A theme that stood out to me was socialization. More specifically, how the general public(but I’m going to focus on children) is brainwashed to worship Hitler. I am reading Projekt 1065 by Alan Gratz. Socialization is important because it was a source of Hitler’s influence and superiority. He was a convincing speaker and successfully deceived Germany as a whole, as mass crowds have a tendency to delude themselves when put in complicated situations.
The children of Germany are indoctrinated, taught to be ruthless, and to mistrust each other. Serving in the Hitler Youth, the goal everyone has, appeals to them because it gives a sense of belonging and power. For example, Fritz says, “For the Fuhrer. Everything I do is for the greater good of the Fatherland.”(107). But, of course, they are under the false impression of Hitler being a hero. No one recognizes this as the truly twisted and cruel scheme it is, his way of using German people for his own selfish purposes.
The Nazi Party takes advantage of how easy it is to influence children. After all, they know little about the morals and consequences of their actions. They only know to focus on their fear of what the Nazis can do to them, humiliate and torture them publicly. No one wants to be alienated from the rest; people feel security when they are in groups. So they go to great lengths in order to prove they are tough, loyal, and antisemitic, to please others “His name’s Karl. You didn’t hear? He made it into the Hitler Youth after all by turning in his parents to the Gestapo.”(154).
As the book progresses, Fritz becomes more and more like a Nazi. Taking a brutal beating from Michael to prove his resilience exemplifies the extent of his determination to join the junior police force, which he does. Being in the SRD makes him feel dominant because he has a chance to get back at those who previously bullied him. This connects to what I previously said about power.
Because of successful socialization, the young Germans, like Fritz, are obsessed with serving Hitler, whatever the cost may be. Even though they may not have started out as being vicious, being in such a toxic environment, where everyone thinks one way, heavily influences their thinking and behavior. Socialization is not always negative, but in this case, it is completely self-destructive since people police each other and slip into insanity on their own.