Major Conflicts in Murphy’s The True Story of Hansel and Gretel Foreshadowing forces the reader to expect certain events to occur in a novel and therefore he/she continues to read. Louise Murphy’s The True Story of Hansel and Gretel contains many examples of foreshadowing. It is a historical fiction novel based during World War II focusing mainly on the theme of survival. The major conflicts in the novel keep the reader interested because they foreshadow events that will harm the protagonists of the novel. Examples of major conflicts are; Hansel and Gretel are left alone to survive on their own, their father is unable to live with to live with himself because of the decision to leave his children to fend for themselves and the SS Oberführer of village Piaski is out to kill Hansel, Gretel and Magda in revenge of her niece running away from the village. The first major conflict of Hansel and Gretel forced to survive alone during the harsh winter season keeps the reader interested. This man versus man conflict keeps the reader interested because this novel takes place during the winter in a forest and in World War II. First of all, it is unsafe for Hansel and Gretel to be alone in the forest because of their being Jewish, for if they are seen by a Nazi they might be killed. As well it is unsafe for Hansel and Gretel to be fending for themselves during the winter season because it will be difficult for them to find food, shelter, to stay warm, or even stay alive, for example, the lines read: “Gretel knew [Hansel and she] had to find food or else they would die” (11). This quote makes the readers realize that the children are starving and are unhealthy. Hansel and Gretel being alone in the woods struggling to survive keeps the reader interested because it is unnatural for children to be left alone especially under Hansel and Gretel’s circumstances, for example lines read: “[Hansel and Gretel] were starving, they hadn’t eaten in three days” (10). Therefore the readers fear for the safety of Hansel and Gretel, they fear the children may run into troubles such as coming into contact with a Nazi or not finding food. In conclusion, the readers continue to read in hopes of Hansel and Gretel’s safety. Another major conflict is Hansel and Gretel’s father finds it hard to cope with the decision of leaving his children in the woods alone. This man versus self conflict keeps the reader interested and is heartbreaking because the father of Hansel and Gretel finds it hard to live with himself after he leaves his children alone in the woods. Even though the father is having troubles coping with it, this decision is necessary for the safety of his family, for example, Hansel and Gretel’s stepmother tells him: “Leave the children, and we’ll all have a chance” (4), she is ensures their father that it is for the better. This quote gives the father hope that his family will reunite one day. When the father is looking for Hansel and Gretel, he does not find them and is very sad, for example the novel reads: “the [father] shouted until his throat hurt… his [children] must be dead… he was too late” (245). This shows that the father thinks his children are dead; this is an example of dramatic irony because the readers know that Hansel and Gretel are not dead, but their father believes they are. The readers fear he may try to hurt himself in conclusion to his assumption of his childrens’ death, for example he says: “I cannot go on without my children, they are my life” (241), he is comparing his life to his childrens’ life, and since he believes his children are dead, this foreshadows that he might take his own life. Therefore the readers are intrigued and want to continue reading deeper into the book hoping that the father still has hope to find his children. The ultimate conflict in this novel is man versus man- Nazis versus Jews. This conflict is between the SS Oberführer- a Nazi- and Magda’s niece- a Jew- who escapes village Piaski to be free of the Nazi’s rule. In the conflict the SS Oberführer cannot capture Magda’s niece because she has fled and he does not know where she has gone. Therefore the SS Oberführer wants to get revenge on Magda’s niece by killing those dear to her, for example Magda’s niece says to Hansel: “Tell [Magda] to hide in the woods. Tell her to take [you and Gretel] with her. They’ll find me and want to kill her because she is my kin. Run!” (222), as well, the SS Oberführer says: “[Magda's niece] had other family? An old woman? Two children who lived with her? They’re related somehow… send soldiers to get them. They must be killed” (227). The readers are frightened that Magda, Hansel and Gretel will be harmed by the SS Oberführer because of what Magda’s niece has done, and the readers know it will be hard for them to escape being harmed because the SS Oberführer is a highly ranked official who has power over them. Thus, the readers continue to read in hopes that Magda, Hansel and Gretel will be safe and unharmed. Major conflicts in this novel force the reader not to want to put the book down because of what the reader fears might happen in the book due to foreshadowing. Hansel and Gretel being left to fend for themselves, their father not being able to live with himself without his children and the SS Oberführer out to kill Magda, Hansel and Gretel are all examples of major conflicts that make the reader want to continue reading to discover the outcome of the conflicts. In order for you to find out the results of the conflicts in the novel The True Story of Hansel and Gretel, you must read the novel for yourself and release the journey it will take you through. Murphy uses foreshadowing, as well as many other types of literary devices to keep the readers interested, therefore it is hard to put the book down once you have started reading it. Foreshadowing allows the reader to predict what might happen next in a story, and therefore makes he/she continue to read to discover the conclusions of the conflicts.

Work Cited • Murphy, Louise. The True Story of Hansel and Gretel. New York: Penguin Group, 2003