Soldier X

Within Soldier X, clothes—in particular, military uniforms—are a symbol of identity. While this is inherently part of the purpose of a uniform itself, the novel extends the symbol and repeatedly exaggerates how uniforms work as a shorthand for personal belief and loyalty, replacing individuality with conformity and assumptions. The use of uniforms contrasts heavily with the first-person narration, allowing the reader to experience X as an individual rather than a nameless soldier, contrasting with the perception of others—while some more disconnected from the military view him as an individual, most simply see him as another faceless member of the army whose uniform he wears. X is also able to become a liminal figure—a figure who operates between boundaries—using uniforms. They symbolize his ability to fluidly move between his nationalities, as all he must do to “become” Russian is wear a Russian uniform. In the war-torn Eastern front, people do not have time for individuality or specifics; the uniform is enough to convey someone’s entire belief system and even value as a person.

Significant, too, is that the German uniforms are all reused from dead soldiers, leaving bloodstains, obvious signs of wear and repair, and other grisly reminders of their origin. This situation symbolizes the decay of the German army—as they do not have the materials to give new uniforms to every soldier—but also symbolizes the ultimate devaluing of human life during the war. The uniforms are more important than the soldiers in many ways; the soldiers are dying faster than the uniforms can be produced, so the army simply puts new soldiers in them and sends them to die in turn. This reuse of uniforms additionally serves as a literal reminder to the soldiers that they are fodder for violence and the hand of the state—even if they die, their uniforms will remain, with no indication of who they were as individuals.