The Boy Who Dared

The Boy Who Dared illustrates the value of the individual in several ways. Helmuth comes of age during Hitler’s rise to power, a time when Germany was increasingly nationalistic. As a child, Helmuth enjoys patriotic displays like flags and parades that make him proud to be German. However, he rejects the way this patriotism turns into an “us versus them” mentality. The belief that “outsiders” like Jewish people and Communists threaten Germany’s power and unity leads to a devaluation of the individual. The Nazis’ extreme nationalism suppresses not only the “outsiders” but everyday Germans, too. As Helmuth laments, the Nazis “tell us to denounce our neighbors and we call it patriotism” (112). Helmuth resents that the Nazis force Germans to sacrifice their individual liberties for the sake of an imagined greater good. The Gestapo’s rampant use of torture proves the Nazis’ disregard for individual people’s lives. The Nazis are hypocritical; they tout the so-called improvements they are making in Germany, while making it a scary and dangerous place for anyone who disagrees with them.

Helmuth understands that what a person can say and do is more important than abstract ideals like flag and Fatherland. He believes it is better to “[let] go of the flag [.