The Boy Who Dared

Gerhard is Helmuth’s smart and practical older brother. Gerhard is not afraid to state his opinion and frequently argues with Hugo. He shares Helmuth’s Mormon faith and disapproval of Hitler. However, he finds it best to wait for Hitler’s reign to pass. He does not view himself as a Nazi but reports for military training when he is ordered to. Initially, Gerhard is the brother who is outspoken and brave while Helmuth remains silent, but ultimately, he accepts his assigned role in society.

Gerhard thinks that breaking the law by listening to illegal radio “would be a selfish act” (94). His desire to protect his family and maintain order motivate him. He is “always doing the right thing, obeying the law, even when he doesn’t agree with it” (93). Gerhard serves as a foil, or character that highlights another character’s traits. He foils Helmuth because they come from the same background and have similar views yet take very different paths. Gerhard views obedience as the right thing to do. He follows a more traditional interpretation of their Mormon faith that states that Mormons should follow the law and obey their leaders. Gerhard is, however, conflicted about his actions, begging Helmuth, “Don’t tell me that if I die, I will have died for nothing” (98).

Hugo is the novel’s antagonist and a foil to Helmuth. He is a Rottenführer in the SS who marries Mutti. Hugo is rude, violent, and unable to think for himself. He blindly follows what Hitler says and believes whatever the RRG tells him. He represents everything that Helmuth does not want to be and is a major reason why Helmuth rejects Nazi ideology. His character represents a stereotypical Nazi, cruel and unrelenting. He adopts Helmuth and tries to be a father figure; however his paternal support is contingent upon Helmuth’s behavior. Hugo is proud of Helmuth when Helmuth shows potential as a Nazi but is vicious when Helmuth speaks against the regime.

Hugo is a static character because he does not and cannot change. He enjoys violence; after destroying Jewish neighborhoods he has “a strange look of feverish excitement in his bloodshot eyes, making them a sharper and brighter blue” (71). Hugo is unrepentant about his behavior and values Hitler and the Nazi party above all else.

Mutti is Helmuth and Gerhard’s mother. She is a hard worker, raising three boys on her own before Hugo appears. She represents a typical German who remains silent about the evil they see. She does not actively engage in hate or violence but does not speak up for what is right. Her character represents a stereotypical German during WWII who values their own comfort over the wellbeing of others.

Mutti feigns ignorance about Hugo’s behavior and chooses him over her sons. She believes that “silence is how people get on sometimes” (72). She would rather be comfortably married with a provider than speak up and lose that stability. Although Mutti appears to be a loving mother in the beginning of the novel, Helmuth officially loses her support after her marriage to Hugo.