The Storyteller
Chapter 7: Josef 2
by Picoult, JodiThe chapter begins with Josef recalling his childhood, focusing on his brother Franz’s longing for a pet dog, which their father refused due to allergies. Instead, Franz secretly befriended a field mouse, naming it Ernst. When their mother discovered mouse droppings, she ordered traps to kill the pests. That night, Josef killed the mouse himself, justifying it as following his mother’s wishes. This early memory foreshadows Josef’s later adherence to authority and his willingness to suppress empathy for the sake of obedience.
Josef reflects on his rise as the “golden child” in his community, favored by Herr Sollemach, a local Nazi leader. His parents, though not overtly political, benefited from his status in the Hitler Youth (HJ), which elevated their social standing. Josef describes his indoctrination into Nazi ideology, comparing it to religious upbringing—children unquestioningly accept what they are taught. He highlights the simplicity of the Nazi message: good is useful, bad is harmful. This mindset allowed him to internalize anti-Semitic propaganda without critical thought.
The chapter shifts to a visit to Wewelsburg Castle, a site repurposed by Heinrich Himmler for SS ceremonies. Herr Sollemach leads the boys there, emphasizing its significance to the Nazi regime. Franz, ever the scholar, answers a historical question correctly but is mocked by the group, illustrating the rejection of intellectualism in favor of blind loyalty. Josef notes the castle’s transformation from a local landmark to a symbol of SS power, underscoring the Nazis’ manipulation of history and space for ideological purposes.
The visit culminates with the boys witnessing Himmler addressing SS officers, espousing Nazi ideals of racial purity and knightly virtues. Josef’s narration reveals his uncritical acceptance of these doctrines, framed as noble and inevitable. The chapter closes with Josef’s implicit justification of his actions—both past and present—as mere obedience to authority. His childhood act of killing the mouse parallels his later compliance with the regime, highlighting the destructive consequences of indoctrination and the erosion of individual morality.
FAQs
1. How does Josef’s treatment of the mouse reflect his character development and foreshadow his later behavior under Nazi influence?
Answer:
Josef’s brutal killing of Franz’s pet mouse demonstrates his early capacity for cruelty masked as obedience. While claiming he was “just following orders” (his mother’s directive about pests), he deliberately waited to violently kill the creature Franz had bonded with. This moment foreshadows his later unquestioning compliance with Nazi ideology, where harmful actions are justified as necessary duties. The parallel between dismissing the mouse’s suffering (“it was only a mouse”) and later dehumanizing rhetoric about Jewish people is striking, showing how early tendencies toward detachment and rule-following evolve into systemic violence.2. Analyze the significance of Herr Sollemach’s role in Josef’s ideological indoctrination. How does the text compare this process to religious upbringing?
Answer:
Herr Sollemach acts as a father figure and ideological gatekeeper, rewarding Josef’s conformity with status, privileges (like dinners and romantic access to his daughter), and eventual promotion to the HJ-Streifendienst. The chapter explicitly compares Nazi indoctrination to religious upbringing: both rely on childhood trust in authority figures (“since your parents nod and say this is true, why should you not believe them?”). Just as religious children accept doctrines without critique, Josef internalizes Nazi teachings about racial hierarchies and national superiority through repetitive messaging from trusted mentors like Sollemach, who replaces spiritual guidance with political dogma.3. What contradictions exist in Josef’s family’s relationship with Nazi ideology, and how do they navigate these tensions?
Answer:
Josef’s parents exhibit ambivalence—they may privately doubt Nazi philosophy (the father’s physical exemption from service hints at relief rather than disappointment) but publicly embrace the social advantages of Josef’s status as a Hitler Youth star. Their pride in Josef’s achievements (“winners’ ribbons and praise”) outweighs any moral reservations, allowing them to benefit from community standing (“no nosy neighbor was going to comment on the fact that my father had not enlisted”). This reflects how ordinary families compartmentalized ethical concerns to survive and thrive under the regime, using children’s conformity as a shield against scrutiny.4. How does the description of Wewelsburg Castle’s transformation symbolize the Nazis’ manipulation of history and power?
Answer:
The castle’s shift from a local historical site to SS headquarters embodies Nazi appropriation of cultural heritage for ideological purposes. Franz’s accurate historical reference (Hermann’s victory) is dismissed in favor of Lukas’s answer about Himmler’s ownership, showing how the regime overwrites academic knowledge with political symbolism. The ongoing renovations (“deepened moats,” “north tower under construction”) mirror the Nazis’ fabricated mythology—reinforcing structures of power while erasing inconvenient truths. The castle becomes a physical manifestation of the SS’s aspirational dominance, with Himmler’s planned “center of the world” reflecting delusions of eternal supremacy.5. In what ways does the chapter illustrate the psychological mechanisms that enable ordinary individuals to participate in oppressive systems?
Answer:
The text reveals three key mechanisms: 1) Dehumanization (dismissing the mouse’s suffering, caricatures of Jews as “inferior species”), which reduces moral resistance; 2) Social reward (Josef’s elevated status, Sollemach calling him “Sohn”), which incentivizes compliance; and 3) Moral displacement (“only following orders”), which absolves personal responsibility. Josef’s trajectory shows how incremental exposure—from killing a mouse to reporting “disloyalty”—normalizes cruelty when framed as service to a greater cause. The mention of Walter Hess turning in his own father underscores how systems weaponize familial bonds against individual conscience.
Quotes
1. “I was just doing what she would have, eventually. I was only following orders.”
This chilling admission from Josef about killing his brother’s pet mouse reflects the early normalization of obedience to authority, foreshadowing his later indoctrination into Nazi ideology. The phrase “only following orders” carries profound historical weight in the context of war crimes.
2. “No child really chooses his religion; it is just the luck of the draw which blanket of beliefs you are wrapped in.”
This powerful analogy compares Nazi indoctrination to religious upbringing, highlighting how children absorb the values of their environment without critical examination. It underscores the chapter’s exploration of how ideology is transmitted.
3. “What is bad is harmful, we were told. What is good is useful. It truly was that simple.”
This quote captures the black-and-white moral framework instilled in Hitler Youth members, showing how complex ethical questions were reduced to simplistic utilitarian judgments. It reveals the dangerous oversimplification at the heart of Nazi ideology.
4. “Blood tells. The laws of Aryan selection favor those who are stronger, smarter, and more righteous in character than their inferior counterparts.”
This quote from the SS officer at Wewelsburg Castle embodies the core Nazi belief in racial superiority. Its inclusion shows the direct exposure Josef and his peers had to high-level Nazi ideology during their indoctrination.
5. “Loyalty. Obedience. Truth. Duty. Comradeship. These are the cornerstones of the knighthood of old, and th…”
This incomplete quote (cut off in the text) demonstrates how Nazi ideology co-opted medieval romanticism and virtue concepts to create an appealing mythology for young recruits, blending traditional values with racist ideology.