'Un Sac de Billes' Quotes:

C'est celle que je préfère, je la garde toujours celle-là

At the beginning, Jo's only concern is losing his finale marble - his favourite one (Jo)

Dieu merci, j'étais blondinet, moi, avec les yeux bleus et un pif comme tout le monde. Alors c'était simple: le Juif c'était pas moi

Does not understand Jewish propaganda and his relationship to it (Jo)

cette sensation d'impuissance à comprendre

Shift of behaviour after Jo puts on the Yellow Star (Jo)

nous nous battons souvent... En général, c'est moi qui attaque

Shows that the brothers fight like typical brothers (Jo and Maurice)

Maurice m'attrape par la main et m'arrache à la cohue

Shows that Jo relies heavily on Maurice and his resourcefulness, allows Maurice to lead him through Gare du Nord (Jo and Maurice)

il y a quelques jours encore, j'aurais été fou de joie de me trouver dans une situation semblable... et moi, le cow-boy désarmé qui vais franchir le passage à la limite de leur camp

Shows that Jo is trying to embrace the adventure, in spite of his fears, and shows the childish side of him (Chapter 5 - Jo)

nous venions de découvrir le plaisir de nous débrouiller, enfants, dans un monde d'adultes

Shows that Jo is forced to develop his craftiness and self-reliance, says this when he is at the gare Saint-Charles in Marseilles where he must pretend to be the son of a stranger

depuis deux mois que ce trafic durait, nous avions Maurice et moi constitué un trésor secret qui s'arrondissait de jour en jour

Illustrates how the boys are able to earn money and know that they must provide for themselves, they are thriving in the challenge (Chapter 7 - Nice)

je trouvai ma musette sur le lit... et il me sembla en la regardant que je n'étais plus à Nice mais sur la route, marchant sans trêve vers un but que je n'apercevais pas

Shows that Jo is becoming more aware of his fate by recognising the repeated fleeing when he is forced to leave Nice

aboutissait en fin de compte à jeter moi, un enfant, à coups de rien, dans une pièce fermée, me privant du jour, de la liberté, moi qui n'avis rien fait, qui ne connaissais aucun Allemand

Shows how helpless Jo is against the situation and still a sense of naivety, he cannot see what he has done wrong. He cannot win.

(Chapter 8 - when they are in the trap before Hotel Excelsior)

méningite

meningitis

si un obstacle quelconque surgit, nous irons ailleurs, plus loin, à l'est, à l'ouest, au sud, n'importe où. Cela m'indiffère

Shows that Jo recognises his life now, obstacle then go and the repeated cycle (Chapter 11)

je commence à être connu dans le village

Shows that Jo has become more resourceful and independent, forges ration tickets for the local townsfolk (Chapter 11)

jouer aux billes dans la cour de la rue Ferdinand-Flocon,...cela ne m'amuserait plus

The marbles symbolise that Jo has lost his childhood, he has matured past wanting to play with marbles on his return. Robbed (Chapter 11 - Joseph)

j'ai toujours ma musette, je la porte avec plus de facilité qu'autrefois, j'ai grandi

Shows that Jo perceptively recognises his transformation and adaptation to the experience. The perception of an adult (Chapter 11 - Joseph)

arrête de chialer

Shows that Maurice can be impatient with Jo, different levels of maturity (Jo and Maurice)

il avait sa tête des mauvais jours. J'ai eu l'impression qu'il était temps que ça sonne parce que la bagarre n'aurait pas tardé

Shows that Maurice is more aware than Jo at the time, able to tell that the school bell will begin the attacks from classmates (Maurice)

Maurice le regarde fixement. Il ne se laisse pas jamais impressionner par les grands

Shows that Maurice is much more fearless than Jo, he is not intimidated by Raymond, Hagetmau

il avait refait le trajet en sens inverse, repassé huit fois la ligne, ramené quarante personnes et gagné vingt mille francs

Shows that Maurice is an opportunist - earns lots of money when the boys cross the demarcation line.

cet animal m'avait grillé sur le poteau et travaillait déjà chez le boulanger du bas de la rue

Shows that Maurice is first to find a job in Menton, Maurice is quick to always assume responsibility and thrive

il est devenu un dictionnaire vivant, il sait où l'on peut trouver en pleine période de restriction du beurre, des œufs, des cravates

Shows that Maurice is smart, savvy and crafty. He is able to utilise their situation in Nice

il faut s'inventer complètement autre chose, une autre vie

Shows that Maurice is informed and prepared, hears talk of the increased round-up of Jews in Nice and encourages Jo to steal Ange Testi's alibi

ça ira, Joseph? - ça ira

Shows that Maurice is ready in this survival complex to thrive and lead his brother, remains strong a gets their fake story confidently across at the Hotel Excelsior

