03.08.08
Gretel
At age twelve, Gretel is the proper age for membership in the League of Young Girls, a branch of the Hitler Youth. Why do you think she is not a member, especially since her father is a high-ranking officer in Hitler’s army?
*from the Readers’ Guide
cakequeen2 said,
March 10, 2008 at 9:05 am
I must confess that I finished the book on Saturday, and have been extremely bothered by it ever since. Since reading to the end, I feel that I am able to commment on why Gretel isn’t involved in the Hitler Youth movement. It seems that the mother had an unspoken rule that she would follow her husband in his career, but that was all. The children are sheltered from the outside world, and Gretel understands what is going on, but to an innocent extent. The father agrees with the mother’s desire to return to Berlin, as he doesn’t appear to want his children exposed to the truth. I hope that I can get this story out of my head, because it disturbs me too much.