Johanna’s aunt, a German immigrant, whom Captain Kidd and Johanna meet after a long journey through Texas. Quiet and deferential towards her husband, Wilhelm, Johanna is harsh in her few words to Johanna and insistent that she give up her Kiowa manners immediately. It’s clear that she wants to adopt Johanna to have an extra hand in the house, not to care for as a daughter.
Get the entire News of the World LitChart as a printable PDF.
Anna Character Timeline in News of the World
The timeline below shows where the character Anna appears in News of the World. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 19
...a Catholic church, and when the Captain asks for directions he learns that Wilhelm and Anna Leonberger live fifteen miles outside the town. He doesn’t tell anyone he’s delivering their captive...
(full context)
...man on horseback, Captain Kidd asks him to ride ahead of him to Wilhelm and Anna’s farm, and inform them that he’s bringing Johanna home. The man is startled and overjoyed...
(full context)
...Kidd introduces himself and hands over Johanna’s official papers, given to him by the military. Anna comes to stand silently beside her husband as he carefully reads the papers. When Captain...
(full context)
Chapter 20
...coffee, Johanna squats warily in a corner, examining all the strange objects in the house. Anna tells her sharply to get up, but Johanna just looks away.
(full context)
...horrible episode. They also cut Johanna’s little sister’s throat and hanged her in a tree. Anna looks at Johanna sternly and asks if she is glad to return “from the savages.”
(full context)
...and adopt their ways. They have no children, only a nephew working far away, and Anna needs a lot of help in the house. Captain Kidd explains that Johanna believes she...
(full context)
...before, whose name is Adolph, sits beside Captain Kidd and remarks neutrally that Wilhelm and Anna work very hard. In fact, the nephew who once lived with them left home because...
(full context)
...Adolph simply shrugs. No one from the town will intervene in what is seen as Anna and Wilhelm’s private business. The Captain acknowledges that things are similar among the English and...
(full context)
Chapter 21
...next day Captain Kidd drives back to Castroville, telling himself he’s only visiting to help Anna and Wilhelm understand “what it was like for a child taken captive and then redeemed...
(full context)
