah’s fascination with them? Describe Jeremiah’s prized marble and explain its significance. Based on the type of marble player Jeremiah is, what do you think he believes about calculating risks and taking chances? Do you think the games serve as a vehicle for making sense of his environment and circumstances? If so, how?
For an extended Readers Guide, visit www.thiefofglory.com
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