Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses torture and police brutality.

The protagonist, Gerta, grows up over four formative years during the novel. She begins as a member of a happy family, shocked by the creation of the Berlin Wall. Nielsen uses Gerta’s youthful perspective to provide the novel’s context, as people around Gerta must explain what is happening, and she gradually gains an understanding of the dangers around her. Furthermore, by exploring this period of history through a child’s eyes, Nielsen conveys a sense of injustice against innocent people.

It is Gerta’s separation from her father and brother that makes her more critical of the government. She senses the danger of dissent but cannot fully grasp the magnitude of the government’s corruption and malevolence until she experiences it herself. Her character arc therefore follows her learning about the need for Bravery in the Face of Oppression. She learns about corruption and coercion and about how to stand up against it despite genuine risk to her life. The developing tunnel represents her internal growth. Her first moment of digging highlights a newfound willingness to take risks, and the closer the tunnel’s mouth gets to West Berlin, the more Gerta is willing to stand up for what she believes in.