The German Refugee by Bernard Malamud
"The German Refugee" by Bernard Malamud is a poignant short story that explores themes of brotherhood and the complexities of human connection during a time of turmoil. The narrative is delivered through the perspective of Martin Goldberg, who is tasked with teaching English to Oskar Gassner, a German refugee preparing to give a lecture on the American poet Walt Whitman and his ties to German poets. Throughout the story, two intertwined narratives unfold: Oskar’s emotional struggles and the narrator's lack of understanding regarding the gravity of Oskar’s situation, particularly his connection to his homeland and family.
Set against the backdrop of impending conflict in 1939, the story highlights the irony of Martin's perspective as he focuses solely on the teaching aspect, failing to grasp Oskar's profound sense of loss and despair. As Oskar grapples with his past, he ultimately imparts a critical lesson about humanity, reflecting on Whitman's influence as one that transcends death and embraces brotherhood. The story culminates in tragedy when Oskar takes his own life, leaving Martin with a sense of pride in his teaching, yet blind to his part in Oskar's plight. This narrative serves as a sobering meditation on the responsibilities of connection and the often-unseen struggles faced by those displaced by war.
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The German Refugee by Bernard Malamud
Excerpted from an article in Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition
First published: 1963 (collected in The Complete Stories, 1997)
Type of work: Short story
The Work
“The German Refugee,” one of the few first-person stories in the Malamud canon, illustrates the familiar theme of brotherhood. The narrator, Martin Goldberg, relates his attempts to teach English to a German refugee, Oskar Gassner, who is to give a lecture in English about American poet Walt Whitman’s relationship to certain German poets.
Two distinct stories emerge: Oskar’s anguish and his failure to learn English, as well as the irony of the narrator’s failure to understand why. While Martin teaches Oskar English, the German army begins its summer push of 1939. What the narrator fails to realize is his student’s deep involvement with his former country’s fate and that of his non-Jewish wife, whom he left there.
Malamud emphasizes the irony through the references to Whitman. Oskar ends up teaching the important lesson when he declares about the poet that “it wasn’t the love of death they [German poets] had got from Whitman . . . but it was most of all his feeling for Brudermensch, his humanity.” When Oskar successfully delivers his speech, the narrator feels only a sense of pride at what he taught the refugee, not the bonds of Brudermensch, that have developed between them. When Oskar commits suicide, the narrator never sees that he is partially responsible.
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