Girl in the Blue Coat Character Analysis

Hanneke Bakker

Hanneke Bakker is the protagonist of Girl in the Blue Coat. She is a young woman in her late teens who takes on the responsibility of providing for her Mama and Papa after Nazi… read analysis of Hanneke Bakker

Amalia

Amalia is the best friend of Mirjam, the missing Jewish girl Hanneke is trying to find. After Mrs. Janssen employs Hanneke to find Mirjam, Hanneke discovers Mirjam’s friendship with Amalia and the importance that… read analysis of Amalia

Mirjam Roodveldt

Mirjam Roodveldt is a Jewish teenager whose disappearance Hanneke is tasked with investigating. Her family was friends with Mrs. Janssen’s late husband, who died trying to help them. This prompted Mrs. Janssen to take… read analysis of Mirjam Roodveldt

Ollie Van de Kamp

Ollie Van de Kamp is Bas’s older brother who befriends Hanneke and introduces her to Amsterdam’s underground resistance. He and his friends Judith, Willem, Leo, and Sanne are members of an… read analysis of Ollie Van de Kamp

Elsbeth

Elsbeth is Hanneke’s former best friend. Before the events of the novel, Hanneke and Elsbeth loved each other dearly, and Hanneke often remembers time she spent with Elsbeth. However, Hanneke broke off the friendship… read analysis of Elsbeth

Sebastian “Bas” Van de Kamp

Bas is Hanneke’s late boyfriend. He died fighting against the German occupation before the events of the story. Throughout the novel, Hanneke wrestles with her grief for him throughout the story, and she frequently… read analysis of Sebastian “Bas” Van de Kamp

Mina

Mina is Judith’s younger cousin who befriends Hanneke. As a former classmate of Mirjam’s, Mina is able to give Hanneke an impression of the girl Hanneke is searching for. Like Judith, Mina is… read analysis of Mina

Judith

Judith is a friend of Ollie’s and a member of his resistance group. She is Jewish, which means she risks even more danger than the other members of the group. Indeed, she eventually she… read analysis of Judith

Mama/Gerda Bakker

Mama is Hanneke’s mother. Though Hanneke is only a teenager, she takes on a parental role toward her own parents. She provides for the family financially with her work in the black market, and… read analysis of Mama/Gerda Bakker

Papa/Johan Bakker

Papa is Hanneke’s father. He is partially paralyzed from his time fighting in World War I, which is part of why responsibility for providing for the family falls to Hanneke. Like Mama, Papa… read analysis of Papa/Johan Bakker

Mrs. Janssen

Mrs. Janssen is an elderly woman who employs Hanneke to find Mirjam. Shortly after Mrs. Janssen loses her youngest son to the war, her husband dies trying to help the Roodveldts hide from the… read analysis of Mrs. Janssen

Christoffel

Christoffel is an errand boy who occasionally works for Mrs. Janssen. He is also friends with Mirjam and Amalia. Amalia’s jealousy for Christoffel’s romantic interest in Mirjam inspired Amalia to betray Mirjam, thus… read analysis of Christoffel

Mrs. de Vries

Mrs. de Vries is a wealthy woman and one of Hanneke’s clients for black market goods. Hanneke initially regards Mrs. de Vries with disdain due to Mrs. de Vries’s wealth and privilege. However, when… read analysis of Mrs. de Vries

Minor Characters

Mr. Kreuk

Mr. Kreuk is an undertaker who employs Hanneke to deliver black market goods to clients. As such, he enables her to provide for her family, though the nature of the work contributes to Hanneke’s increasing cynicism and lack of faith in other people.

Willem

Willem is Ollie’s friend and roommate, and a member of his resistance group. Ollie is secretly in love with Willem, but he must hide his affections due to the homophobia of the time period and the additional danger of the Nazis’ violence against gay people.

Leo

Leo is a friend of Ollie’s and a member of his resistance group.

Sanne

Sanne is a friend of Ollie’s and a member of his resistance group.

Rolf

Rolf is a Nazi soldier and Elsbeth’s husband. Elsbeth’s relationship with Rolf led to the end of her friendship with Hanneke.

Tobias Rosen

Tobias Rosen was a classmate of Mirjam and Amalia’s, and the object of Mirjam’s affections. Hanneke’s grief for Bas initially leads her to believe that Mirjam fled her hiding place to be with Tobias.

Girl in the Blue Coat Characters