In previous episodes of A Small Light, Miep faced a great deal of pressure to figure out a safe hiding place for Frannie’s children. Thanks to the assistance of Jan’s resistance party, Miep was able to secure a safe location for the kids. Meanwhile, Miep found herself torn between enjoying Christmas with Tess and spending Hanukkah with the Frank family. During a party organized by Tess at her boyfriend’s place, Miep made the shocking discovery that Tess’s boyfriend was actually working for the Nazis. Miep felt compelled to take action, but Jan advised her to remain silent. Although Jan didn’t create a scene at the party, he subtly hinted to Miep that he was involved in something that would aid in resisting Nazi oppression. While Miep didn’t fully comprehend that her husband had become an active member of the resistance movement, she believed that Jan might be helping Jews hide, just as she had been doing.
Spoilers Ahead
How Did Miep Come To Know About Jan’s Participation In The Resistance?
In Episode 5 of A Small Light, Miep grew skeptical of Jan’s sudden shift in behavior. He no longer listened to her demands and spent less time with her, leading Miep to suspect that Jan was hiding something. She asked him to disclose what was bothering him, but Jan kept his involvement in the resistance highly confidential. Meanwhile, Anne persistently nagged Miep to discuss her relationship with Jan. Seeing them as an ideal couple; she aspired to have a lover like Jan one day. Anne had developed a crush on Peter, Van Pal’s son, who also showed interest in her. However, Anne’s mother, Edith, disapproved of their connection, believing that pursuing a romance while their families struggled to coexist in their hideout would lead to disaster. Edith advised Miep to convince Anne not to pursue a relationship with Peter. During this time, Miep was facing immense pressure in her married life and could no longer recognize the sudden change in Jan. In this situation, she impulsively forbade Anne from falling in love or believing that love was easy or beautiful. Later, Miep realized her mistake, understanding that Anne was too young to comprehend the complexities and potential consequences of love and relationships.
Meanwhile, under the leadership of Willem Arondeus, the resistance party planned to blow up the Civil Registry Office, where information about Jews’ locations was recorded. With Jan Gies’s assistance, the resistance group obtained access to the building’s map, making it easier to plan the attack. However, Arondeus strictly forbade Jan from participating due to his being a family man, unlike Arondeus and others. Arondeus didn’t want Jan’s wife to suffer the agony of losing her husband in this risky operation, where death was a probable outcome. Nonetheless, the confidentiality of Jan’s participation in the resistance was no longer secure. Their meeting place happened to be a gay bar where Miep’s brother, Cas, was present. Cas noticed Jan hanging out with men he recognized as resistance fighters. Cas approached Miep to warn her that her husband was going to take a drastic step—the bombing plan at the registry office. Miep was taken aback by the news and didn’t know how to react. Her world crumbled as soon as she heard the information. She had one question in her mind: how could Jan not consider his family before making such a decision? She imagined the worst-case scenarios, fearing that her husband might not return alive.
Did Jan Die? Did Miep And Jan Reconcile?
Jan didn’t even stay at home on their anniversary night, which broke Miep’s heart. Even worse, the very following day, the bombing plan was successfully executed at the registry office. Since that dreadful event, Jan hadn’t returned home. Miep felt her insides wither, sensing that something terrible had happened to her husband. Unable to resist her impulses, she went straight to the bar where the resistance meetings took place, bringing Cas along with her so that people there could recognize him and reveal any information about Gies. Upon arriving at the bar, Miep approached a lady who was also an active member of the resistance, but she denied knowing anything about Jan Gies. Miep learned that the resistance fighters who had participated in the bombing had been arrested and sentenced to death. We got to know that Willem Arondeus, who was an attacker in the bombing, had been arrested and given a death sentence. It shattered the last remnants of hope in Miep’s heart, as she feared her husband had suffered the same fate.
However, one day, a letter arrived for Miep from Jan Gies, bringing a glimmer of hope. The letter was addressed to Miep with the words “shitfield” written on it. The “shit field” referred to a farming land where Miep had once spoken to Jan about their marriage. Miep, not being a citizen of Amsterdam, had been worried at the time of scrutiny from the Nazis, which could result in her being sent back to Vienna. To avoid this, Otto Frank had suggested that Miep marry a Dutchman to gain permanent citizenship. Unable to wait any longer, Miep went to Jan’s farm, where their unconventional marriage proposal took place.
During this time of fear and uncertainty about her husband’s fate, Miep got a ray of sunshine through the letter; thus, she wasted no time and rushed to the farming land. Miep found Jan alive and well and embraced her love, fully understanding that her husband wanted to do something for their country and the oppressed people living under Nazi rule. In response, she suggested that she join the resistance as well. The future episodes will reveal whether Miep will indeed join the resistance force and fight alongside her husband against the Nazis.
Final Words
Despite Jan’s strong desire to participate in the attack, he eventually realized, at Arondeus’s request, that he couldn’t only think about his country; he also had to consider the safety and well-being of his family, particularly Miep’s. They both aimed and dreamed together to make a positive difference in a country plagued by Nazi oppression. This particular episode of A Small Light gradually assumes a darker tone as the resistance parties take increasingly drastic measures to fight against the Nazis. The episode effectively conveys fear and suspense, leaving us uncertain about Jan’s fate. We eagerly anticipate future episodes of A Small Light to continue depicting the horror of Nazi-ravaged Amsterdam and the plight of its people.
