Behind the Bedroom Wall

“‘Jew-lover!’ spat the tall, blonde Gestapo officer […] Her Haase slowly rose to his knees, one arm clamped to his side where he had been kicked.”

This opening anecdote illustrates the policy of racial hatred that the Nazi regime normalized in Germany; it alludes to the horrific genocide of Jewish people. These horrendous policies were aided by a culture of reporting, in which people—particularly children—were urged to be vigilant and to report suspicious behavior that may indicate treachery. The discovery that Herr Haase has been hiding Jewish people results in his being treated as a disloyal traitor of the country.

“‘I think it’s just awful,’ Eva whispered, her voice quivering slightly.”

Eva’s sympathy for Herr Haase during his beating characterizes her as a compassionate and morally upstanding character—an un-German citizen by Nazi standards. Her presence in the story is a reminder of the existence of dissenting people within Nazi Germany, people who condemned the Nazis’ treatment of Jews as immoral and cruel. It alludes to the Rehmes’ dangerous involvement in the same underground network that Herr Haase belonged to and that led to his arrest.

“Jews are the enemy! They are the root of all our problems! Without them Germany will be strong!”

Rita’s comment as she watches her brother, a Gestapo officer, beating Herr Haase’s beating reveals her point of view throughout the story—that of the strictly patriotic, unquestioningly loyal Hitler Youth. She investigates and reports the family of her best friend, Korinna, for suspected traitorous