The Keeper of Hidden Books

Janina Steinman is Zofia’s best friend and foil. She is dark-haired, warm, and pretty, and in the early chapters of the novel, she is frequently characterized as “kind and considerate” (10), serving as a contrast to Zofia’s more reserved demeanor. Janina’s giving nature is also reflected in her career goals; before World War II breaks out, she plans to become a teacher. Janina and her family are Jewish. Before Janina and her family are forced to move into the ghetto, Janina and Zofia are constant companions. They are loyal to each other and balance out each other’s strengths.

Janina undergoes a significant transformation wrought by the cruelty and desperation of life in the ghetto under Nazi control. Witnessing the suffering of her family and neighbors, Janina shifts from sharing nurturing sympathy to craving revenge for the many injustices against her and her people. This transformation is reflected in physical descriptions of Janina, for the narrative states, “Janina was still beautiful. […] But now lines creased her brow, premature from so much worry, and her body had wasted away. […] Her eyes, once wide and innocent, now saw the world in starker hues, no longer an opportunity, but a challenge” (332). In Part 3, as Janina and Zofia join the Home Army, Janina speaks again and again of her desire for revenge, and Zofia must remind her that she has positive things to live for, such as her love for her mother and her mother’s need for care. Janina, as Zofia’s foil, experiences a transformation of motivation that directly contrasts with that of Zofia’s; while Zofia is initially motivated by rage and eventually finds that seeking joy motivates her more effectively, Janina is initially motivated by love and eventually develops a need for revenge.

Matka is Zofia’s mother. “Matka” is not her name; instead, this is the formal Polish word for “Mother.” Her name, Jadiza, is only mentioned once or twice throughout the novel. Zofia calls her mother Matka, rather than the more familiar and endearing “Mama,” because their relationship is initially cold and distant, and Zofia believes that her mother has “a demanding air” that demands a “more formal regard as Matka, rather than Mama” (10). Matka is characterized as a confident, capable woman who can also be somewhat hard. This characterization is reinforced by physical descriptions of Matka as neatly dressed and well-polished. When Matka experiences depression after her son leaves to fight and her husband is arrested, her physical appearance changes to reflect her internal distress, and Zofia observes that her “elegantly thin mother was slowly wasting away” (112). Eventually, Matka’s desire to protect her daughter pulls her out of her depression and leads her to a level of warmth and intimacy that she never shared with Zofia before the war. This powerful transformation empowers Matka to offer Zofia the approval and support that her daughter has long craved. Matka’s original coldness is not born out of a lack of affection; instead, it is the result of trauma from her own childhood, which was characterized by a level of parental disregard and neglect. The family’s wartime experiences force Matka to realize that she and her daughter both crave companionship, honesty, and support.