Who did the right thing- the boy who fell victim to Adolf Hitler’s charisma but realized his wrong-doing, or the rebel who stood up for what he believed in? I believe Alfons did the right thing because he took responsibility for his actions and was willing to carry the burden that comes with having been a Nazi. Both Alfons from Parallel Journeys by Eleanor Ayer and Helmuth from The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti are faced with a critical decision- to follow and obey Adolf Hitler or not? As you will come to find out, the boys choose very different paths. In this essay, you will discover both boy’s ethnicity, point of view, and who I believe did the right thing- Alfons or Helmuth.
Alfons is an avid follower of Hitler and a high-ranking Hitler Youth leader from the book Parallel Journeys. Alfons was born and the lives and Wittlich, Germany, but his military duties…show more content… Two quotes that show Helmuth’s hate towards the Nazis are as follows, “‘So you think the Fuhrer is a liar?’ Helmuth wants to shout out, ‘Yes! He is a liar!’” (Bartoletti 147) and “Helmuth looks at Karl, ‘I despise the Nazis. I hate the way they bully people, and I hate them telling me what to think.’” (Bartoletti 120). These quotes show that Helmuth disagrees with the Nazis and distrusts Hitler. Helmuth’s hate for Hitler led to consequences which can be seen in the following quote, “‘The court orders the following to be sentenced, Hubener, to death and the loss of his civil me if you couldrights during his lifetime.’” (Bartoletti 162). Quote shows that Helmuth paid the price for speaking out against the most powerful man in Germany. Helmuth knew how powerful Hitler was, and still stood up for what he believed. In conclusion, Helmuth hated the Nazis with a passion and voiced his opinion. However, because he expressed his beliefs, Helmuth was forced to pay the ultimate
