Friedrich

The narrator is an unnamed German boy growing up during the rise of the Nazi party in Germany between 1925 and 1942. Not only does he tell the story, but he is also the second protagonist. He reveals very little about himself, including what he looks like and his own subjective perspective. His character is more a parallel reflection of Friedrich than a strong separate character. For example, the fact that he is impoverished and not as good at math or swimming is revealed from the comparison he makes between himself and Friedrich. In this way, he offers a juxtaposition to the main protagonist, providing both a non-Jewish version of the same childhood and an enduring voice when Friedrich is silenced by the Nazis’ terror. Thus, he provides an exterior and interior perspective for both the German boy witnessing the events and the German-Jewish boy experiencing the events.

Although there is much overlap between the two boys, the narrator’s character separates from Friedrich at key moments in the narration when he goes from being a passive observer to an actor, particularly in Chapter 20 when he is swept away in the mob without truly contemplating his actions beforehand and again in Chapter 25, when he must decide whether or not to turn the rabbi over to the authorities.