Hitler Youth Organization

In the novel, Rudy Steiner is a part of an organization called the Hitler Youth. This was a huge struggle for young German children. Hitler even said the following quote.

“The weak must be chiselled away. I want young men and women who can suffer pain. A young German must be as swift as a greyhound, as tough as leather, and as hard as Krupp’s steel.” (Trueman)

This is a perfect example of the cruelty of Adolf Hitler’s dictatorship. In the novel, Rudy faced embarrassing experiences, such as being covered in mud and having to run laps. The Hitler Youth was an organization that existed during World War II, which crushed the dreams of many young German children. This was shown in the novel when Rudy’s dreams of becoming a professional athlete was destroyed when he got recruited to another training camp.