The transformative effects of racism
The most significant theme in Kindertransport is the transformative effects of racism. Adolf Hitler, the leader of Germany, institutionalized racism in his country. He demonized the Jewish people and blamed them for Germany's problems, which caused many German citizens to be racist too. That racism had a drastic effect on Germany. It made its citizens more racist and caused Kristallnacht, a night Jewish people were harassed, beaten, and killed. Jewish children were transported to the United Kingdom for their safety under the auspices of the so-called "kindertransport" laws. In other words, racism changed an entire country's culture and caused a large segment of a country's children to move from their home country to another, radically altering their lives forever.
Being a voluntary orphan
Typically, children become orphans, not voluntarily. However, Eva Schlesinger and the rest of the children profiled in Kindertransport become orphans voluntarily. Together with their parents, the children (who were transported to the United Kingdom under the so-called "kindertransport" system) decided to immigrate to another country and become orphans to escape Hitler's aggression and violence. In times when their child's life is threatened, Kindertransport shows the lengths parents will go to ensure their child's safety. This shows a parent's love for their children and reinforces the strangeness of the situation many found themselves in Germany. In the end, racism is horrific and causes people to make decisions they don't want to have to make.
Loss
Loss is another central theme in Kindertransport. With war and genocide inevitably comes loss. Readers see the characters in the play deal with the loss of their homes, the loss of their families, and the loss of their cultural identity.
Children involved in the kindertransport program lost their homes. They were forced to move from their familiar homes to a new city. They lost their home and were forced to adapt to a new one.
For instance, Eva (the main character and protagonist of the novel) struggles with her separation from her homeland and her family. She feels the impact of both of those losses immensely. She misses her parents and longs to return home. Eva struggles to reconcile her Jewish identity with her new life in England, where she is not as connected with the Jewish community. She wrestles with her feelings of isolation, disconnection, and grief as he grapples with the tremendous loss she has experienced.
