Then

Regarding Once, Morris Gleitzman explains that one of his goals for writing the series was to provide a voice for the innumerable children who had their stories stolen by the Holocaust. Thus, Felix’s adventures in Then continue to serve as a proxy for those children whose stories were never told. Felix’s parents owned a bookstore, so Felix grew up surrounded by literature and storytelling. Richmal Crompton, a British author, is famous for her William and Violet stories, and she is Felix’s favorite author because of her ability to depict the good in people and the strong family ties of her protagonists. In Then, Felix continues his unusual quirk of “praying” to Richmal Crompton for good outcomes in bad situations. This foible is used to portray the profound therapeutic value of storytelling in the midst of real-life tragedy. Indeed, psychologists and therapists often use it as a tool to provide relief for the fragmentation of traumatized people in order to heal their inability to recognize a coherent story in their own lives. It is a proven method for helping those who suffer from trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This aspect of storytelling is clearly demonstrated when Genia urges Dov to draw the story of what happened to him and his family instead of telling it in words.

Felix initially uses his storytelling skills to shield and distract Zelda from the harsh world around them. For example, as they flee from the train, he tells Zelda stories about food and a friendly cook to help her forget about her injured and hurting feet. Even Genia recognizes Felix’s affinity for storytelling and the comforts it can bring. On the first night Felix and Zelda stay with her, Genia asks, “Can you tell an­oth­er one? […] About a Po­lish man who’s forced to go to Ger­ma­ny to work for the Na­zis and who co­mes home safe­ly?” (34). Though she does not elaborate, Felix realizes that she is missing her husband, Gabriek. Genia does not often reveal her inner feelings, possibly so that Felix will not worry about her, but she is suffering as well. At this point, she does not know if Gabriek is alive or dead, and Felix’s story comforts her.

By the end of the novel, storytelling becomes Felix’s main motive for living on, for he knows it is his responsibility to remember those whose stories were cut short. Anger and grief temporarily warps Felix’s character beyond recognition; the gentle boy who could not even kill a rabbit nearly commits to a suicide bombing that would have killed dozens of his enemies. Rather than giving into his rage and seeking revenge, however, Felix ultimately recognizes that he is now the only keeper of Zelda’s life story. All other people who knew her are now gone. Prior to his plan to run away, Felix wrote an account of “[t]he sto­ry of Zel­da and Ge­nia and their lov­ing hearts” and he goes on to say, “It’s the most im­por­tant sto­ry I’ve ever writ­ten, and it’s very easy to write be­cause it’s al­ready come true” (102). This story is the written testimony of Zelda and Genia’s lives: an essential tool for Felix to preserve their memories. By living on and remembering them, Felix can show people what Zelda was like; he can affirm her existence by being the best person he can be and using her story as an example against violence, hatred, and cruelty.