The Tin Drum: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Tin Drum" is a novel that serves as a powerful exploration of major characters against the backdrop of Nazi Germany. At the center is Oscar Matzerath, a dwarf who chooses to stop growing at the age of three to escape the chaos of his society. He possesses magical abilities linked to his tin drum, which he uses to comment on the moral compromises of those around him as they navigate the oppressive regime. His mother, Agnes, illustrates the struggles faced by women during this tumultuous time, engaging in a forbidden love affair that highlights the complexities of familial relationships. Alfred Matzerath, Oscar's possibly non-biological father, embodies the greed and moral blindness prevalent among those who aligned with the Nazi Party for personal gain. Other characters, such as Jan Bronski, exhibit a blend of good intentions and ignorance, failing to grasp the full implications of the regime's actions. Bebra and Roswitha, both survivors of the era, represent the adaptability necessary to endure the horrors of the time, while Sister Dorothea stands out as a symbol of innocence tragically caught in the web of violence. The intertwining stories of these characters provide a poignant commentary on human behavior amidst societal collapse.
The Tin Drum: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Günter Grass
First published: Die Blechtrommel, 1959 (English translation, 1962)
Genre: Novel
Locale: Poland and Germany
Plot: Social satire
Time: 1899–1954
Oscar Matzerath (mat-tseh-RAHT), a deranged dwarf storyteller who willed himself to stop growing at the age of three to protect himself from the insane society of Nazi Germany. Oscar has magical powers imparted to him by a succession of tin drums. He encounters representatives of virtually all segments of German society and beats his drum as these people accommodate themselves to the Nazi regime to a greater or lesser degree.
Agnes Matzerath, Oscar's mother, who carries on a love affair with her cousin throughout the first part of the novel. Agnes and other female characters suffer the disabilities imparted by the Nazi attitude toward women, which relegates them to a subordinate position in family relationships and the workplace.
Alfred Matzerath, Agnes' husband but probably not Oscar's father. Alfred is a small business owner who willingly embraced the Nazi Party long before Adolf Hitler came to power, as did many other members of his social class. He is myopic and greedy, willing to sacrifice any principle to gain a perceived economic advantage. He dies after the Russian invasion of Danzig by swallowing his Nazi party badge.
Jan Bronski (yahn BRON-skee), Agnes' Polish cousin, her lover, and probably Oscar's father. Jan is good-hearted and generous but either too dense or too indifferent to realize what the Nazi regime truly represents. Jan is devoted to Agnes and becomes close friends with Oscar, but he never takes a stand on political or moral issues.
Mr. Bebra (BEH-brah), a circus midget who befriends Oscar after his mother's death. Bebra is an accomplished artist, talented in many different fields. He is the consummate survivor, showing Oscar how to accommodate himself to virtually any situation. He does not particularly care for the Nazis but is determined to adapt to any situation.
Roswitha Raguna (rohz-VEE-tah rah-GEW-nah), an associate of Bebra who is even shorter than the midget and capable of sleeping anyplace at any time. Although Roswitha displays enough intelligence to realize the evil rampant in Germany, she manages to sleep through most of the Nazi horror.
Herbert Truczinski (trew-TSIHNS-kee), a neighbor of the Matzeraths in Danzig. As was the case with many Germans, he remained convinced that President Paul von Hindenburg (“The Wooden Titan”) could control Hitler and the Nazis after 1933. The heavily tattooed Truczinski becomes enamored of the wooden figurehead of a ship and impales himself on it.
Maria Truczinski, Herbert's younger sister, who becomes Oscar's lover in an unlikely relationship. Maria eventually bears Oscar's child and then proceeds to marry his father (de-spite his Nazi affiliations), who could obviously provide for her and the infant much more readily than could Oscar.
Sister Dorothea Koengetter (doh-roh-TAY-ah KEHNgeht-tehr), a neighbor of Oscar in postwar West Germany and one of the few people in the novel not implicated in any complicity with the Nazi regime. Despite, or perhaps because of, her goodness, Sister Dorothea becomes a murder victim. Oscar is falsely accused of her murder.
Gottfried von Vittlar (GOT-freed fon VIHT-lahr), an acquaintance of both Sister Dorothea and Oscar whose testimony inadvertently results in Oscar's conviction for murder.