Hans Hubermann and the NSDAP

Hans Hubermann approached the Nazi office in Molching and submitted his forms. I wonder, though, if Hans really wanted to join the Party, or if he just wanted his customers back. He does not believe in the Party's values, but in an ever-growing society where most people are in the Party, Hans was pressured into sending his application. He definitely did not forget the fact that "a Jew had once saved his life" (Erik Vandenburg) or that "his most loyal customers were Jewish" (180). Hans knew that he severely jeopardized his chances of getting in once he punched the door and window of the NSDAP, and he went even further by repainting a door of a shop owned by Joel Kleinmann, a Jew. Hans never showed hatred toward Jews in the past, so it wasn't fitting for him to be in the Nazi party at all.

Even if Hans had joined the Party, he would not have been a typical Nazi at all. He was sympathetic and even kind to Jews, which is not what the Party is looking for. Repainting Joel's door was a typical act of kindness that one would expect from Hans Hubermann thus far, but he clearly showed anger when he hit the door and window of the NSDAP office. Could it be that Hans sabotaged his chance on purpose by going even further than just repairing, adding more destruction to the mess? Did Hans never really want to be in the Party? Was he just doing it because of the pressure and his customers? It seemed a bit much when Hans hit the NSDAP building; it seemed forged and it seemed that Hans was ruining his chances on purpose.

When Rolf Fischer walks by and plainly sees Hans repainting the door of a Jewish shop, Hans acts casually and responds to Rolf's "heil Hitler". Hans does not try to cover up what he is doing, as others waiting for their application to be accepted or rejected would; he is casual and does not care what Fischer thinks. Hans knows that Rolf is "one of Molching's greatest Nazis", and one could ponder if, again, Hans sabotaged himself by showing Rolf his kindness toward Jews (182-83). It seemed that the destruction of Joel Kleinmann's shop came at the right time because it gave Hans the "out" that he wanted.

On page 182, Death describes Hans's promise to repaint Joel Kleinmann's door a mistake. By using the word "mistake", we have to wonder what side Death is on. Could Death be biased? Or does Hans view his actions as mistakes? It certainly appears that Hans does not really want membership, but Death still refers to Hans's good deed as a mistake. Punching the door and window of the NSDAP office could be called a mistake. But helping out a Jewish man who had bricks thrown into his shop and slurs written on his door is not a mistake, it is a good deed. Death describes both acts as mistakes. Perhaps Death is biased and it has been for the Party all along. Although, judging by Death's earlier reactions to its job (15) , I do not think that Death would support the Nazi party. The Nazis want to kill all Jews, Poles, homosexuals, and other minorities. If all of those groups were killed, Death would probably have triple the workload for months, or even years. Death's support for the Party does not make sense, so I wonder where the word "mistakes" came from.