Te casse pas la tête. Dans deux jours, je serai là. Salut

Shows that Maurice truly love his brother, he is unwillingly to follow Jo's wish that he doesn't return when fetching the baptism papers

les poches bourrées de tout ce qu'il avait pu dérober aux cuisines

Shows that, even though Jo is more independent when they get to R, Maurice still wants to protect him and provide for his little brother

il travaillait avec un chef de rang qui était de la Résistance et écoutait la radio de Londres, les nouvelles étaient bonnes

Shows that Maurice, after the loss of the father, plays the role of keeping the reader informed of the context

ce qui ne fut que justice

Shows that Maurice is cunning and enterprising until the very end, does to sent the money back for the reblochon cheese that he promises to sell in Paris

faut pas qu'il croie que c'est parce qu'il a ces foutus vingt-quartre mois en plus qu'il va me faire la loi

Shows that Jo is sometimes frustrated, like most little brothers, about his older brother exercising authority over him (near the beginning) (Jo and Maurice)

un étrange phénomène

When Jo is reminiscing in the barn of the boys sharing a bedroom, he acknowledges that he felt his brother's absence in the night - showing how extremely close they are

le roi de la rue

Shows how much Jo looks up to his father and how his father is a key part of the community (le pere Joffo)

Papa aux belles histoires, le roi de la rue, papa du crématoire

un héros

Joseph idolises his father, cals him a hero for being able to escape Russia and come to France age 7 (le pere Joffo)

les Russes ne m'ont pas eu à sept ans, ce n'est pas les nazis qui m'épingleront à cinquante berges

le pere Joffo is optimistic or at least, appears to be to reassure the brothers that they can leave knowing their parents will survive (Chapter 3 - le pere Joffo)

vous êtes juifs mais ne l'avouez jamais. Vous entendez: JAMAIS.

When le pere Joffo brutally interrogates them to ensure that they never admit to being Jewish during their escape (Chapter 3)

j'ai pensé plus tard qu'il était inquiet parfois, qu'il regardait souvent sa montre lorsque nous avions du retard

Jo says this about le pere Joffo to show how much le pere Joffo cares for his sons, he worries a lot about them (Chapter 7 - le pere Joffo )

il faut tuer tous les Juifs et tous les cordonniers... c'est justement la question qui n'est pas venue à l'esprit de ce monsieur et c'est la raison pour laquelle cette histoire est drôle

Jews and Shoemakers - joke made by le pere Joffo, to empower his family (Chapter 7)

il n'avait pas manqué une seule soirée

Le Pere Joffo takes responsibility and keeps up to date with the war through listening to Radio Londres when they are in Nice (Chapter 7)

mes enfants, dit-il... il va falloir de nouveau nous séparer

Shows that le pere Joffo is the leader of the household and makes the decision, he decides when they must separate and leave Nice (Chapter 8 - le pere Joffo)

embrasse Maurice et je t'embrasse aussi, bien fort. On va se revoir bientôt à présent

Shows that le pere Joffo is a figure of love and optimism for the boys, he provides them hope

finalement, Hitler aura été plus cruel que le tsar

On his return to France, Joseph reflects on the tragedy of his dad being taken - a devastating lost for the family

(Chapter 11 - le pere Joffo)

nous partons deux par deux

Shows that the successful method of the Joffos is to go in pairs according to their father

comme chaque soir elle est venue vérifier nos dents, nos oreilles, nos ongles

Shows that she has a true maternal instinct, wants to protect every inch of her boys from harm (Chapter 2 - la mere Joffo)

elle sourit avec les lèvres seulement

Shows that she is trying to be a good, positive mother by hiding her fears when she is sewing the Yellow Stars (Chapter 3 - la mere Joffo)

sans discontinuer ses larmes coulaient, je sentis ses joues mouillées contre mon front

Struggles to let her boys leave and cannot hide her emotions from them, shows that she truly loves and is the maternal figure to them (Chapter 3 - la mere Joffo)

je vous embrasse tous. Courage

All she writes in the letter from their father when they are arrested and taken to Pau, simply shows her to love and care for her sons (Chapter 3 - la mere Joffo)

une broche dorée

Present that Jo and Maurice buy their mother for her birthday, to ensure that they show how much they have her - use their trading money (Chapter 7)

vos parents ont dû prévoir un endroit pour se cacher

Clearly show where the brothers get their resourcefulness from, the parents are always prepared and thinking ahead - even when le pere Joffo is arrested

(Chapter 10 - les parents joffo)

Maurice comprit que Mgr Remond avait évité le départ pour Drancy à tous ceux qu'il avait pu

Shows how altruistic Mgr Remond was (gentlemen that forced their exit from the Hotel Excelsior)

vénère le maréchal

Shows how extreme Mancelier was a Pro-Vichy supporter (Mancelier)

c'est que c'est un youpin qui va sauver ta peau

Shows that Mancelier was an Anti-Semite, as shown by his disgrace when Jo admits he is a Jew (Mancelier)