Friedrich

Chapter 21 brings the action of the novel to a climax with the murder of Frau Schneider. As discussed earlier, Frau Schneider’s death serves to represent those unknown numbers of Jews killed during The Night of Broken Glass. Her death also serves as a way for the reader to learn more about the mourning rituals of the Jewish religion and culture when Friedrich and his father tear at their clothes and light a candle. Lighting a candle at the head of someone who has recently died is a common practice among both Jews and Christians, again highlighting a similarity. Moreover, the rituals that the rabbi performs shortly before Frau Schneider dies are not unlike the Viaticum (the Last Rites) in the Catholic church, as Frau Schneider is asked to confess her sins to her husband. In the Viaticum, the dying person is also asked to confess their sins, though to the priest, rather than a lay person like their spouse. When the rabbi begins to sing over her, it is not too dissimilar from the Catholic anointing. While no oil is used, the song is scriptural in nature, and in the Viaticum, it is common for a scripture to be read after the anointment. The tearing of clothing is called Keriah, and it is a way for the loved ones to express their grief.

Aside from learning about Jewish religion and culture and drawing parallels to Christian/Catholic practices, the chapter also illustrates Friedrich’s and his father’s strengths. They never take out their anger, frustration, or feelings of helplessness on the narrator or his family. They never once condemn them for not having done more, or anything for that matter, to help or stand up to the mob. They mourn their loss, recognizing that their friends were just as helpless to stand up to the mob as they were, that they might have been targeted too. More impulsive citizens would not have been so reflective.

Chapter 22: “Lamps,” continues to highlight the discrimination against Jews. Herr Schneider cannot even work in a department store anymore. He and Friedrich must repair lamps, and they can only garner customers through word of mouth. The end of 1938 and the beginning of 1939 saw the lives of Jews rapidly deteriorate. Through many laws that were passed, Jews were forced to surrender all their businesses, securities, stocks, bonds, and jewelry, among other things. In 1939, shortly before Germany invaded Poland, rights for Jewish tenants were reduced. However, they still had some, which explains why Herr Resch still could not evict the Schneiders even though the mob had killed Frau Schneider and ransacked their apartment.

This chapter also shows a change in Herr Schneider. He becomes nervous, agitated, and stressed. He is no longer the stoic man who faced his son’s accusers during the ball incident or the sympathetic neighbor in Chapter 16. The level of Nazi persecution has escalated to such a level that it is creating a psychological change in the way Herr Schneider and his family approach their lives. Herr Schneider has already decided to actively oppose the government where he can, which leads him to harbor the rabbi in Chapters 25-28.

Chapter 23 highlights the blatant expanse of antisemitic Nazi propaganda, its entertainment value, and its widespread acceptance and popularity. The movie that Friedrich and the narrator go to see was an actual film and is considered one of the most antisemitic films ever produced, even in Nazi Germany. In essence, the film depicts how a Jewish man named Süß schemes his way into the Duke of Württemberg’s graces through monetary loans, which grants Süß the power to tax much of the economy, ruining the lives of the citizenry. The film even has the Jewish Süß rape a Christian woman, Dorothea, after he has her father falsely imprisoned.

Chapter 24: “Benches” connects the high stakes circumstances of the novel to universal experiences of adolescence. Having a crush or falling in love is a rite of passage for every youth growing up, and to see how something so simple as taking a walk with a girl becomes a problem for Friedrich bridges the gap between Friedrich’s experience and the other teenagers at the time, including teenage readers. Furthermore, the chapter highlights Friedrich’s humanity in a world of inhumanity. Though many around him wish him great suffering, even death, Friedrich still has compassion for the young German girl and does not want her, or her family, to face the same hardships that he and his people must face because of her association with him. He denies himself a moment of happiness for theirs. Ironically, not only do Friedrich’s actions condemn the antisemites, but the careful reader will notice that Friedrich, a Jew, is behaving more Christlike than the purported Christians around him as he “turns the other cheek.”

There are several key factors from Chapter 25: “The Rabbi.” In 1940, the first deportation of Jews from Germany began. In 1941, the Nazis began the Endlösung der Judenfrage (End Solution to the Jewish Question). Hence, why the rabbi is hiding with the Schneiders; rabbis, as Jewish religious leaders, were specifically targeted as high priority for removal by the Nazis. While the Schneiders have been demonstrating noble behavior in the face of extreme racism and persecution, the narrator and his family have had little to say for themselves. This chapter provides an instance for them to show camaraderie and support for their friends.

Furthermore, since the Schneiders represent the experience of German Jews, the narrator and his family symbolize those Germans who were not antisemitic and did what little they could to help their Jewish friends and neighbors, as they share their rations of potatoes with the Schneiders. In 1941, after the war began, Germans were already having to ration food. Thus, sharing potatoes was no small sacrifice. Neither is the decision the narrator must make at the end of the chapter when he must choose whether to call the authorities, and the life and death of another human being is placed in his hands. The question of whether to help Jews or turn them in was a question many Germans had to ask themselves. Some chose to help; others chose not to risk it. The intensity of this dilemma illustrates the iron hand with which the Nazis ruled Germany. By 1941, the ability to resist the Nazi government had largely evaporated, and many Germans felt truly afraid of them for the first time.