All the Light

Alternative transcript:

weakest boy to be shunned, he participated willingly. When asked to aid in the torture of a rival prisoner, he partcipated without reservation. Werner does not let any moral considerations prevent him from fulfilling his role in the army. These selfish decisions present obvious moral implications for his own character. Werner could have spoken up for the prisoner's humanity, or even simply refused to participate in his treatment. He could have voiced his concerns about the dehumanizing nature of the program, and the cruel punishment of anybody who failed to meet the idealized social standard. Werner did none of this, prioritizing his success, and thus, willing conformity over what he knew was right. Yet Werner's circumstances complicate the issue of his morality. The Hitler Youth was some of the only stability Werner had ever experienced. His technological talents were useful to the army, and therefore praised and rewarded in an environment that allowed Werner to fully pursue his passion. He had stable food and shelter, a community, and a strong set of values. While this does not excuse Werner's actions, it does provide justification for them, and rationalizes his decision to overlook the institution's flaws. Later in the novel, Werner breaks out of this mold when he decides to help Marie-Laure. Seeing that she is about to be attacked by a fellow German, he interferes. He betrays his side of the war by killing Von Rumpel to preserve his morality and save an innocent girl. He breaks the deeply ingrained allegiance with Germany to help someone on the other side of the war. This shows immense personal growth, and a side of Werner strong and good enough to break the mold of what was expected of him. Werner is a prime example of the complications of the Nazi party. Through direct propaganda and assimilation from a very young age, Werner was conditioned to support Germany and follow everything he was ordered. To oppose this great power would be to put himself directly in harms way, at odds with the Nazi's ruthless dedicaiton to loyalty and obediance. Specifically for young recruits, the Hitler youth provided stability and falsified purpose for brainwashed individuals. Through censorship and propaganda, the German government did an exceptional job from shielding the true horrors of the war from their citizens and soldiers. However this does not account for a moral excuse, because soldiers witnessed enough, that just like Werner did, they should have identified and rebelled against the cruelty. Just as Werner chose to ignore Jutta's statements about the cruel acts and discrimination of Jews, many Nazi soldiers chose to ignore the bits of information that were breaking the wall of censorship. German soldiers should have recognized the hate that their values were built on, and refused to conform to it. Yet many did not question or reject these principles, reflecting their moral ambiguity in their responsibility for the war's horrific acts.