Content Warning: This section of the guide describes depictions of antisemitic discrimination, violence, and genocide in the context of World War II, which feature in the source text.

Family is a complex theme in Then. For Felix, protecting his chosen family is his primary motivation. For Zelda, however, it is a more deeply nuanced subject. Both children have lost their families of origin to the Holocaust and the war; even their surrogate family—Barney and the orphans from Once—have been sent to a death camp. Until they meet and accept Genia as their new caretaker, the two children see each other as the only remaining family they have left. While this bond makes them vulnerable, it also makes them strong as they strike out into the world together, looking for a new source of safety.

Zelda’s character arc is based on her struggle to come to terms with her parents’ status as Nazis. Recapping a discovery that occurred in Once, Felix explains:

Her mum and dad were Na­zis be­fore the Po­lish re­sist­ance killed them […] When I think about my mum and dad be­ing dead, at least I know they were Jew­ish and in­no­cent.