Essay Questions

Who are the three most important people in David’s life?

David is only twelve years old when he finds himself at a concentration camp. He has no idea why he is there and he does not know where his parents are. The first person who comes to David’s life on a positive note is the commandant who ensures that he gets enough food and other necessities. However, David has no idea why the commandant is so humane to him as compared to other prisoners. Later, the commandant organizes an escape plan for David and gives him directions on how he will end up in Copenhagen. The second most important person is Maria, the girl he saves from a burning barn. Through Maria, her parents accept David to live with them. Despite living there for a short period, he found relief, food, and shelter at Maria’s home. When he heard Maria’s parents discuss him, he left the home secretly to proceed with his journey. The third most important person in David’s life is Sophie. Through his communication with Sophie, David realizes that his mother is still alive and he understood why the commandant cared for him and later organized an escape for him. The three people mentioned played a significant role in helping David discover his identity.

What is the role of King in the book I Am David?

King is the God-sent dog that became the best friend of David while he was working as a prisoner for a farmer in the mountains. King became very loyal to David and they ended up being best friends. Despite the mistreatment from the farm owner, David found solace with King. David was, however, thankful despite the mistreatment because he was getting food and shelter. At some point, David dug a tunnel in which he escaped with King and headed to East Border. At the border, David met German border guards. King diverted their attention and David got an opportunity to escape towards German. Therefore, Anne Holm uses the dog King as a guardian angel of David.

Which Role does Sophie play in helping David unite with his mother?

Sophie is an artist who has done painting jobs for many years. When David meets her, he asks questions about the woman who is painted on a portrait. Sophie tells him that it is a woman whose spouse and a child called David was murdered in a concentration camp. He tells him that that woman had an affair with the commandant who organized her escape from the camp. It, therefore, dawned on David that his mother was still alive in Copenhagen and he comes to terms why the guard helped him and gave specific directions to lead him to his mother. When David arrives in German, he looks for his mother's address and lastly he unites with her.