Staying decent

Novelist Hans Fallada witnessed Nazi Germany firsthand. Although sometimes a critic of Hitler, he somehow survived, and after World War II he wrote his greatest novel, Every Man Dies Alone (1947). The novel gives a striking picture what it was like being a decent German in an indecent time.

At the novel's center are a middle-aged couple, Otto and Anna Quangel, who are lukewarm supporters of Hitler until their son is killed in combat. Then their attitude changes. Open rebellion, or even criticism, is impossible, so Otto, a foreman at his factory, hits upon the idea of writing anti-Nazi messages on postcards and carefully placing them around the city. Anna joins him in his effort, bringing the two of them closer together than they have been in years. They are united in their cause, a cause that seems doomed from the start and could cost them their lives.

The postcards have little impact. Most of them are turned over to the Gestapo immediately, and the search for the perpetrator becomes a high priority. The length of the hunt jeopardizes the careers and even the lives of those in charge. One guard, after the Quangels are arrested, is dismissed as being unsuitable, "too human to do duty here."

The novel is long, full of many characters and details, yet it rarely ceases to be riveting. And Fallada's ultimate message comes through clearly: Even when the situation seems hopeless, there remains something to be said for staying decent.